SPONDIACEAE 725 



1. CERATIOLA Michx. 



Erect evergreen shrubs, with whorled branches. Leaves whorled : blades narrow, 

 strongly revolute, and thus almost tubular. Flowers dioecious, 2-3 whorled in the axils, 

 sessile, reddish. Calyx often subtended by 2 bracts : sepals 2, fringed. Petals 2. Sta- 

 mens 2 : filaments filiform : anthers subglobose. Ovary sessile on a fleshy disk, 2-celled : 

 stigma many-cleft. Drupe subglobose. Nutlets 2. 



1. Ceratiola ericoides Michx. An aromatic much branched shrub, 3-15 dm. tall, 

 with pubescent branches. Leaves spreading ; blades revolute so that they appear filiform- 

 subulate, 8-12 mm. long, acutish, short-petioled, often slightly curved : flowers reddish, 

 whorled in the axils : bracts, sepals and petals strongly imbricated, concave, suborbicular, 

 or broader than high, about 1 mm. long, eroded : stamens 2, exserted : filaments about 

 twice as long as the anthers : drupe subglobose, 4-6 mm. in diameter, yellowish, rather 

 persistent. 



In dry pine lands, South Carolina to Florida and Alabama. Spring. 



FAMILY 3. LIMNANTHACEAE Lindl. FALSE MERMAID FAMILY. 



Annual herbs, with tender tissues and a watery sap. Leaves alternate, with- 

 out stipules : blades pinnately divided. Flowers perfect, solitary on axillary 

 peduncles. Calyx of 2-5 valvate persistent sepals. Corolla of 2-5 white or 

 colored petals alternating with an equal number of glands. Androecium of 4-10 

 almost perigynous stamens. Filaments distinct, slender. Anthers 2-celled, the 

 sacs opening lengthwise. Gynoecium of as many nearly distinct carpels as there 

 are sepals and opposite them. Styles united. Stigmas as many as there are 

 carpels. Ovules 1 in each cavity, ascending. Fruit 2-5-lobed, indehiscent, 

 rough or tubercled. Endosperm wanting. Embryo straight, with thick cotyledons. 



1. FLOERKIA Willd. 



Weak herbs, with glabrous foliage and diffusely spreading stems. Leaves alternate : 

 blades coarsely dissected, rather fleshy. Flowers regular, inconspicuous. Sepals 3, val- 

 vate. Petals white, 3, entire, convolute, early withering. Stamens 6 ; filaments distinct. 

 Ovary 3-celled, deeply 3-lobed. Fruit of 1-3 achenes. Seeds solitary. Cotyledons cordate. 



1. Floerkia proserpinacoides Willd. Stems tender, fleshy, decumbent, 1-4 dm. 

 long, simple or branched : leaves 2-8 cm. long ; blades pinnately 3-5 divided, the segments 

 linear, elliptic or the terminal one oblanceolate, distant, acute or acutish, entire or incised ; 

 petioles slender, the lower ones elongated : pedicels axillary, 1-3 cm. long : sepals 3, spread- 

 ing, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 3 mm; long, acute : corolla white, about 3 mm. broad : 

 petals 3, erect, 1.5 mm. long, oblong-obovate, obtuse : stamens 3 as long as the petals or 

 finallynearly equalling them in length : achenes subglobose, 2-2.5 mm. in diameter, tuber- 

 culate-roughened. 



In meadows and shaded soil, Quebec to Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and California. Spring. 

 FALSE MERMAID. 



FAMILY 4. SPONDIACEAE Kunth. SUMAC FAMILY. 



Mostly monoecious or dioecious shrubs or trees, with a milky, resinous and 

 often acid or caustic sap, which turns black in drying. Leaves alternate, with- 

 out stipules : blades simple or pinnately compound : leaflets entire or toothed, 

 not punctate. Inflorescence spicate, racemose or paniculate. Flowers small, 

 rarely perfect, often polygamous, regular. Calyx of 3-5 sepals. Corolla of 3-5 

 petals inserted on the base of the calyx or on a hypogynous disk, as many as, 

 alternate with and larger than the sepals, imbricated, or rarely valvate. An- 

 droecium of 3-5 stamens or rarely more, alternate with the petals. Filaments 

 distinct or united to the disk. Anthers introrse. Gynoecium various, of 1 or 

 4-5 united, or nearly distinct carpels. Ovary usually free. Styles united or 

 sometimes distinct, terminal or lateral. Stigmas entire. Ovules solitary, am- 

 phitropous or half-anatropous. Fruit a drupe or berry. Seeds solitary, with a 

 membranous testa. Endosperm wanting. Embryo curved or bent. [Anacar- 

 diaceae Lindl.] 



