42G MYRICACE.E. ( WAX-MYRTLE FAMILY.) 



6. OSTRYA, Michel! Hop-Hobnbeam. 



Sterile flowers in drooping cylindrical amenta, each in the axil of a senle-likc 

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

 tile flowers in a short terminal crowded spike, each enclosed in a membranaceous 

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

 Fruiting involucre inflated, nerved, hairy or bristly at the base, enclosing the 

 solitary pointed nut. — Small trees, with ovate or oblong serrate short-petiolcd 

 deciduous leaves. Flowers appearing with the leaves. 



1. O. Virginica, "Willd. (Hop-Hoenbeam.) Leaves ovate-oblong, sharp- 

 lv and simply serrate, acuminate, rounded or slightly cordate at the base, pubes- 

 cent ; fertile spike cone-like, short-pedunclcd ; the imbricated involucres oblong, 

 mucronate, bristly at the base. — Rich woods, Florida, and northward. March. 

 — A small tree, with hard and close-grained wood. 



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



Chiefly shrubs, with simple alternate leaves, with or without stipules, 

 and monoecious or dioecious flowers, disposed in aments, destitute of calyx 

 or corolla, each in the axil of a simple bract. Stamens 2 - 10 ; the short 

 filaments free or partly united : anthers 2-celled. 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. 



Synopsis. 



» Seed orthotropous. Plants clotted with resinous glands. 



1. MYRTCA. Flowers dicecious. Filaments united below. Leaves serrate or entire. Stip- 



ules none. 



2. COMPTONIA. Flowers monoecious. Filaments forking. Leaves pinnatifid. Stipules 



half-cordate. 



» * Seed amphitropous. Plant destitute of glands. 



3. T.WI'I'N KK.TA. Flowers dioecious. Filaments distinct. Stigma solitary. Leaves entire. 



Stipules none. 



1. MYRICA, L. "Wax-Myrtle. Batbebby. 



Flowers in short axillary aments, dioecious, each in the axil of a 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 orthotropous, 

 Stigmas 2 (rarely 4), Battened on the inner face, widely spreading. Nut glo- 

 1 with waxy grains. — Shrubs or small trees, dotted with minute 

 resinous ami odorous glands. Branches clustered. Leaves short-petiolcd, senate 

 or entire. Stipules none. 



l . M. cerifera, T< (Wax-Mybtle. Batbebby.) Branchlets pubescent) 

 I in. eolate or oblong-lanceolate, mostly obtuse, entire, or with a few sharp 



