MYRICACE.E. (WAX-MYRTLE FAMILY.) 449 



t',.ers 1 -celled, hairy at the apex. Fertile flowers spiked. Bracts 2-flowered, 

 ueciduous. Ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled. Stigmas -2, tilit'orin. Nut solitary, an- 

 gular, sessile iu the axil of an opeu 3-lobed leaf-like involucre. Trees, with 

 simple ovate or obkmg straight-veiued deciduous leaves, folded in the bud. 

 Flowers expaiidiiig before the leaves. 



1. C. Americana, Michx. (HOKNBEAM.) Brauchlets smooth and sleu- 

 der ; leaves oblong-ovate, acute or slightly acuminate, sharply and doubly ser- 

 rate, rounded at the base, more or less pubescent. Fertile spikes terminal, 

 long-peduucled, 6- 12-flowered ; involucre unequally 3-lobed, the middle lobe 

 longer and serrate ou one side ; uut small, ovate, compressed, 8-ribbed. 

 Kick woods. March. A small tree, with hard and close-grained wood. 



6. OSTRYA, Micheli. HOP HORNBEAM. 



Sterile flowers iu drooping cylindrical aments, each in the axil of a scale- 

 like bract, destitute of a calyx. Stamens with the filaments irregularly united. 

 Fertile flowers iu a short terminal crowded spike, each enclosed in a fiiem- 

 branaceous involucre. Ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled, bearded at the apex. Stigmas 

 2, filiform. Fruiting involucre inflated, nerved, hairy or bristly at the base, 

 enclosing the solitary pointed nut. Small trees, with ovate or oblong serrate 

 short-petioled deciduous leaves. Flowers appearing with the leaves. 



1. O. Virginica, Willd. (Hop HORNBEAM.) Leaves ovate-oblong, 

 sharply and simply serrate, acuminate, rounded or slightly cordate at the 

 base, pubescent ; fertile spike cone-like, short-peduncled ; the imbricated in- 

 volucres oblong, mucronate, bristly at the base. Rich woods. March. A 

 small tree, with hard aud close-grained wood. 



ORDKR 129. MYRICACEJE. (WAX-MYRTLE FAMILY.) 



Chiefly shrubs, with simple alternate leaves, with or without stip- 

 ules, and monoecious or dioecious flowers, disposed in aments, desti- 

 tute of calyx or corolla, each in the axil of a simple bract. Stamens 

 '2-10; the short filaments free or partly united : anthers 2-celled. 

 Ovary solitary, 1-celled, surrounded at the base with a row of scales. 

 Ovule solitary, orthotropous or amphitropous. Involucre none. 

 Stigmas 1-2, elongated. Fruit a dry 1-seeded drupe. Albumen 

 none. Cotyledons fleshy. Radicle superior. 



1. MYRICA, L. WAX-MYRTLE. BAYBERRT. 



Flowers in short axillary aments, dioecious, each in the axil of the scale- 

 like bract. Calyx and corolla none. Stamens 2-10, with the filaments 

 united below. Ovary enclosed in a cup of 3-5 rounded scales. Ovule or- 

 thotropous. Stigmas 2 (rarely 4), flattened on the inner face, widely 

 spreading. Nut globose, covered with waxy grains. Shrubs or small trees 

 dotted with miimt-p resinous and odorous glands. Branches clustered. Leaves 

 short-petioled, serrate or entire. Stipules none. 



29 



