HAJVIAMELACEyE. (WITCH-HAZEL FAMILY.) 1/51 



A small ( I' - 4') succulent biennial herb, branching from the base. Leaves 

 terete, fleshy. Flowers white. 



1. D. pusilla, Nutt. Ou flat rocks in the upper districts. March - 

 April. 



5. PENTHORUM, Oronov. 



Sepals 5. Petals 5, often wanting. Stamens 10. Carpels 5, united into a 

 5-celled capsule, spreading at the summit, which falls away at maturity. 

 Seeds numerous. Perennial (not fleshy) herbs, with alternate serrate 

 leaves, and yellowish flowers on one side of the revolute branches of the 

 simple cyme. 



1. P. sedoides, L. Stem erect, 1- 2 high; leaves lanceolate ; petals 

 commonly none. Ditches and muddy places, common. July - Sept. 



ORDER 53. HAMAMELACE^E. (WITCH-HAZEL FAMILY). 



Trees or shrubs, with alternate leaves, deciduous stipules, and 

 clustered or spiked, often polygamous or monoecious flowers. Calyx 

 tube coherent with the base of the ovary. Petals -4-5, long and 

 linear, or none. Stamens twice as many as the petals, with the alter- 

 nate ones sterile, or numerous and perfect. Styles 2. Capsule woody, 

 2-celled, opening at the summit. Seeds anatropous, bony. 1-2 in 

 each cell. Embryo large and straight, iu scarce albumen. 



Synopsis. 



1. HAMAMELIS. Calyx lobes and petals 4. Fertile stamens 4. Ovules solitary in each 



cell, suspended. 



2. FOTHERGILLA. Calyx 5-7-toothed. Petals none. Stamens numerous, all fertile. 



Ovules solitary, suspended. 



3. LIQUIDAMBAR. Calyx and corolla none. Flowers polygamous or monoecious, capi- 



tate. Stamens numerous. Ovules several. 



1. HAMAMELIS, L. WITCH-HAZEL. 



Calyx 2-3 bracted, 4-parted. Petals 4, long and linear. Stamens 8, the 

 alternate ones short and sterile. Styles 2. Capsule loculicidally 2-valved at 

 the apex, the outer coat separating from the inner one, which encloses the 

 seed, but soon splits elastically into 2 valves. Seeds large, bony. Shrubs. 

 Leaves short-petioled. Flowers yellow, clustered. 



1- H. Virginica, L. Low woods. Nov. A large shrub. Leaves 

 obovate or oval, oblique, crenate-toothed, pubescent ; flowers appearing when 

 the leaves are falling, late in autumn. 



2. FOTHERGILLA, L. 



Calyx truncate, obscurely 5 - 7-toothed. Petals none. Stamens numerous, 

 slender, perfect. Styles 2. Capsule 2-lobed, 2-celled, 2-valved at the apex, 

 with a single bony seed in each cell. A shrub, with oval or obovate leaves, 



