SUPPLEMENT. 



THE FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS 

 By Chaeles Louis Pollard. 



CHAPTEE XXIIL—Continned. 



Family Cyrillaceae. Cyrilla Family. This consists of two small 

 trees, Cliftonia and Cyrilla, both natives of the southern United States, 

 and a genus of tropical American shrubs, Cosfaea, with 3 species. The 

 two first-named genera are probably both monotypic, although a second 

 species of Cyrilla has been described. They are both highly ornamen- 

 tal, having long racemes of white, holly-like flowers. The family is 

 indeed very closely related to the Holly Family, but differs in the 

 fruit, which is sometimes winged. 



Family Pentaphylacaceae. Pentaphylax Family. Contains the 

 single genus Pentaphylax, with one species, an East Asiatic tree. 



Family Corynocarpaceae. Corynocarpus Family. Also mono- 

 typic, containing the New Zealand Corynocarpus laevigatus. The lat- 

 ter is a very handsome tree with deep green foliage and small white 

 flowers in terminal clusters. The tree is said to be valued for its fruit, 

 which resembles a plum in appearance and taste. The seeds are poi- 

 sonous when raw, but after cooking, an edible farinaceous substance is 

 extracted from them. 



Family Aquifoliaceae. Holly Family. Contains five genera and 

 about 175 species, natives of both temperate and tropical regions. Bex 

 is the only important and by far the largest genus, containing over 160 

 species. This family is characterized by the usually dioecious flowers, 

 which are regular in structure, having a 3-6-parted calyx, and corolla 

 of 4-6, sometimes united petals (see Fig. 136). On the latter account 

 the family has often been placed over among the gamopetalous plants, 

 or those having the corolla in a single piece; but the joining is not very 

 complete, appearing more like simple cohesion. The fruit is a small 

 berry-like drupe, red, blue, or black in color, and familiar to us as the 

 "holly berry" of Christmas-tide. 



The English or European holly {Ilex Aquifolium) has more glossy 

 deeper green foliage than our American holly (/. opaca), and hence is 

 imported to a considerable extent for decorative purposes. There are 



