434 URTICACE.E. (NETTLE FAMILY.) 



ORDER 120. EMPETRACEJE. (CROWBERRY FAMILY.) 



Shrubs, with evergreen linear alternate or whorled leaves, without 

 stipules, and small dioecious or polygamous flowers. Calyx bract- 

 like, of 2-3 sepals, imbricated. Corolla of 2-3 petals similar to the 

 calyx, hypogynous. Stamens 2 - 3, alternate with the petals, exserted : 

 anthers 2-celled, extrorse. Ovary 2 - 9-celled, the cells 1-ovuled. 

 Style short or none : stigma lobed or incised. Drupe berry-like, glo- 

 bose, of 2-9 one-seeded nutlets. Seeds erect. Embryo in the axis 

 of copious fleshy albumen. 



1. CERATIOLA, Michx. 



Calyx bracted, of two fringed sepals. Corolla 2-petalled. Stamens 2 : an- 

 ther cells globose. Ovary resting on a fleshy disk, 2-celled, 2-ovuled. Style 

 short : stigma many-cleft. Drupe 2-seeded. A heath-like erect verticillately 

 much branched shrub, with small linear shining whorled leaves, and axillary 

 (whorled) reddish flowers. 



1. C. ericoides, Michx. Dry barren sands, Florida to South Caro- 

 lina. Nov. Shrub 2 -5 high, the young branches pubescent. Leaves 3 

 in a whorl, 4" - 6" long, the margins revolute. Petioles yellowish, appressed. 

 Drupe yellowish, somewhat persistent. 



* 



ORDER 121. BATED ACE^E. (BATIS FAMILY.) 

 Represented only by 



1. BATIS, P. Browne. 



Flowers dioecious, in axillary fleshy conical spikes. Bracts of the sterile 

 flowers round-cordate, persistent. Calyx cup-shaped, somewhat compressed, 

 unequally 2-lipped. Petals 4, rhombic-ovate, clawed. Stamens 4, alternate 

 with the petals, partly exserted : anthers oblong, introrse. Fertile flowers 

 consolidated. Bracts deciduous. Calyx and corolla none. Ovary 4-celled, 

 with a single erect anatropous ovule in each cell. Stigma sessile, broad, ob- 

 scurely 2-lobed. Drupe 4-seeded. Seed oblong, without albumen. Cotyle- 

 dons fleshy. Radicle inferior. A smooth maritime shrub, with the habit of 

 Salicornia. Leaves opposite, fleshy, club-shaped, semi-terete. Stipules none. 

 Petals white. 



1. B. maritima, L. Salt marshes, Florida, and westward. June- 

 Sept. Plant pale green, strong-scented. Stems prostrate, 2 -3 long, the 

 short branching flowering stems erect. Leaves 1' long. Spikes 3" -5" long. 



ORDER 122. URTICACEJE. (NETTLE FAMILY.) 



Herbs, with watery juice, often armed with stinging hairs. Leaves 

 undivided, stipulate. Flowers monoecious or dioecious, apetalous. - 

 Calyx of the sterile flower 4-5-parted or 4-5-sepalous. Stamens as 



