LAUEACEAE. 99 



Plants diffuse, with tubers. 1. O. austrina. 



Plants erect, copiously branched, without tubers. 2. O. Dillenii. 



Spines copious : corolla yellow. 3. O. inermis. 



Spines none, or imperfectly developed : corolla salmon to yellow. 



1. O. austrina Small. Plants vroody at the base, the roots tuber-bearing, the 

 joints broadly obovate or orbicular-obovate, deep-green, 5-11 cm. long, or 

 rarely somewhat longer, the early deciduous leaves mostly less than 10 mm. 

 long: spines mainly above the middle of the joints and near the edge, usually 

 2 together but one of them very small or deciduous, whitish or pinkish, and 

 reddish near the base and apex, twisted: flowers bright-yellow, 6-7 cm. broad: 

 petals cuneate, truncate or retuse at the slightly eroded top, and mucronate: 

 fruits 2.5-3 cm. long. Coastal sand-dunes, TJ. S. keys. 



2. O. Dillenii (Ker.) Haw. Stems erect, 9-12 dm. tall, proliferous, the joints 

 oval or elliptic, 10-20 cm. long: areolae remote above, with clusters of 4-6 

 stout rigid flattened yellow spines, varying from very short to 3.5 cm. in length : 

 flowers yellow or reddish yellow, 7.5-10 cm. broad: fruits rather pear-shaped, 

 5-6 cm. long, edible. Hammocks, U. keys, L. keys, L. S. keys. (Bah., Cuba, 

 Ant.) 



3. O. inermis DC. Stems much-branched, 12-18 dm. tall, proliferous, the joints 

 thick, obovate to elliptic, 10-15 cm. long: areolae distant, 2-3 cm. apart, 

 spineless or sometimes with a single long spine: flowers yellow to salmon, 7.5 

 10 cm. broad: fruits obovoid, bristly, 5-6 cm. long, edible, the pulp red. U. 

 keys, L. beys. 



Order THYMELEALES. 



Shrubs or trees, or partially herbaceous plants. Leaves opposite or 

 alternate, the blades simple, rarely mere scales, or obsolete. Flowers per- 

 fect, polygamous, or dioecious, regular or nearly so. Calyx of 5, or fewer, 

 sepals. Corolla wanting (in our species). Androecium of as many 

 stamens as there are sepals, or twice as many. Anthers opening by slits 

 or hinged valves. Gynoecium of a single carpel. Ovary superior. Ovule 

 mostly solitary. Fruit usually baccate or drupaceous. 



Leafy shrubs or trees : fruit seated on the hypanthium. Fam. 1. LAUBACEAE. 

 Leafless, twining, parasitic vines : fruit enclosed in the 



accrescent hypanthium. Fam. 2. CASSYTHACEAE. 



FAMILY 1. LAURACEAE. LAUREL FAMILY. 



Aromatic shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate or opposite: the blades 

 entire or lobed. Flowers in open or congested cymes. Perianth of 6 

 (rarely 4-10) sepals in 2 series. Androecium of usually more stamens 

 than there are sepals, in 2-4 series, those of the third series usually 

 glandular appendaged, those of the fourth series mostly mere staminodia. 

 Gynoecium a single carpel. Ovary 1-celled. Drupe not included. 



Calyx persistent : fruit seated in the calyx. 1. TAMALA. 

 Calyx deciduous : fruit seated in the hypanthium. 



Fruit oblique : hypanthium not fleshy. 2. PEKSEA. 



Fruit not oblique : hypanthium fleshy. 3. OCOTEA. 



1. TAMALA Eaf. Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, persistent: blades 

 entire. Flowers in axillary peduncled cymes. Sepals 6, dissimilar. Style 

 long-columnar: stigma capitate. Drupe equilateral. 



1. T. pubescens (Pursh) Small. Shrub or small tree, its twigs, lower leaf- 

 surfaces and inflorescence tomentose: leaf -blades narrowly elliptic or elliptic- 



