Order 117.— PLATANACE^B. 639 



2 to 9-ovuled. Fruit fleshy, with as many 1-seeded nuts. Seed ascending, albu- 

 minous, radicle inferior. 



Genera 8, xpscitR 4, natives of N. Europe, X. America an J the Straits of Magellan. Proper- 

 tiei, acidulous. The berries are nutritious. 



GENERA. 

 ♦StamensS. Stigmas 6 to 9-rayed. Berry to 9-seeded Empf.tkcm. 1 



* Stamens 3. Stigmas 3 or 4, stylo slender. Drupe 3 or 4-seeded Cokema. 2 



* Stamens 2. Stigmas 4. Berry 2-seeded. Shrub erect Cekatiola. 3 



i. EM'PETRUM, Tourn. Crowberry. (Gr. tv, upon, -rrtrpog, a stone; 

 from the places of its natural growth.) Flowers & $ . Perianth con- 

 sisting of 2 series of scales, the 3 inner petaloid; $ Stamens 3, anthers 

 pendulous on long filaments. $ Stigma subscssile, 6 to 9-raycd ; drupe 

 globular, with G to 9 seedlike nutlets. — Alpine undershrubs. 

 E. nigrum L. Procumbent branches smooth ; lvs. imbricated, linear-oblong, obtuse 

 at each end, nearly smooth, with a revoluto margin. — A small, prostrate shrub, 

 found on the granite rocks of the White Mts. of N. II., and the calcareous moun- 

 tains of Vt. The stem is 1 to 3 or 4f long, much branched and closely covered 

 all around with evergreen leaves, which are 2 or 3" long, half a line wide. 

 Flowers very small, reddish, crowded in the axils of the upper lvs. Berries black, 

 not ill-flavored. May, Jn. 



2. CORE'MA, Don. (Oakesia, Tuckerman.) (Gr. icopTjfia, a broom ; 

 from the resemblance.) Flowers $ $ or $ » ? . Perianth of 5 or 6 

 bractlets, the 3 inner sepaloid. £ Stamens 3, sometimes 4, with ex- 

 scrted filaments. $ Ovary 3 or 4-celled ; style filiform, 3 or 4-cleit, 

 with narrow stigmas; drupe globular, minute, with 3 or 4 nutlets. — 

 diffuse undershrubs. Lvs. linear. 



C. Conradii Torr. Diffuse, very slender, glabrous; lvs. linear, revoluto on the 

 margin, coriaceous ; fruit dry. — Sandy and rocky plains, here and there, from Can. ? 

 Me. to N. J. Sts. If high, with a reddish-ash-colored bark, with short, verticillate 

 branches. Lvs. evergreen, numerous, spiral or imperfectly verticillate, 3" long, 

 linear, revolute. Fls. in terminal clusters of 10 to 15, with brownish scales and 

 purple stamens and styles. — Plants with £ aro less common than those with J 

 or § . Mar.', Apr. 



3. CERATFOLA, Mx. Sand-hill Rosemary. (A Latin diminutive, 

 from ntpag, a horn ; referring to the stigmas.) Flowers 8 . Perianth 

 of 6 to 8 imbricated, concave, fimbriate scales, the two or 4 inner mem- 

 branous. £ Stamens 2, exserted, anthers 2-celled, roundish. $ Ovary 

 2-celled; style short; stigmas 4 or G, spreading, toothed ; fruit a drupe 

 with 2-seed-like nuts. — A shrub with verticillate branches, crowded, 

 acerous lvs. and axillary, sessile fls. 



C. ericoides Mx. — Hills cr plains sandy or gravelly, Augusta, Ga. to Apalachi- 

 cola, Pla. Shrub evergreen, 3 to 6f high. Young branchlets downy. Lvs. in 

 closj whorls of 3s and 4s, about G" long, rigid, acuto. Fls. lateral, siigmiu pur- 

 plo. Fr. yellowish, small, astringent. Aug., Sept 



Order CXVII. PLATANACF^E. Sycamores. 



Trees with a watery juice, alternate palmato leaves and sheathing, scariou3 sti- 

 pules. Flowers monoecious, in globular aments, destitute of both calyx and corolla. 

 Sterile. — Stamens single, with only .small scales intermixed. Anthers 2-celled, 

 linear. Fertile. — Ovary terminated by a thick stylo with ono side stigmatic. NtA 

 clavate, tipped with the persistent, recurved stylo. Seed solitary, albuminous- 

 Fig-. 82. 



