OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES 393 



Comptonia asplenifolia L. (Aiton)^ thrives in dry, sterile soil and is 

 widely distributed from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, and southward 

 to North Carolina and Tennessee. We have found it forming a large 

 part of the underbush associated with Pteris aquilina near Clementon, 

 Albion, Palermo and Wildwood Junction, N. J., along Mainville Road, 

 near Mainville, and at Strafford, Penna. 



Summary 



1. Along the eastern seaboard of the United States there occur five 

 good species of Myricaceae and a hybrid between two of these. 



2. Myrica cerifera varies from a low shrub to a tree 12. m. high and 

 extends northward, contrary to past statements, as far as Tuckahoe, 

 New Jersey. The author finds this species to be evergreen and wholly 

 confined to coastal regions within sight of the sea. 



3. Myrica Carolinensis, with which the previous named species has 

 often been confounded, is strictly deciduous except when strong basal 

 shoots are formed. The leaves on these may be sub-evergreen. 



4. The lanceolate leaves of Myrica cerifera drop without assuming a 

 copper red color. The elliptic obovate leaves of Myrica Carolinensis 

 assume a greenish-brown hue on an extensive scale in October and 

 November previous to leaf fall. This species is of wide distribution 

 along the coastal plain and even ascends to 1200 feet at Mount Desert. 



5. Hybrids between the two above species (Myrica Macfarlanei, 

 Youngken) are frequent where both parents abound. The leaf charac- 

 ters of this are averagely intermediate in duration, shape, thickness 

 and coloration between the parents, M. cerifera, L. and Myrica Carolinen- 

 sis, Miller. 



6. Comptonia asplenifolia is distributed from Nova Scotia to Saskat- 

 chewan and southward to North Carolina and Tennessee. Its leaves are 

 strictly deciduous. 



7. Myrica Gale is distributed through northern regions, from Labra- 

 dor and Newfoundland as far south as Warren County, New Jersey, 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacific and in eastern mountain regions to 

 Virginia. Its leaves are strictly deciduous 



8. Myrica inodora, from the statements of authors, is evergreen. 

 In height and aspect it resembles M. cerifera. 



9. Seedlings are here for the first time described and figured from the 

 cotyledonary stage onward for M. cerifera, M. Carolinensis and M. Mac- 

 farlanei. Their comparative morphology has been traced. 



