CERCIDIPH YLLACEAE. 49 
CERCIDIPHYLLUM. 
(Family Cercidiphyllaceae). 
Rather small finely branched 
trees: deciduous. Twigs terete, 
slender, swollen at the nodes: pith 
small, creamy, somewhat angular, 
continuous. Buds moderate, soli- 
tary, often developing into short 
spurs, oblong, pointed, appressed, 
with 1 exposed scale standing 
next the stem, the end-bud lack- 
ing. Leaf-scars opposite, or 4 
ranked if separate, crescent- 
shaped, raised, deciduous at end 
of the first winter: bundle-traces 
3:  stipule-scars lacking.—Some- 
times placed in the family Tro- 
chodendraceae. 
One of the most dainty fine- 
twigged trees of relatively recent 
introduction, this shares with the 
two preceding genera a combina- 
tion of characters which have 
subjected its systematic position to great and ‘fluctuating un- 
certainty. Unlike the others, which remain in the Trocho- 
lendraceae, this genus possesses a suggestion of affinity to the 
Hamamelidaceae; the prevailing disposition has been to erect 
‘or it a distinct family, and to leave it in juxtaposition to the 
Trochodendraceae. As in the two genera here considered, 
ind unlike the other genera referred to that family, its wood 
consists in part of true ducts. Its winter-characters are de- 
scribed and figured by Schneider, f. 92, 135; and Shirasawa, 
1S, pl. 11. 
Zlabrous: buds red. - ©. japonicum. 
