JUGLANDACE^. (WALXUT FAMILY.) 441 



Order 126. PLATAXACE^. (Plaxe-tree Family.) 



Large trees, with alternate palmately lobed petioled stijiulate leaves, 

 and monoecious flowers, in axillary long-peduncled globose heads. — 

 Calyx and corolla none. Anthers on short club-shaped filaments, nu- 

 merous, 2-celled, adnate to the truncated connective. Ovaries numer- 

 ous, obconical, hairy at the base. Ovules 1-2, orthotropous, pendulous. 

 Style subulate. Nut 1-seeded. Seed cylindrical. Embryo in the axis 

 of scarce fleshy albumen. — Flowers intermixed with copious club- 

 shaped scales. — Consisting of the single genus 



1. PLATANUS, L. Plane Tree, Sycamore. 



1. P. OCCidentalis, L. Leaves (4' -9' wide) round-cordate, angularly 

 lobed and toothed, covered when youug with dense whitish down, soon smooth ; 

 stipules toothed; heads pendulous (8"- 12" in diameter). — River hauks, 

 Florida, and northward. March -April. — A large tree, with the white bark 

 sei^arating in thin plates. 



Order 127. JUGLANDACE^E. (Walnut Family.) 



Trees, with alternate odd-pinnate exstipulate leaves and monoecious 

 apetalous or minutely petalled flowers. Sterile flowers in jjendulous 

 aments. Calyx 2-6-parted, the stamens few or numerous. Fertile 

 flowers single or clustered. Calyx 3 - 5-parted, the tube adherent to 

 the incompletely 2-4-cened ovary. Fruit drupaceous, with a bony 

 endocarp. Seed 1-lobed, without albumen , orthotropous. Cotyledons 

 oily, 2-lobed. Radicle short, superior. 



1. CARYA, Nutt. Hickory, Pignut. 



Aments of the sterile flowers mostly three together, on a common peduncle, 

 lateral. Calyx une(|ually 3-parted. Stamens 3-6. Fertile flowers terminal. 

 Calyx 4-parted. Petals none. Stigma large, 4-lobed. Kut smootli, 4-6-au- 

 gled, incompletely 4-celled ; the coriaceous epicarp (husk) partly or completely 

 4-valved. — Trees, mostly with scaly buds. Leaflets serrate. Fruit roundish. 

 * Epicarp very thick, 4-vah-ed : seed thick, edible. 



1. C. alba, Nutt. (Shell-bark Hickory.) Leaflets 5-7 (mostly 5), 

 lanceolate-olilong, or the upper ones obovate-oblong, acuminate, pubescent 

 beneath ; fruit depressed-globose ; nut roundish, thin-shelled, compressed, 4- 

 angled, slightly pointed. — Rich woods in the upper districts, Georgia, and 

 northward. March- April. — A large tree, with shaggy and scaly bark. 



2. C. sulcata, Nutt. Leaflets 7-9, obovate-oblong, acuminate, pubes- 

 cent beneath ; fruit oval, 4-angled above ; nut oblong, thick-shelled, conspicu- 

 ously pointed, slightly compressed. — Rich woods in the upper districts of 

 Carolina (Elliott), and northward. March -April. — A large tree, with scaly 

 bark. 



