KEY. 



261 



Sterile flowers spiked, and fertile ones glomerate ; 

 the sterile very small. Stamens 8-16. Fertile flowers sur- 

 rounded by a large, leaf-like, cut-lobed, persistent bract. 

 Calyx of the sterile flowers 4 parted, of the fertile 3-parted. 

 Leaves alternate, long-petioled. Fruit rarely echinate. 



Acalypha. 



840. (774.) Trees, shrubs and other woody plants. 

 Leaves deciduous, or evergreen 841 



Herbs 875 



841. A yellowish-green, woody parasite on the branches 

 of trees. Stems jointed and much branched. Leaves thick, 

 obovate, or oval, somewhat petioled, longer than the axil- 

 lary spikes, yellowish. Calyx 3- (2- to 4-) lobed. Sterile 

 flowers ; anthers 3, sessile. Fertile flowers ; ovary inferior, 

 stigma sessile. Berry 1-seeded, pulpy, white. 



Fhoradendron flavescens, Nutt. 



{American 3Iistletoe.) 



No parasites 842 



842. Leaves pinnate 843 



Leaves simple, often lobed, sometimes linear, 



needle-shaped, or evergreen 848 



843. Trees or shrubs with thorns or prickles. Stamens 

 3-5. Pistils 3-5, or only 1 844 



Trees or shrubs unarmed 845 



844. Leaves odd-pinnate ; leaflets 7-11. Pistils of the 

 fertile flowers 3-5. Flowers yellowish-green, in axillary 

 clusters, or in a terminal cyme. Xanthoxylum. 



Leaves abruptly once- or twice-pinnate; leaflets 

 (on the particular jietiole) 18. Pistil 1 in the fertile flowers. 

 Thorns above the axils, simple or branched. 



(92) Gleditschia. 



845. Petals present. Stamens 5, or 10 847 



Petals none. Calyx small, or wanting. Trees .... 846 



846. Stamens 4, or 5, inserted into a fleshy disk. Styles 

 2, long and slender. Ovary 2 -lobed. Fruit a double 

 samara. Sterile flowers, in clusters on capillary pedicels; 



