28 



SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. euphoebiace^. 



and closely invests the thin-walled 



The seed is obovate, gibbous, an eighth of 



inch long, rounded below, narrowed and marked at the apex with the elevated pale hilum, from which 

 numerous broad veins radiate, and on the inner surface with the broad conspicuous raphe. 



The wood of Drypetes lateriflora is heavy, hard, brittle, and close-grained ; it contains numerous 

 thin medullary rays, and is rich dark brown in color, with thick yellow sapwood. The specific gravity 

 of the absolutely dry wood is 0.9209, a cubic foot weighing 57.39 pounds. 



Drypetes lateriflora inhabits in Florida the shores of Bay Biscayne and many of the southern 

 keys ; it is also common on the Bahama Islands and on Cuba, San Domingo, Jamaica, and Porto Rico. 



Drypetes lateriflora was discovered toward the end of the last century by the Swedish botanist 

 Swartz ^ on the island of San Domingo. In the United States it was first noticed on Key West by 

 Dr. J. L. Blodgett. 



1 See V. 44. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 



PiiATE CCCVIII. Drypetes lateriflora. 



1. A flowering branch of a staminate tree^ natural size 



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



3. A staminate flower, enlarged. 



4. Vertical section of a staminate flower, enlarged. 



5. A pistillate flower, enlarged. 



6. A pistillate flower, the calyx removed, enlarged. 



7. Vertical section of a pistil, enlarged. 



8. Cross section of an ovary, enlarged. 



9. A fruiting branch, natural size. 



10. Cross section of a fruit, enlarged. 



11. Vertical section of a fruit, enlarged. 



12. A seed, enlarged. 



13. Vertical section of a seed, enlarged. 



14. An embryo, enlarged- 



