186 MIMOSACEAE. 



1. P. demissa (Nutt.) Roem. Shrub, 1-4 m, high; leaves ovate 

 or oblong-ovate, acute or acuminate, rounded or cordate at base, 

 sharply serrate, more or less pubescent beneath, 5-10 cm. long, 

 with 1 or 2 glands at the base of the blade; racemes 5, terminal, 

 7-10 cm. long, many-flowered; drupe globose, red or purple, astrin- 

 gent; stone globose. 



Occasional in the San Bernardino and San Antonio Mountains 

 in the upper portions of the chaparral belt and in the pine belt. 



3. LAUROCERASUS Reichb. Evergreen Cherries. 

 Trees and shrubs, with alternate coriaceous leaves, 

 persistent into the second season, toothed or entire. 

 Flowers in narrow racemes, arising from the axils of 

 the leaves of the previous season. Calyx with 5 short 

 lobes; petals small, white. Stamens 15-30. Style ter- 

 minal. Fruit with a large smooth stone and thin scarcely 

 fleshy exocarp. 



1. L. ilicifolia (Nutt.) Roem. Shrubby or arborescent, 3-6 m. 

 high, bark grayish brown; leaves coriaceous, glossy above, glabrous 

 throughout, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, coarsely spinose-toothed, 

 2.5-5 cm. long, on short petioles; racemes axillary, 2.5-5 cm. long, 

 leafless; flowers small; drupe 1 cm. long or more, thick, slightly 

 obcompressed, sweetish, scarcely astringent. 



Common in the chaparral belt. May-June. 



2. L. lyoni (Eastw.) Britton. Catalina Cherry. This species 

 is closely related to ilicifolia and has been considered a mere variety. 

 It differs in the larger ovate-lanceolate leaves, 5-8 cm. long, with 

 entire thickened and revolute margins, those of vigorous shoots and 

 seedlings sparsely spinose; fruit nearly globose, about 2 cm. long. 



A small tree, 8-10 m. high, with a trunk sometimes 5 dm. in 

 diameter. Native of the islands off the coast of southern California, 

 and also on the mainland in northern Lower California. 



Family 48. MIMOSACEAE. Mimosa Family. 

 Herbs, shrubs or trees, with alternate mostly com- 

 pound leaves, and small regular mostly perfect flowers 

 in heads, spikes or racemes. Calyx 3-6-toothed orlobed, 

 the teeth or lobes usually valvate in the bud. Corolla 

 of as many distinct or more or less united petals. Sta- 

 mens as many as petals, twice as many or numerous, 

 distinct or monadelphous. Ovary 1-celled; ovules sev- 

 eral or numerous; style simple. Fruit a legume. Seeds 

 without endosperm; cotyledons fleshy. 



Pods straight or slightly curved. 1. Prosopis. 



Pods coiled. 2. Strombocarpa. 



