MONADELPHlA POLYANDRIA. 



171 







ASIANTHUS. 



9 



G. foliis lanceolate 

 oblongis, glaberrimis 



nitidis^coriaceis; flori- 

 bus 



tis 



f 



9 



longe pedunciila- 

 capsulis conoi- 



Leaves lanceolate 

 oblong, very glabrous. 





shining^ 



coriaceous 



flowers on long pedun- 

 cles ; capsules conical, 



acuminate. 



fleis^ acuminatis* 



Sp. pL 3. p. 840. Walt. p. 177- Mich. 2. p. 44. Pursli 2. p 451. 



A tree sometimes growing to GO — ^80 feet in height. Leaves alternate^ 

 longy lanceolatej serrate, glabrous^ lucid^ coriaceous^ perennial. Petioles 



scarcely half an incli long. 

 of the branches. 



Flowers solitary, axillary toAvards the summit 

 Peduncles 2 



3 1-2 inches long, furnished towards the 

 summit with 2 or 4 caducous scales.- Cali/x 5-leavedj persistent ; leaves 

 ovate, nearly round, fringed and covered with a velvet like pubescence. 

 Pe/aZs 5, obovate, united at base with a stamlniferous tube^ the exterior 

 ones fringed on the outer surface. Stamens very numerous, not half as 

 long as the corolla, inserted on a 5-lobed tube. Untliers incumbent, yel- 

 low. Ger7n superior, ovate, slightly angled. Style as long as the sta- 

 mens. Stigma 5-cleft. Capsule ovate, acuminate, 5-celled, 5-valved. 



This tree, wlych when young is one of the handsomest in our forests^ 

 begins to decay from the summit at a very early age. It is remarkable for 

 the superficial direction of its roots which appear to spread almost 

 entirely on the surface of the ground. The bark is said to be nearly, it 

 not quite equal to that of the oak for the uses of the tanner, and its wood 

 resembles mahogany in colour, but its grain is rather too coarse to be used 

 tor fine articles of fnrniture. 



Grows in sprhigy lands,in shallow swamps^ and particularly in what are 

 <^aned turfy soils. 



Flowers from May to August. 



2. P 



UBESCENS. 



G. 



foliis cuneato 



9 



lanceolatis, serrulalis 



siibtus pubescentibus, 



fJeciduis : capsulis 



sphericis. 



9 



9 



1 



Leaves cuneate 

 lanceolate^ serrulate 

 pubescent underneatli, 

 deciduous ; capsules 

 spherical. 



A tree 40 — 50 feet high, spreading more widely than the G. Lasianthiis, 

 the young branches very smooth and finely pubescent at the summit. 

 i^aves sessile, glabrous and lucid on the upper surface, pubescent under- 

 neath. Floioers solitary, axillary, on short thick peduncles. Leaves of 



the calyx rounded, covered with a silky tomentum. Corolla whitCj exter- 



