OF AoHTH AMERICA. 89 



1 have since ascertained that Forestiera was 

 the first unemployed name given to this Genus 

 by Poiret, and must be adopted by all correct 

 Botanists ! This Genus thus made ambiguous 

 in name is also somewhat doubtful in charac- 

 ters, because the dioical flowers are difficult to 

 examine: it contains probably many species 

 as these shrubs are unnoticed unless met in 

 bloom. They are very near to Fraxinus by 

 the flowers, and Chionanthus by the fruit, and 

 simple opposite leaves: Thus evidently of the 

 same natural family. But like Fraxinus they 

 include several subgenera, that ought perhaps 

 to be Genera, and I will consider them as such 

 in order to distinguish them better. 



713. FORESTIERA Poir. Raf. Dioical, calix 4 

 parted persistent, 2 or 3 anthers on a single 

 central filament, fern. fl. calix 2 or 4 parted 

 unequal,no corolla, one pistil with style andbilobe 

 stigma. Fruit a berry drupaceous one seeded, 

 seed cartilaginous sulcate or rugose. Shrubs 

 with commonly entire opposite leaves and la- 

 teral sessile flowers. This includes most of 

 the species; but they must all be examined 

 again, in bloom. 



714. CARPOXIS Raf. (sharp fruit) Poly- 

 gamous ? Calix 4parted Stamens 4 inserted in 

 the calix (Elliot,) calix with a 5th smaller seg- 

 ment outside and more than 4 stamens, each 

 on a filament. Fern. fl. ternate on fascicled 

 peduncles, no calix, pistil oblong, no style, stig- 

 ma sessile acute. Drupaceous berry oblong 

 acuminate, seed sulcate. Shrubs often thorny, 

 leaves tyc as in Forestiera. I have followed 

 the figure of Michaux which shows almost a 

 polyandrous flower ? and the whole quite dif- 

 ferent from the others. Elliot justly doubts the 



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