26 



SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. euphoebiace^. 



The wood of Drypetes Keyensis is lieavy^ harcl^ not strongs brittle^ and close-grained; it contains 

 numerous obscure medullary rays^ and is brown^ streaked with bright yellow^ with thick dull brown 

 sapwood. The specific gravity of the absolutely dry wood is 0.9346^ a cubic foot weighing 58.24 



pounds. 



Drypetes Keyensis inhabits Key West^ Umbrella and Elliott's Keys on the coast of southern 



Florida^ growing in dry sandy soil with the shrubby Eugenias, the Gumbo Limbo, the Pisonias, the 

 Florida Coccolobis, the Pigeon Plum, the Princewood, and the Marlberry, which form a large part of 

 the shrubby growth that now replaces the original forest-covering of many of the Florida keys. One 

 of the rarest of the tropical trees in Florida, Drypetes Keyensis^ is conspicuous for its milk-white bark, 

 dark and lustrous foliage, and large white egg-like fruits. 



It was discovered on Key West, from which it has now almost completely disappeared, by Dr. J. L, 



Blodgett.' 



1 See i. 33. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 



Plate CCCVIL Drypetes Keyensis. 



1. A flowering branch of the staminate tree, natural size 



2. A flowering branch of the pistillate tree, natural size. 



3. Diagram of a staminate flower. 



4. Diagram of a pistillate flower. 



5. A staminate flower, enlarged, 



6. An anther, front and rear views, enlarged. 



7. Vertical section of a staminate flower, enlarged. 



8. A pistillate flower, enlarged. 



9. Vertical section of a pistillate flower, enlarged. 

 10. Transverse section of a pistil, enlarged. 



11- An ovule, much magnified. 



12. A fruiting branch, natural size. 



13. Cross section of a fruit, natural size. 



14. Vertical section of a fruit, natural size. 



15. A seed, showing raphe, natural size. 



16. An embryo, enlarged. 



17. A young leaf with stipule, enlarged. 



