LAURACEAE. 99 



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



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



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



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



1. O. austrina Small. Plants woody 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, IJ. 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, 12-1& 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. keys. 



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, re^ilar 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 man3^ 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. Laueaceab. 

 Leafless, twining, parasitic vines : fruit enclosed in the 



accrescent hypanthium. Fam. 2. Casstthacbah. 



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. Pebsba. 



Fruit not oblique : hypanthium fleshy. 3. Ocotea. 



1. TAMALA Raf. 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- 



