548 CALLITRICHACEAE 



fluent. Pistils solitary; ovary 4-celled; styles united in pairs. ■ Fruit leathery, 

 indehiscent, 4-lobed, 4-seeded. Endosperm fleshy, embryo straight, axile, 

 terete. 



1. CALLITRICHE L. Water Starwort. 



Characters of the family. 



Upper floating leaves obovate or spatulate, 3-nerved; flowers subtended by a pair of 



bracts. 1. C. palustris. 



All leaves linear, l-nerved; flowers bractless. 2. C. autumnalis. 



1. C. palustris L. Aquatic annual; stems usually floating, 2-30 cm. long; 

 submerged leaves sessile, linear, l-nerved, 1-1.5 cm. long; floating leaves peti- 

 oled; blades 5-10 mm. long; fruit obovoid, 1.5 mm. long, slightly notched, grooved 

 and winged, especially above. C. verna L. ShaUow water: Newf. — Fla. — 

 Cahf. — Alaska; Mex., S. Ain., and Eurasia. Plain — Mont. Je-Au. 



2. C. autumnalis L. Submerged aquatic annual; stem slender, 1-4 dm. 

 long; leaves all linear, retuse or bifid at the apex, 0.5-2 cm. long; fruit orbicular 

 or rounded ellipsoid, 1-2 mm. in diameter, grooved and winged. C. bifida (L.) 

 Morong. In water: Que. — N.Y. — Colo. — Utah — Ore.;Eu. Plain — Mont. Jl-S. 



Family 76. CELASTRACEAE. Staff-tree Family. 



Shrubs, trees, or twining vines, sometimes spiny, with opposite, whorled, 

 or alternate, simple leaves, with or without stipules. Inflorescence nor- 

 mally cymose. Flowers perfect, polygamous, or dioecious. Sepals 4 or 5, 

 imbricate. Petals 4 or 5, usually inserted under the fleshy disk, imbricate. 

 Stamens 4 or 5 under the disk, on the margin thereof, or on top of it. 

 Gynoecium of a compound pistil. Ovary 2-5-celled; style short or want- 

 ing; stigma 2-5-lobed. Fruit a capsule, drupe, or berry. Seeds often 

 surrounded by a brightly colored aril. 



stamens as many as the petals and sepals. 



Fruit a loculicidal capsule; seeds with an aril. 



Shrubby vines, with alternate leaves; ovary free from the disk; aril crimson. 



1. Celastbus. 

 Shrubs, with opposite leaves; ovary immersed in the disk. 



Capsule 3-5-ceUed, 3-5-lobed; aril orange or scarlet. 2. Eroxmus. 



Capsule 2-celled, unlobed; aril wliite or nearly so. 3. Pa(HYstima. 



Fruit indehiscent, by abortion 1-seeded; aril wanting. 4. Mdrtoma. 



Stamens more numerous than the sepals or petals; ovary 1-celled. 5. Foksellesia. 



1. CELASTRUS L. Waxwork, Shrubby Bittersweet, Staff-tree. 



Usually twining vines or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire or toothed; stipules 

 minute. Flowers in axillary or terminal racemes, or panicles. Sepals 5. Hy- 

 panthium urn-shaped. Petals 5, inserted under the disk, wliich is cup-shaped, 

 5-lol)ed. Stamens 5, inserted in the sinuses of the disk. Gynoecium of a com- 

 pound pistil; ovary 2-4-celled, sometimes incompletely so; style short and stout; 

 stigma 2-4-lobed. Ovules 2 in each cavity, erect. Capsule globose or ellip- 

 soid, leathery, 2-4-celled, locuhcidal. Seeds 1 or 2 in each cavity, surrounded 

 by a scarlet aril. 



1. C. scandens L. A chmbing shrub, usually with twining branches; leaf- 

 blades elliptic, oval, oblong, or ovate, 6-10 cm. long, acuminate, crenate, gla- 

 brous or nearly so; petals oblong or obovate, greenish, erose; capsule subglobose, 

 1 cm. in diameter, finely wrinkled, orange, opening by 3 valves. Along streams 

 and in thickets: (iue.— Fla.— N.M.— Mont. Plain. My-Je. 



2. EUONYMUS (Tourn.) L. Burning Bush, Wahoo. 



Shrubs or trees, commonly with 4-angled branches. Leaves opposite, entire 

 or toothed, deciduous; stipules caducous. Flowers solitary or cymose. Sepals 

 4 or 5. Petals as many, inserted under the disk. Stamens 4 or 5, inserted on 

 the disk; filaments very short; anthers 2-celled. Disk fiat, 4- or 5-lobed. Gynoc- 



