738 AESCULACEAE 



wanting. Androecium of 5-8 regularly inserted stamens, filaments distinct : 

 anthers 4-angled. Disk wanting. Gynoecium of 3 or 4 united carpels, wholly 

 superior. Ovary 3-4-celled : styles united. Ovules 2 in each cavity, half-anat- 

 ropous, often superposed, the upper one ascending and the lower one pendu- 

 lous. Capsule membranous or leathery, reticulated, 2-6-angled, the angles 

 obtuse, or winged, opening septicidally by 2-6 valves. Seed subglobose or 

 flattened, without an aril. Endosperm wanting. Embryo spiral. 



1. DODONAEA L. 



Characters of the family, as given above. 



1. Dodonaea viscosa L. A nearly glabrous shrub, with sticky foliage. Stems soli- 

 tary or clustered, 2-4 m. tall : leaf-blades simple, mostly oblanceolate or spatulate, 3-10 cm. 

 long, apiculate or retuse at the apex, entire, attenuate to the base, short-petioled : racemes 

 chiefly axillary, 1-2 cm. long : pedicels slender, slightly pubescent : calyx greenish, 5-7 

 mm. broad : sepals ovate, obtuse, 1.5 mm. long, slightly pubescent : anthers longer than 

 the sepals, about 2 mm. long, curved, ascending : capsules 3-celled, 12-20 mm. broad, 

 each carpel produced into a reniform reticulated wing : seeds solitary in each cavity, sub- 

 globose. 



In sand, peninsular Florida and the Keys. Also in tropical America. 



FAMILY 10. STAPHYLEACEAE DC. BLADDERNUT FAMILY. 



Shrubs or trees, with erect stems. Leaves opposite or rarely alternate, with 

 stipules : blades compound : leaflets opposite, involute in vernation. Inflores- 

 cence racemose or paniculate. Flowers perfect or polygamous, regular, pedi- 

 cellate, subtended by deciduous bracts. Calyx of 5 sepals. Disk cup-like, its 

 edge free. Corolla of 5 imbricated elongated petals which are inserted under 

 the edge of the disk and are commonly slightly longer than the sepals. Androe- 

 cium of 5 stamens inserted under the edge of the disk. Filaments distinct. 

 Anthers introrse. Gynoecium of 2 or 3 partially or wholly united carpels. 

 Ovary sessile. Styles 3, distinct or united. Stigmas simple. Ovules anatro- 

 pous, horizontal or ascending, inserted in 1 or 2 rows on the ventral suture. 

 Fruit an inflated membranous capsule, or a berry. Seeds few or numerous, 

 with a bony testa. Endosperm scant, fleshy. Embryo straight, with fleshy, 

 plano-convex cotyledons. 



1. STAPHYLEA L. 



Shrubs, with terete branches. Leaves opposite : blades 3-foliolate or pinnately com- 

 pound. Flowers perfect, regular, mostly in axillary racemes or panicles. Sepals 5, equal, 

 imbricated, deciduous. Disk lobed. Petals 5, about as long as the sepals, erect, inserted 

 beneath the edge of the disk. Stamens 5 : filaments equal, erect : anthers apiculate. Carpels 

 2-3, 1-celled, united at the base, or rarely throughout : stigmas capitate. Ovules numerous, 

 in 2 series, anatropous, ascending. Capsule membranous, 2-3-celled, 2-3-lobed. Seeds 

 solitary or many in each cavity, the aril wanting. BLADDERNUT. 



1. Staphylea trifoliata L. A slender shrub 1-5 m. tall, with striped twigs. Leaf- 

 blades 3-foliolate ; petioles 4-10 cm. long ; leaflets oval or elliptic varying to ovate or 

 obovate, 5-10 cm. long, acuminate or obtuse, serrate, the lateral ones inequilateral : racemes 

 5-10 cm. long, drooping : pedicels 8-12 mm. long, jointed above the middle : sepals lance- 

 olate or oblong, 7-10 mm. long, obtuse, glabrous : petals spatulate, somewhat longer than 

 the sepals, obtuse, pubescent at the base : filaments about as long as the petals, pubescent 

 below the middle : style exserted : ovary pubescent : capsules bladder-like, 3-lobed, 4-6 

 cm. long, obovoid, the apex of each lobe apiculate. 



In thickets, Quebec to Ontario and Minnesota, Georgia and Missouri. Spring. 



FAMILY 11. AESCULACEAE Lindl. BUCKEYE FAMILY. 



Shrubs or trees, with a tough wood and a close or flaky bark. Leaves 

 opposite, without stipules : blades palmately compound. Inflorescence termi- 

 nal, of thyrsoid racemes or panicles. Flowers polygamous, unsymmetrical 

 and irregular. Calyx of 5 mostly united sepals. Disk annular or one-sided. 



