DICOTYLEDONS. 167 



92. CLETHRACEiE. WHITE-ALDER FAMILY. 



Trees or shrubs ; leaves alternate, petioled, serrate, decid- 

 uous, exstipulate, pubescence stellate ; flowers in solitary or 

 clustered terminal racemes, small, white ; calyx 5-parted, per- 

 sistent ; petals 5, slightly united below, deciduous ; stamens 

 10, anthers sagittate ; ovary free, style slender, 3-cleft, sta- 

 mens and style exserted ; fruit a globose, dehiscent cajisule, 

 o-celled, 3-valved, many-seeded. 



CLETHRA. 



Characters of the family. 



C. ALNiFOLiA L. White Aldkk. Shrubs, 3-8 ft. high; twigs 

 and branches tomentose ; leaves short-petioled, obovate, acute at tlie 

 apex, cuneate at the base, serrate, smooth on both sides ; racemes 

 simple or panicled, flowers on short pedicels subtended by short, 

 deciduous bracts ; flowers ^ in. wide, very fragrant ; filaments 

 smooth ; style hairy, longer than the stamens ; capsule about the 

 length of the calyx. June-July. In damp woods, usually on sandy 

 soil. 



on. MONOTROPACEiE. INDIAN PIPE FAMILY. 



Low herbs ; saprophytic on decaying roots or vegetable mat- 

 ter ; stems fleshy, leafless, but with numerous leaf-like bracts ; 

 flowers solitary or clustered, perfect, regular ; sepals 2-6, erect, 

 slightly united at the base ; petals 2-6, distinct or united ; 

 both calyx and corolla deciduous ; stamens 6-12, hypogynous, 

 distinct or united ; ovary free, style long or short, stigma 

 capitate, or peltate and rayed ; fruit a 1-6-celled, many-seeded 

 capsule, seeds minute, reticulated. 



I. MONOTROPA. 



Stems fleshy, single or clustered, simple ; bracts numerous ; 

 flowers solitary, nodding, the cai)sule becoming erect in fruit; 

 sepals 2-4, deciduous; petals 5-6, somewhat persistent; sta- 



