LAURACEiE 203 



Family XXVIII. LAURACE^. 



Trees or shrubs or parasitic twining herbs [Cassytha). 

 Leaves alternate, pinnately-nerved (subtriplinerved in Phoebe 

 montana) ; stipules wanting. Flowers small, in cymes at the 

 apex of peduncles, forming axillary panicles, or (in Cassytha) 

 in spikes or racemes, hermaphrodite or (in Ocotea) dioecious, 

 regular. Perianth, tube often very short, generally developing 

 into a cupule at the base of the fruit ; segments of the limb 

 generally 6, in a double series, the outer series being sometimes 

 smaller than the alternating inner series. Stamens opposite the 

 perianth-segments, in a double ring, an outer ring of 6 perfect 

 stamens, and an inner ring of which 3 are perfect, alternating 

 with 3 staminodes which are often very small or altogether 

 wanting ; in Misanteca the outer ring and the staminodes are 

 wanting. Filaments free or (in Misanteca) united into a staminal 

 tube, sometimes very short or wanting; those of the perfect 

 stamens of the inner ring with a gland at each side of the base. 

 Anthers with 2 or 4 cells, opening by valves, those of the outer 

 ring inwards and those of the inner ring outwards or laterally. 

 Ovary free, 1-celled with 1 ovule pendulous from near the apex. 

 Fruit a 1 -seeded berry, with the perianth enlarged and persistent^ 

 or only the tube persistent, forming a cupule at the base of the 

 berry, or with the whole perianth deciduous (in Hufelandia). 

 Seed without endosperm. Embryo straight ; cotyledons thick 

 and fleshy ; plumule and hypocotyl conspicuous. 



Species, about 1000, for the most part natives of the warmer 

 regions of America, Asia, Australia and the islands in the 

 Pacific ; a few are found beyond the tropics in N. and S. America, 

 the Mediterranean Region, the Canary Islands, S. Africa and 

 New Zealand, and a few also in tropical Africa. 



KEY FOR FLOWERS. 

 Leafy trees or shrubs. - 

 Anthers 2-celled. 



Stamens 9 1. Hufelartdia. 



Stamens 3, united 2. Misanteca. 



Anthers of the outer ring 4-celled. 

 Staminodes large, sagittate. 



Lower cells of anthers touching the upper at 



theside. Leaves pinnately-nerved 3. Persea. 



Lower cells of anthers touching the upper at 

 their base. Leaves subtriplinerved in 



Jamaican species 4. Phoebe, 



Staminodes none or stalk-like, sometimes clavate. 

 Anther-cells, one directly above the other, in 



pairs 5. Ocotea. 



Anther-cells of the outer ring more or less in 



a bow-shaped curve 6. Nectandra. 



Twining, parasitic herbs, the leaves represented by small 

 scales 7. Cassytha. 



