156 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



scales ; branches often developed later from the same buds ; 

 peduncles short, 2-4-flowered ; calyx tube entire or slightly 

 4-toothed; stamens and style long exserted; drupe small, 

 oval, red. 



D. PALUSTRis L. Leatherwood. a branching shrub, 2-5 ft. 

 high; leaves oblong or obovate, obtuse at the apex, rounded at the 

 base, entire, pubescent when young, becoming smooth with age; 

 peduncles short, o-flowered ; flowers light yellow, bud-scales 3-4, 

 oval, downy; drupe ^-^ in. long. February-March. Banks of 

 streams. 



86. LYTHRACEiE. LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY. 



Trees, shrubs or herbs ; leaves opposite or alternate ; stip- 

 ules none ; flowers solitary or clustered ; calyx tube enclos- 

 ing the ovary and sometimes coherent with it, 4-8-toothed ; 

 petals as many as the calyx lobes or none, inserted on the 

 calyx with the few or many stamens ; ovary 1-6-celled, style 

 1, stigma capitate or 2-lobed ; fruit capsular or baccate, 

 usually many-seeded. 



I. LAGERSTRCEMIA. 



Shrubs or small trees ; bark smooth and exfoliating in lon- 

 gitudinal plates ; branches winged ; leaves alternate ; flowers 

 in large terminal panicles; calyx tube bell-shaped; stamens 

 numerous, exserted. 



L. Tndica L. Crape Myrtle. Small trees, trunk often greatly 

 enlarged at the surface of the ground; leaves oval or oblong, rounded 

 at each end, mucronate at the apex, thick, entire, smooth ; flowers 

 pink, purple or white; petals 6, large, crisped, claw slender; style 

 long exserted; fruit a many-seeded capsule. April-June. Intro- 

 duced from India. 



II. PUNICA. 



Shrubs or small trees ; leaves opposite ; calyx tube adhe- 

 rent to the ovary ; stamens very numerous, unequal ; style 

 long ; fruit a several-celled, many-seeded berry. 



