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564 SYNOPTICAL KEY 
flowers inyolucrate: calyx corolla-like: fruitan achene, enclosed in the 
tube of the calyx and thus apparently inferior. 
Polygonacex Herbs or woody plants with alternate simple leaves 
with sheathing or on stipules: flowers perfect, on jointed pedicels, 
often involucrate: fruit a more or less triangular akene. 
Phytolaceacee Herbs or shrubs with alternate leaves: flowers per- 
fect, polygamous or moneecious: fruit a berry, or capsular or samaroid. 
Amaranthaeceze Herbs or low shrubs with alternate leaves: flowers 
with petal-like scarious persistent sepals and bracts: fruit a utricle: 
seed lenticular. 
Chenopodiacezw Herbs or shrubs with opposite or alternate simple 
leaves without stipules sometimes leafless: bracts herbaceous: flowers 
usually with herbaceous persistent sepals: fruit a utricle or achene. 
Lauracee Trees or shrubs with simple entire leaves without stipules: 
flowers perfect: fruit a drupe. 
Eleagnacex Shrubs or small trees with simple opposite leaves: flow- 
ers dicecious: fruit drupe-like, enclosed in the calyx-tube and thus 
apparently inferior. 
Ulmacewx Trees or shrubs with alternate stipulate leaves and small 
mostly monececious or polygamous flowers: fruit a drupe, samara or nut. 
Urticacee Herbs, rarely shrubs or trees with alternate or opposite 
mostly stipulate simple leaves: often armed with stinging hairs: flowers 
moncecious or dicecious: fruit an achene. 
* * -Ovary and fruit superior, of 2 or more carpels. 
Euphorbiacee Herbs or shrubs or trees with milky juice, mostly 
alternate leaves with or without stipules: flowers moncecious or diceci- 
ous: fruit usually a 3-celled 3-seeded capsule. 
Empetracee Low evergreen shrubs with simple leaves without stip- 
ules: flowers diecious or polygamous: fruit berry-like containing 
1-several 1-seeded nutlete. 
* * * Ovary and fruit inferior. 
Aristolochiacex. Perennial herbs or shrubs with alternate entire pet- 
ioled leaves: flowers perfect with 3-lobed valvate calyx ; fruit a 6-celled 
many seeded capsule. 
Santalacew Perennial herbs or shrubs with alternate entire simple 
sessile leaves: flowers perfect, with 3-5-cleft calyx: fruit a 1-seeded 
nutlet or drupe. 
Loranthacee Parasitic perennial plants with jointed stems and op- 
posite entire leaves: flowers diccious: fruit a l-seeded drupe with 
glutinous pulp. 
B. Trees or shrubs with alternate leaves. Flowers monceci 
ous, at least the staminate in aments. 
* Flowers moneecious; staminate numerous, in aments; pistillate 
few, with naked ovary. 
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89 
Fagacezw Trees orshrubs with entire or lobed leaves with caducous 
stipules: flowers moncecious in aments, fruit a cup like or closed and 
spiny involucre enclosing-several nuts. 
Corylacee Shrubs or small trees with simple leaves: flowers monee- 
cious, staminate in aments, pistillate few in separate scaly buds fruit a 
