206 CLASS DICECIA. 



a 3-parted calyx, and 3 stamens. — The pistiliferous 

 flowers have a 5-parted calyx, one style, and one 

 roundish compressed seed ; in neither of these flowers 

 is there any corolla. Though there are many species 

 of the genus, scarcely any but the common kind and its 

 varieties are eatable. 



In the order Octandria you will find the genus of 

 the Poplar (Populus), differing but little from the Wil- 

 low, except in habit, and referred to the same natural 

 family. The aments are cylindrical, with the scales 

 lacerated. — The sterile flowers have from 8 to 30 

 stamina, seated on a turbinate, oblique, entire calyx. — 

 The fertile flowers have also a turbinate calyx ; 4 stig- 

 mas ; a superior capsule of 1 cell, and 2 valves, 

 with many small seeds ; the seeds surrounded with long 

 hairs. Nearly all the species are trees, with the flow- 

 ers preceding the foliage. The leaves are, generally, 

 either broadly cordate, or triangular. The petiole in 

 several is compressed vertically towards its extremity, 

 so as to communicate a remarkable vibratory or trem- 

 bling motion to the leaves, for which the Aspen is well 

 distinguished. 



The Diospyros, or Persimmon tree, placed here 

 in the present method, belongs to the rare natural 

 order of the Ebenace;e. Most of the species 

 are tropical. Our D. virginiana is a very leafy, 

 deep green, rather small tree, filled with yellow, eata- 

 ble and sweet, astringent, plumb-like fruit, only matur- 

 ed by exposure to the autumnal frosts. This tree is 

 indigenous to the United States, from the state of New 

 York to Florida. — The character of the genus is, to 

 have a 4 to 6-cleft calyx ; an urceolate monopetalous 

 (yellowish) corolla, with a 4 to 6-cleft border. The 

 sterile floioers have 8 to 16 stamens; each filament 

 often producing 2 anthers. — In the fertile flowers there 

 are 4 to 5 stigmas, succeeded by a berry, with 8 to 

 12, large, elliptic seeds. 



