72 Thymelaeaceae, Lythraceae 



(except in ^ Elaeagnaceae). Gynaeciiim of 2-4 carpels, 

 free from the flower-axis. 



Fam. I. Thymelaeaceae. Shrubs or trees with 

 acrid juice and tenacious, reticulate bast. Leaves entire, 

 alternate or opposite, exstipulate. Flowers hermaphrodite, 

 heterochlamydeous or apopetalous, diplo- or haplostemo- 

 nous, 5-4-merous. G usually i with one pendulous 

 ovule. Style i, terminal or lateral. Fniit often a drupe. 



Subfamily Thymelaeoideae. Flowers diplostemonous 

 or haplostemonous. Petals scale-like or absent. Carpel 

 I with one ovule. 



Only British genus (filaments and style very short) : 



Daphne. 



Fam. 2. Elaeagnaceae. Shrubs or trees with 

 silvery or brown scales. Flower-axis in J^ flowers flat, 

 in $ and ^ flowers tubular. Flowers mostly 4-merous, 

 homochlamydeous. Androechcni diplostemonous in J* 

 flowers ; in ? haplostemonous and with stamens opposite 

 perianth lobes. Carpel i with one basal ovule. Frtdt 

 a nut enclosed in the fleshy axis. 



Only British genus (sepals 2, stamens 4): Hippophae. 



Suborder 2. Myrtineae. Herbs or shrubs. Leaves 

 more often opposite. Floiuers with tubular axis and 

 2-co carpels forming syncarpous gynaecium which is 

 usually united to axis. Ovules with one integument. 



Fam. 3. Lythraceae. Herbs or shrubs. Leaves 

 opposite or whorled, entire. Flowers heterochlamydeous 

 or apopetalous, usually 4-6-merous, hermaphrodite, 

 actinomorphic or zygomorphic. Flower-axis cup-shaped 

 or tubular. Calyx valvate with intersepalar stipules. 

 Petals on edge of flower-axis, sometimes absent. Stamens 



