466 THYMELEACEAE. [Vou. II. 
2. DIRCA 1, Sp. Pl. 358. 1753. 
Branching shrubs, with tough fibrous bark, alternate thin short-petioled deciduous 
leaves, and yellowish flowers in peduncled fascicles of 2-4 from scaly buds at the nodes of 
twigs of the preceding season, branches subsequently developing from the same nodes. 
Perianth campanulate or funnelform, its limb undulately obscurely 4-toothed. Stamens 8, 
borne on the perianth, exserted, the alternate ones longer; filaments very slender. Disk 
obsolete. Ovary nearly sessile, 1-celled; style filiform, exserted; stigma small, capitate. 
Drupe red, oval-oblong. [Named from a fountain in Thebes. ] 
Two known species, the following and D. occidentalis A. Gray, of California, 
1. Dirca palastris L. lLeather- 
wood. Moose-wood. 
(Fig. 2535.) 
Dirca palustris I,. Sp: Pl. 358. 1753. 
A shrub, 2°-6° high, the twigs yellow- 
ish green, glabrous. Leaves oval, or ob- 
ovate, obtuse at the apex, rounded or 
narrowed at the base, pubescent when 
young, glabrous, or very nearly so, and 
2/-3/ long when mature; bud-scales 3 or 
4, oval, or oblong, very pubescent with 
brown hairs, deciduous; peduncle about 
24” long; flowers nearly sessile; perianth 
2/’-3/’ long; style longer than the sta- 
mens; drupe about 6’ long. 
In woods and thickets, mostly in wet soil, 
New Brunswick to Minnesota, Virginia and 
Missouri, and Florida (according to Chap- 
man). Also called Swamp-wood. The bark 
produces violent vomiting; applied exter- 
nally, itis an irritant to the skin. April-May 
Family 84. ELAEAGNACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2. 194. 1836. 
OLEASTER FAMILY. 
Shrubs or trees, mostly silvery-scaly, or stellate-pubescent, with entire 
alternate or opposite leaves, and perfect polygamous or dioecious flowers clus- 
tered in the axils or at the nodes of twigs of the preceding season, rarely soli- 
tary. Lower part of the perianth of perfect or pistillate flowers tubular or urn- 
shaped, enclosing the ovary and persistent, the upper part 4-lobed or 4-cleft, 
deciduous (obscurely 2-lobed in the Old World Hippophaé); perianth of stam- 
inate flowers 4-parted (2-parted in H/ippophaé). Corolla none. Stamens 4 or 
8, those of perfect flowers borne on the throat of the perianth; filaments mostly 
short; anthers 2-celled, the sacs longitudinally dehiscent. Disk annular, or 
lobed. Ovary sessile, 1-celled; ovule 1, erect, anatropous; style slender. 
Fruit drupe-like, the perianth-base becoming thickened and enclosing the achene 
or nut. Seed erect; embryo straight; endosperm little or wanting. 
Three known genera and about 20 species, widely distributed. 
Stamens as many as the perianth-parts; flowers perfect or polygamous; leaves alternate. 
1. Llaeagnus. 
Stamens twice as many as the perianth-parts; flowers dioecious; leaves opposite. 2. Lepargyraea. 
1. ELAEAGNUS LI. Sp. Pl. 121. 1753. 
Silver-scaly shrubs, some exotic species trees, with alternate petioled leaves. Flowers 
solitary or 2-4 together in the axils, pedicelled, not bracted, perfector polygamous. Perianth 
tubular below, constricted over the top of the ovary, the upper part campanulate or urn- 
shaped, 4-lobed, deciduous, the lobes valvate. Stamens 4, borne on the throat of the peri- 
anth. Style linear, long. Fruit drupe-like, the ripened perianth-base fleshy or mealy, en- 
closing the striate or grooved nut. [Greek, sacred olive. ] 
About 20 species, natives of Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Only the following 
is known in North America. 
