MADDEE FAMILY 213 



XIMENIA FAMILY (Ohcaceae) 



Shrub or small tree. Leaves alternate, entire. Flowers small, 

 4-lobed. Fruit yellovr, plum-like. 



Tallow-Wood. Hog Plum (Genus Ximenia) 



The characteristic light green or yellowish green foliage, 

 the plum-like fruit, and the fragrance of the small hairy 

 flowers make identification of this thorny shrub an easy 

 matter. It is common in many places through the penin- 

 sula and near the coast. The fruit is said to be edible, 

 but not all who taste it will agree that it is. 



Ximenia americana. Flowers small, yellowish, in leaf- 

 axils. Petals 4, narrow, thick, hairy within, united at base. 

 Fruit a yellow drupe about 1 in. in diameter. Thorny shrub 

 or small tree. Leaves generally oblong or elliptic, 1-3 in. 

 long, smooth, short-stalked, rounded or notched at apex, 

 often in clusters of 3. Dry soil. Fla. peninsula. 



MADDER FAMILY (RuUaceae) 



Flowers regular, tubular below, 4-6-lobed above. Stamens at- 

 tached to corolla and alternate with the lobes. Leaves oppo- 

 site or whorled, with stipules. 



HousTONiA. Diamon-d-Flower. Innocence (Genus 



Houstonia) 



Dainty mats of leaf-mosaic, lying close to the ground 

 and sprinkled with little diamond-shaped flowers, attract 

 the attention in winter. This plant, the round-leaved 

 houstonia, related to the bluets of northern fields, is com- 

 mon in many parts of the state, growing in dry and also in 

 damp soil. After its noticeable season of winter bloom has 

 passed, inconspicuous fertile flowers are borne through the 

 summer. Other houstonias of different habit, with slender. 



