176 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



acuminate at the apex, rounded or slightly cordate at the base, 

 entire, smooth and dark green above, pale and often pubescent 

 beneath, short-petioled, deciduous ; flowers yellowish-white, the parts 

 mostly in 4's ; fruit globose, edible when ripe, very astringent when 

 green ; seeds large, compressed, often wanting. May-June. Fruit 

 ripening late in the fall; very common. 



98. SYMPL0CACE;E. SWEET-LEAF FAMILY. 



Trees or shrubs ; leaves simple, alternate, petioled, exstipii- 

 late ; flowers in sessile axillary clusters ; calyx tube partially 

 adherent to the ovary, 5-lobed ; corolla 5-lobed ; stamens very 

 numerous, usually somewhat united in clusters, filaments 

 filiform ; ovary 2-5-celled, ovules 2 in each cell, style slen- 

 der, stigma entire or 3-5-lobed ; fruit a small drupe or berry, 

 1-5-seeded. 



SYMPLOCOS. 



Characters of tlie family. 



S. TiNCTORiA (L.) L'ller. Sweet Leaf. A shrub or small 

 tree ; leaves alternate, coriaceous, oval or oblong, acute at each end, 

 crenate-dentate, pubescent when young, becoming smooth above, 

 somewhat evergreen, sweet to the taste ; petioles short, pubescent ; 

 flower clusters sessile, scaly-bracted ; flowers light yellow ; calyx 

 smooth, top-shaped ; stamens in 5 sets ; stigma entire ; fruit becom- 

 ing nearly dry, 1-seeded. March-April. Banks of streams and low 

 woods. 



99. STYRACACEiE. STORAX FAMILY. 



Trees or shrubs; leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate; 

 flowers regular, perfect, clustered or solitary ; calyx more or 

 less adherent to the ovary, 4-8-toothed or truncate ; corolla 

 hypogynous or inserted on the calyx, 4-8-lobed or sometimes 

 polypetalous ; stamens inserted on the base of the corolla, 

 twice as many as its lobes or more numerous, distinct, mona- 

 delphous or polydelphous ; ovary 2-5-celled, style slender, 

 stigma simple or lobed ; fruit berry-like or dry, 1-5-celled, 

 one seed in each cell. 



