ANACARDIACEAE. 219 



panicles appearing after the leaves, small, greenish or 

 white, polygamous. Calyx 5-cleft; petals and stamens 5 ; 

 ovary 1-ovuled; style terminal. Fruit a drupe with a 

 thin outer coat soon separating from the waxy pulp 

 which persists in strands about the ribbed stone. 



1. T. diversilobum (T. & G.) Greene. (Poison Oak.) Erect, 

 1-3 m. high, or ascending trees by aerial roots to a considerable 

 height; leaves 3-foliate, deciduous; leaflets ovate, obovate, or elliptic, 

 very obtuse or roundish at apex, variously lobed or toothed, or rarely 

 entire; flowers greenish, in small axillary open spreading or drooping 

 panicles; drupes 4-6 mm. in diameter, with a thin glabrous de- 

 ciduous epicarp and granular waxy persistent mesocarp; stone rugose 

 or undulate. 



Frequent in the chaparral belt throughout our range. April- 

 May. 



2. SCHMALTZIA Desv. 



Shrubs with usually 3-foliolate deciduous alternate 

 leaves and small green polygamous spicate or capitate 

 flowers, opening before the leaves. Calyx 5-cleft. Pet- 

 als and stamens 5. Ovary 1-ovuled; styles 3, short. 

 Fruit a small pubescent drupe with a persistent exocarp 

 and a smooth stone. 



1. S. trilobata (Nutt.) Small. Low branching deciduous aro- 

 matic shrub, more or less pubescent when young; leaves 3-foliate; 

 the terminal leaflet 2.5-5 cm. long, 3-lobed and coarsely toothed 

 above the middle; the lateral pair 1-1.5 cm. long, round-ovate, 

 scarcely lobed, crenate; flowers yellowish, appearing before the leaves 

 in short spike-like clusters; drupes viscid-hirsute. 



Frequent in the foothills and mountains of southern California. 

 March. 



3. NEOSTYPHONIA Shafer. 



Shrubs or small trees, with simple toothed or entire 

 coriaceous persistent leaves. Flowers on bracted pedi- 

 cels in short dense racemes closely paniculate at the ends 

 of the branches. Calyx deeply 5-cleft, the lobes rounded, 

 concave. Petals and stamens 5. Ovary 1-ovuled. 

 Fruit densely pubescent and viscid, acid, the exocarp 

 persistent; stone smooth, strongly compressed. 



Leaves oval, obtuse at both ends; inflorescence 



cinereous. 1. N. integrifolia. 



Leaves ovate, acute at the apex; inflorescence 



glabrous or glabrate. 2. N. ovata. 



_ 1. N. integrifolia (Nutt.) Shafer. Low evergreen shrub, 1-2 m. 

 high, often more or less depressed, with short stiff branches; leaves 



