852 NYSSACEAE 



1. Garrya Lindheimeri Torr. A branching shrub 5-20 din. tall, with tomentulose 

 twigs : leaf-blades leathery, oblong to oval or obovate, 2.5-5 cm. long, mucronate, tomen- 

 tulose on both sides, but less so or glabrate above : drupes globular, 6-9 mm. long. 



In dry soil, central and southern Texas. Spring. 



2. NYSSA L. 



Shrubs or lofty trees, with a tough wood. Branches alternate. Leaves alternate : 

 blades entire or rarely with a few lobe-like teeth. Flowers polygamo-dioecious, greenish ; 

 staminate numerous, with 5-several sepals, 5-many petals, 5-many stamens, a large swollen 

 entire or lobed disk and a rudimentary ovary ; pistillate flowers fewer, with 5 sepals, no 

 petals, rudimentary stamens, a swollen disk and a 1-celled sessile ovary. Drupes solitary 

 or clustered, slightly elongated, pulpy : stone terete or flattened, sometimes ribbed. Seed 

 filling the cavity. Testa membranous. TUPELO. 



Pistillate flowers 2-several together : drupes 1-2 cm. long, the stone with rounded ridges. 



Pistillate flowers usually 2 : stone of the drupe prominently ridged. 1. N. biflora. 



Pistillate flowers 3 or more : stone of the drupe indistinctly ribbed. 2. N. sylvatica. 

 Pistillate flowers solitary : drupes 3-4 cm. long, the stone with acute or winged angles. 



Low shrub : leaf-blades glabrous or nearly so. 3. N. acuminata. 

 Tall trees : leaf-blades pubescent beneath and on the midrib above. 



Leaf-blades abruptly pointed : pedicel shorter than the fruit. 4. N. Ogeche. 



Leaf-blades acuminate : pedicel longer than the fruit. 5. N. aquatica. 



1. Nyssa biflora Walt. A forest tree, with a maximum height of 40 m. and a trunk 

 diameter of 2 m., its bark usually broken into longitudinal ridges. Leaf-blades oblanceolate, 

 oblong, elliptic, oval or rarely ovate, 5-15 cm. long, obtuse or acute, entire, becoming 

 glabrous, acute or rarely truncate at the base, short-petioled : staminate flowers rather few 

 in loose heads : pistillate flowers usually 2 at the end of a slender peduncle : bracts ovate : 

 petals ovate, obtuse : fruiting peduncles 2-6 cm. long : drupes oval or elliptic, 10-13 mm. 

 long, dark-blue, the pulp acid : stone oval, strongly ribbed, blunt at both ends. 



In swamps and on margins of ponds, New Jersey to Florida and Louisiana. Spring. BLACK GUM 

 WATEE TUPELO. 



2. Nyssa sylvatica Marsh. A forest tree, reaching a height of 50 m. with a maximum 

 trunk diameter of 1.5 m., its bark finally breaking into hexagonal blocks. Leaf-blades oval 

 or obovate to rarely oblanceolate, 5-15 cm. long, obtuse or acute and usually acuminate, 

 entire or angularly lobed above, acute or rounded at the base, short-petioled, glabrous and 

 often lustrous above, more or less pubescent, or glabrate beneath : staminate flowers numer- 

 ous, in dense heads : pistillate flowers usually 3 at the end of a slender peduncle : bracts 

 ovate: petals ovate, obtuse: fruiting pedicels 1-6 cm. long: drupes oval, nearly 1.5 cm. 

 long, dark blue, the pulp acid, thin : stone narrowly ovoid, acute at the apex with 10-12 

 indistinct ribs. 



In swamps and on hillsides, Maine to Ontario and Michigan, south to Florida and Texas. Spring. 

 SOUR GUM. PEPPEKIDGE. BLACK GUM. 



3. Nyssa acuminata Small. An almost glabrous shrub 2-3 m. tall, with a smooth 

 bark, the branches and twigs red, spreading. Leaf-blades narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 

 4-15 cm. long, acuminate at both ends, entire, slightly revolute, glabrous, dark green above, 

 pale and prominently nerved beneath ; petioles about 1 cm. long : pistillate flowers solitary 

 on short pedicels : fruiting pedicels 1-1.5 cm. long, pubescent with brown hairs: drupes 

 oblong, inequilateral, about 2 cm. long, slightly curved. 



In pine-land swamps near the coast, Georgia. Spring. 



4. Nyssa Ogeche Marsh. A tree sometimes 20 m. tall, with a maximum trunk 

 diameter of about 6 dm., the bark irregularly fissured. Leaf -blades firm, oblong varying to 

 oblanceolate or lanceolate, or rarely oval, 5-20 cm. long, rounded at both ends or apiculate 

 at the apex, or sometimes acute at both ends, glabrate above, softly pubescent beneath ; 

 petioles about 1 cm. long: staminate flowers in heads, 1-1.5 cm. in diameter, with oblong 

 pedicels: pistillate flowers solitary with suborbicular petals : fruiting pedicels 1-1.5 cm. 

 long : drupes oblong, 3-4 cm. long, red, very acid : stone flattened, with 10-12 papery 

 wings. [N. capitata Walt. ] 



In river swamps, South Carolina to Georgia and Florida. Spring. OGEECHE PLUM. 



5. Nyssa aquatica L. A forest tree, reaching a height of 35 m., with a maximum 

 trunk diameter of 1.5 m. above the much enlarged base. Leaf-blades ovate to elliptic, 1-3 

 dm. long, acute or acuminate, usually angularly toothed, glabrate above, thinly tomentose 

 beneath, acute to cordate at the base ; petioles stout, 2-5 cm. long : staminate flowers in 

 heads 1-1.5 cm. in diameter : pistillate flowers solitary : bracts linear : petals oblong, obtuse : 



