﻿Trees of New York State 383 



THE TUPELOS. Genus NYSSA L. 

 Trees with alternate simple leaves, inconspicuous polygamo- 

 dioecious flowers, and drupaceous fruit. Nyssa is represented by 

 five species in the eastern United States and a single species in 

 Southern Asia. One species, Nyssa sylvatica Marsh., occurs in 

 New York State. 



Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple, entire or angulate-toothed, petiolate, 

 generally grouped near the end of the branches. Flowers appearing before 

 the leaves, polygamo-dioecious, small, greenish white, inconspicuous, borne in 

 capitate clusters, short racemes, or solitary at the summit of slender axillary 

 peduncles; stanmiate flowers numerous; calyx 5-parted; petals 5, minute, 

 fleshy, or none; stamens 5-15, wdth slender filaments and oblong anthers; 

 fertile flowers solitary or in few-flowered clusters, subtended by bracts; 

 calyx-limb 5-toothed or trimcate; petals 5, minute or none; stamens 5-10, 

 wth short filaments and fertile or abortive anthers; pistil consisting of an 

 inferior, 1-celled, l-o\'uled ovary surmounted by a slender curved style stig- 

 matic on one side toward the apex. Fruit an oblong or ovoid drupe, with 

 tliin acidulous flesh and thick-walled, bony, terete or compressed, ridged or 

 ^\'inged, generally 1-celled, 1-seeded pit; seed pale, filling the cavity of the pit. 



Series 3. GAMOPETALAE 



Plants with petals more or less united, or sometimes separate 

 or wanting. 



HEATH FAMILY. ERICACEAE 



Trees and shrubs with scaly buds, alternate simple leaves, per- 

 fect regular flowers, and capsular, drupaceous or baccate fruit. 

 A large family consisting of about sixty-seven genera and over one 

 thousand species, widely scattered throughout the world in tropical 

 and temperate regions. Twenty-one genera are represented in the 

 United States, seven of which include arborescent forms. 



Leaves alternate, simple, estipulate. Flotcers perfect, regular, -1- or 5- 

 merous ; calyx 4— 5-lobed, free or adnate to the ovary ; corolla regular, 

 4-5-lobed, the lobes imbricated in the bud; stamens as many or twice as 

 many as the lobes of the corolla, with short filaments and anthers opening 

 l)y a terminal pore and often appendaged ; pistil consisting of a 4-10-celled 

 superior or inferior ovary terminated by a columnar style and capitate stigma. 

 Fruit capsular, drupaceous, or baccate; seeds generally minute, albuminous. 



KEY TO THE GENERA 



PAGE 



1. Leaves flat; flower clusters axillary; corolla 5-lobed Kalmia 384 



1. Leaves revolute; flower clusters terminal; corolla 5-cleft Rhododendron 384 



