MYRICACE.E. ( WAX-MYRTLE FAMILY.) 449 



thers 1-celled, hairy at tlie apex. Fertile flowers spiked. Bracts 2-flowered, 

 deciduous. Ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled. Stigmas 2, flliforni. Kut solitary, an- 

 gular, sessile iu the axil of au open 3-lobed leaf-like imolucre. — Trees, with 

 simple ovate or oblong straight-veined deciduous leaves, folded in the bud. 

 Flowers expanding before the leaves. 



1. C.Americana, Michx. (Hornbeam.) Branchlets smooth and slen- 

 der ; leaves oblong-ovate, acute or slightly acuminate, sliarply and doubly ser- 

 rate, rounded at the base, more or less pubescent. Fertile spikes terminal, 

 long-jjeduncled, 6- 12-flov/ered ; involucre unecjually 3-lobed, the middle lobe 

 longer aud serrate on one side ; nut small, ovate, compressed, 8-ribbed. — 

 Rich woods. March. — A small tree, with iiard aud close-graiued wood. 



6. OSTRYA, Micheli. Hop Hornbeam. 



Sterile flowers iu drooping cyliudrical araents, each in the axil of a scale- 

 like bract, destitute of a calyx. Stamens with the filaments irregularly united. 

 Fertile flowers in a short terminal crowded spike, each enclosed iu a mem- 

 branaceous involucre. Ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled, bearded at the apex. Stigmas 

 2, filiform. Fruiting involucre inflated, nerved, hairy or bristly at the ba.se, 

 enclosing the solitary pointed nut. — Small trees, with ovate or oblong serrate 

 short-petioled deciduous leaves. Flowers appearmg with tiie leaves. 



1. O. Virginica, WiUd. (Hop Hornbeam.) Leaves ovate-oblong, 

 sharply and simply serrate, acuminate, rounded or slightly cordate at the 

 base, pubescent ; fertile spike cone-like, short-peduncled ; the imbricated in- 

 volucres oblong, mucronate, bristly at the base. — llich woods. March. — A 

 small tree, with hard aud close-grained wood. 



Order 129. MYRICACE^E. (Wax-Myrtle Family.) 



Chiefly shrubs, with simple alternate leaves, with or without stip- 

 ules, and monoecious or dioecious flowers, disposed in aments, desti- 

 tute of calyx or corolla, each in the axil of a simple bract. Stamens 

 2 - 10 ; the short filaments free or partly united : anthers 2-celIed. 

 Ovary solitary, 1-celled, .surrounded at the base with a row of scales. 

 Ovule solitary, orthotropous or amphitropous. Involucre none. 

 Stigmas 1-2, elongated. Fruit a dry 1-seeded drupe. Albumen 

 none. Cotyledons fleshy. Radicle superior. 



1. MYRICA, L. Wax-Mvrtle. Batberrt. 



Flowers in short axillary aments, dioecious, each in the axil of the scale- 

 like bract. Calyx and corolla none. Stamens 2-10, with the filaments 

 united below. Ovary enclosed in a cup of 3 - 5 rounded scales. Ovule or- 

 thotropous. Stigmas 2 (rarely 4), flattened on the inner face, widely 

 spreading. Nut globose, covered with waxy grains. — Shrubs or small trees 

 dotted with minute resinous and odorous glands. Branches clustered. Leaves 

 Bhort-petioled, serrate or entire. Stipules none. 



29 



