548 CLETHRACEAE. (Vor. II. 
Series 2. Gamopétalae. 
Petals partly or wholly united, rarely separate or wanting, 
This series is also known as Sympetalae and has been called Monopetalae. The coherence of 
the petals is sometimes very slight or they are quite separate, as in Clethraceae, Pyrolaceae, some 
Ericaceae, Primulaceae, Styracaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Oleaceae, Curcurbitaceae and Galax in 
Diapensiaceae. From this condition the coherence varies through all stages to the tubular or fun- 
nelform corollas of some Convolvulaceae, Caprifoliaceae and Compositae, In American species 
of Frazinus (Oleaceae) and in Glauwx (Primulaceae), there is no corolla. 
Family 1. CLETHRACEAE Klotsch, Linnaea, 24:12, 1851. 
WHITE-ALDER FAMILY. 
Shrubs or trees, more or less stellate-canescent, with alternate deciduous 
serrate or serrulate petioled leaves, in our species, and rather small white frag- 
rant flowers in terminal solitary or clustered narrow usually elongated racemes. 
Calyx 5-cleft or 5-parted, persistent, the segments imbricated. Petals 5, slightly 
united at the base, obovate, oblong, or obcordate, imbricated, deciduous. Sta- 
mens 10; filaments slender; anthers sagittate, inverted in anthesis, the sacs 
opening by large apical pores; pollen-grains simple. Disk obsolete. Ovary 
3-angled or 3-lobed, 3-celled, pubescent; ovules numerous; style slender; stig- 
mas 3 in our species. Capsule subglobose, or 3-lobed, 3-celled, loculicidally 
3-valved, the valves at length 2-cleft. 
The family consists only of the following genus, comprising about 30 species, natives of eastern 
North America, Japan, Mexico and South America. 
1. CLETHRA L, Spall 206.) 1753- 
Characters of the family. [Greek, alder, from the resemblance of the foliage. ] 
The following are the only species known in North America. 
Leaves obovate, acute or obtuse; filaments glabrous. 1. C. alnifolia. 
Leaves oval or ovate, acuminate; filaments hirsute. 2. C. acuminata. 
1. Clethra alnifolia L. Sweet 
Pepperbush. White Alder. 
(Fig. 2724.) 
Clethra alnifolia I,. Sp. Pl. 396. 1753- 
A shrub, 3°-10° high, the twigs mi- 
mutely canescent. Leaves obovate, ob- 
tuse or acute at the apex, narrowed or 
cuneate at the base, sharply serrate, at 
least beyond the middle, glabrous or 
very nearly so and green on both sides, 
1/-3/ long; petioles 1/’-6’’ long; bracts 
short, deciduous; pedicels, calyx and 
capsule canescent; calyx-lobes oblong, 
obtuse, nerved; flowers about 4’’ broad, 
of spicy fragrance; filaments glabrous; 
style longer than the stamens; capsule 
subglobose, about 114’/ in diameter 
about the length of the calyx. 
In swamps and wet woods, or sometimes 
in dry soil, Maine to northern New Jersey 
and Florida, mostly near the coast. July 
Aug. 
