128 CASSYTHACEAE. 



Peduncles, pedicels and petioles glabrous or appressed-pubescent : fruit over 1 cm. 



thick. 1. T. Borhonia. 

 Peduncles, pedicels and petioles tomentose : fruit less than 1 cm. 



thick. 2. T. pubescens. 



1. T. Borbonia (L.) Eaf. Large tree, the bark broken into flat ridges: leaf- 

 blades elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 5-15 cm. long, finely reticulate beneath: 

 sepals ascending, the inner ovate, 2-3 times longer than the outer: fruits 

 obovoid or globose-obovoid, 1-1.5 cm. long, dark-blue or nearly black, lustrous. 

 [Persea Borbonia (L.) Spreng.] — Hammocks. — Eed-bay. Sweet-bay. Florida- 

 mahogany. 



2. T. pubescens (Pursh) Small. Shrub or small tree, its twigs, lower leaf- 

 surfaces and inflorescence tomentose: leaf-blades narrowly elliptic or elliptic- 

 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. [Persea pubescens (Pursh) Sarg.] — Everglades and wet ham- 

 mocks. — F. K. (Ball.) — SwAMP-BAY. Swamp red-bay. 



2. PEItSEA [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 an<l slender 

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

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

 flesh butter-like. — Hammocks and pinelands. Nat. of Trop. Am., and culti- 

 vated. — (Cuba, Ant.) — Avocado. Alligator-pear. 



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

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

 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 red or yellow hypanthium.— Hammocks. — F. 

 K. {Ball.) — Laxcewood. 



4. MISANTECA Cham. & Schlecht. Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, 

 persistent: blades entire. Flowers inconspicuous, in panicled cymes. Sepals 

 6, nearly similar, short, erect, about as long as the enlarged portion of the 

 hypanthium. Style columnar: stigma minute, surrounded by the 3 erect 

 stamens. Drupe slightly elongate, seated in the cup-like hypanthium which is 

 bordered by the persistent calyx. 



1. M. triandra (Sw.) Mez. Tree with somewhat flaky bark: leaf-ldades 

 elliptic-oblong or oval, 4.5-11 cm. long, abruptly acuminate, but often blunt, 

 lustrous above: calyx whitish, 2-2.5 mm. broad; sepals obtuse: fruits acorn- 

 like, the drupe ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 2-2.5 cm. long, green, the hypanthium 

 reddish. — Hanmiocks. — (Cuba, AnL) 



Family 2. CASSYTHACEAE. Cassytha Family. 



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

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

 mounting' the accrescent hypanthium. Androecinm of 9 stamens with 2- 

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

 included. 



