100 CASSYTHACEAE. 



lanceolate, or rarely oval, 5-20 cm. long: sepals erect, the inner oblong-ovate, 

 about twice as long as the outer: fruits oval, 8-11 mm. long, dark-blue with 

 a thin bloom. — Low hammocks and lime-sinks, L. keys. — [E. K.] — (Bah.) — 

 Swamp-bat. Swamp red-bay. 



2. PEESEA [Plum.] Gaertn. Trees. Leaves alternate, persistent blades 

 entire. Flowers in terminal panicled cymes. Sepals 6, nearly equal, united 

 at the base. Style subulate : stigma minute. Drupe inequilateral. 



- 1. P. Persea (L.) Cockerell. Large tree: leaf-blades elliptic or oval or nearly 

 so, 8-15 cm. long, short-petioled (relatively small and with long and slender 

 petioles in P. Persea mexicana) : inner sepal 4-5 mm. long, somewhat sur- 

 passing the outer : fruits slightly elongate, often pyrif orm, 8-18 cm. long, the 

 flesh butter-like.- — Hammocks and pinelands, U. keys, L. keys. Nat of Trop. 

 Am.- — [E. Is..']— {Cuha, Ant.) — Avocado. Alligator-pear. 



3. OCOTEA Aubl. Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, persistent: blades 

 entire. Flowers in panicled cymes. Sepals 6, nearly similar. Style cylindrie. 

 Stigma capitate. Drupe somewhat elongate. 



.:''^' 1. O. Catesbyana (Michx.) Sarg. Shrub or small tree: leaf -blades narrowly 

 elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 5-12 cm. long, lustrous above: calyx creamy-white, 

 8-9 mm. broad; sepals obtuse: drupes subglobose or oval, 10-15 mm. long, 

 dark-blue or black, seated in the yellow or red hypanthium. — Hammocks, U. 

 keys. — [E. K.]- — {Bah.) — Lancewood. 



Family 2. CASSYTHACEAE. Cassytha Family. 



Parasitic vines. Leaves mere scales, or wanting. Flowers perfect, in 

 heads, spikes, or racemes. Calyx of 6 sepals in 2 unequal series, sur- 

 mounting the accrescent hypanthium. Androecium of 9 stamens with 2- 

 celled anthers, and 3 staminodia. Gynoecium of a single carpel. Drupe 

 included. 



1. CASSYTHA [Osbeek] L. Vines with yellow or pale-green stems and 

 branches, clinging to herbs and shrubs. 



J.^^ 1. C. filiformls L. Stems matted, yellowish-green: flowers 3-6 in a spike: 

 inner sepals triangular-ovate, 2-3 times larger than the outer: drupe globose, 

 5-7 mm. in diameter or rarely larger. — Coastal sand-dunes, hammocks, and 

 pinelands, U. S. keys, U. keys, L. keys. — [E. K.] — {Bah., Cuba, Ant.) 



Order MYRTALES. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, sometimes aquatic or amphibious. Leaves 

 alternate or opposite. Flowers regular or irregular, complete or much 

 reduced. Hyj^anthium merely enclosing the ovary or adnate to it. Calyx 

 surmounting the hypanthium, the sepals distinct or rarely permanently 

 united. Corolla present or wanting. Androecium of few or many 

 stamens: anthers opening by slits or pores. Gynoecium 1-several-car- 

 pellaiy. Fruit capsular, baccate, or achene-like. 



Anthers opening by pores. Fam. 1. Melastomaceae. 



Anthers opening by longitudinal valves. 



Hypanthium merely enclosing the ovary. Fam. 2. Lytheaceae. 



Hypanthium adnate to the ovary or mainly so. 

 Cotyledons spirally convolute in the embryo. 



Ovary several-celled : ovules numerous, not pen- 

 dulous. Fam. 3. Punicaceae. 



