254 APETALOUS EXOGEKS 



5 to 10, inserted round a disk in the bottom of the calyx. FERTILE 

 FLOWER with the border 5-parted, deciduous; stamens 5. Drupe 

 oblong-oval. Flowers greenish, small, axillary, solitary, or in little 

 pedunculate clusters. 



1. HT. Iliultiflfira^ Wangenh. Leaves oval and obovate, often 

 acuminate; fertile peduncles about 3-flowered; drupe black. 

 MANY-FLOWERED NYSSA. Sour Gum. Black Gum. Pepperidge. 



Stem 40 to 60 or 70 feet high ; branches numerous, horizontally spreading, and 

 often a little drooping. Leaves 2 to 4 inches long, dark green and shining above, 

 paler and pubescent beneath, becoming a bright crimson in autumn ; petioles % 

 an inch to an inch in length, often margined, conspicuously villous-ciliate. 

 Staminate flowers pedicellate, 2 to 5 or 6 in a loose cluster, on a slender common 

 peduncle about an inch long. Fertile flowers sessile, mostly 3 in a dense involu- 

 crate cluster (sometimes 2, or only 1), on a clavate common peduncle, which at first 

 is about half an inch finally 1 to 1% inches in length. Drupe near half an inch 

 long, bluish-black and succulent when mature ; nut striate-angular. 

 Hob. Moist woods, and low grounds : frequent. FL May. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. The woody fibres of this tree are remarkably curled, or 

 oblique and interlocked, so as to render the timber very difficult 

 to split; on which account it is much used for making naves, or 

 hubs, for heavy carriage wheels, and also hatters' blocks. A striking 

 variety with leaves and fruit more than twice the usual size was 

 observed near London Grove Meeting House, during the past sum- 

 mer (1851), by Mr. JOSHUA HOOPES. 



ORDER LXXXIV. LORANTHA\CEAE. 



Shrubby plants, parasitic on trees; leaves mostly opposite, entire, coriaceous, with- 

 out stipules; flowers dioicous, or monoicous; calyx-tube (of the fertile flowers) 

 adherent to the ovary ; border obsolete, or 3- or 4- toothed ; petals usually 4, free, 

 or connected ; stamens as many as the calyx-lobes ; ovary 1-celled, with a single 

 ovule suspended from the apex of the cell ; fruit a 1 -seeded berry ; seed with fleshy 

 albumen, 



36O. YIS'CUM, L. 



[The Latin name for glue, or birdlime ; from its viscid or glutinous fruit.] 

 Flowers mostly dioicous, the staminate apetalous: Calyx subcoria- 

 ceous, in the staminate flowers 3- or 4-parted, with triangular lobes 

 valvate in the bud, and each lobe with a sessile anther on its inner 

 face, in the pistillate flowers with an obsolete border, and 4 petals. 

 Stigma sessile. Berry globular, with a gum-like viscid pulp. Stem 

 and branches jointed; flowers greenish, in short axillary spikes. 



1. T flav6scens, Pursh. Yellowish-green; leaves elliptic- 

 obovate, obtuse, on short petioles ; berries pearly white. 

 YELLOWISH VISCUM. Mistletoe. 



Stem 9 lo 18 inches high, terete, much branched, the branches opposite and 

 decussate, with a cellular bark which appears to be transversely incised, or sulcat* 

 (as if articulated), at the ramifications. Leaves % of an inch to 1% inches long, 

 3-nerved beneath, smooth, fleshy or subcoriaceous, narrowed at base to a thickish 

 terete petiole 1 or 2 lines in length. Flowers small, sessile, verticillate, or clustered 

 on short interrupted spikes, the staminate flowers mostly 3-parted. 

 Bab. Branches of trees (mostly Nyssa) : very rare. Fl. May. Fr. Novem. 



