STAFF-TREE FAMILY 549 



cium of a compound pistil ; ovary 3-5-celled ; stigma with as many inconspicuous 

 lobes; ovules 2 in each cavity, ascending. Capsule 3-5-Iobed, angled or ^Nanged, 

 loculicidal. Seeds 2 in each cavity, surrounded by an orange or scarlet aril. 



1. E. atropurpureus Jacq. A shrub or small tree, 1-8 m. high; leaf- 

 blades elliptic to ovate or obovate, 5-16 cm. long, acuminate, puberulent, crenate- 

 serrate; flowers trichotomously cymose; corolla dark purple; petals 4, subor- 

 bicular, 2-3 mm. long; capsule 4-lobed, pendulous, not warty, depressed, the 

 lobes wing-Uke; seeds 8-10 mm. long, with a scarlet aril. River banks: N.Y. — 

 Fla. — Okla.— Mont. Plain. Je. 



3. PACHYSTIMA Raf. Mountain Lover. 



Low, depressed evergreen shrubs. Leaves opposite, leathery, toothed or 

 entire. Flowers solitary or clustered in the axils of the leaves. Sepals 4. Petals 

 4, greenish. Stamens 4, inserted under the flat, 4-angled disk; filaments short. 

 Ovary 2-celled; stjde very short; stigma obscurely 2-lobed. Ovules 2 in each 

 cavity, erect. Capsule 2-celled, somewhat flattened, not lobed, 2-valved. 

 Seeds surrounded by a white aril. 



Leaves decussately spreading; petioles abruptly contracted into the midrib; petals 

 nearly as broad as long; stigma roimded. 1. P. Myrsiniles. 



Leaves arranged in one plane; petioles thickened, the thickening continued into the 

 midrib; stigma 2-lobed. 

 Stigma slightly 2-lobed; anthers equalling the filaments. 2. P. macrophylla. 



Stigmas deeply 2-cleft; anthers much shorter than the filaments. 3. P. Schaefferi. 



1. P. Myrsinites (Pursh) Raf. Shrub 2-5 dm. high; branches usually 

 ascending, brown, with 4 dark ridges; leaf-blade oval or elliptic, with dentate, 

 thickened, and revolute margins, yellowish green, 1-3 cm. long; lateral veins 3-4 

 pairs; flowers niunerous, odorless; sepals broadly oval, with faint midribs, ob- 

 tuse; petals oval or ovate; filaments twice as long as the anthers. Wooded hills 

 and mountains: Alta. — N.M. — Calif. — B.C. Submont. — Mont. My-Au. 



2. P. macrophyllum Farr. Shrub 4^6 dm. tall; branches cinnamon- 

 brown, with 4 dark brown ridges, loosely spreading; leaf -blades oval-elliptic or 

 oblanceolate, 2^ cm. long, with 6 pairs of lateral veins, bluish green above, 

 bright green beneath; margins serrate and revolute; flowers few; sepals ovate, 

 with prominent midrib, pointed; petals ovate; filaments equalling the anthers. 

 Mountains: B.C. Mont. My-Je. 



3. P. Schaefferi Farr. Shrub about 5 dm. high; branches spreading, dark 

 brown; leaf -blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, the veins 6-7 pairs, blunt- 

 toothed above, not revolute, bright green; flowers fragrant, numerous; sepals 

 and petals as in the preceding; filaments 1.5-2 times as long as the anthers. 

 Mountains: B.C. My-Je. 



4. MORTONIA A. Gray. 



Intricately branched low shrubs, with often hispid twigs. Leaves alternate, 

 thick, entire, 1-nerved, with abortive stipules. Flowers cymose or paniculate- 

 cymose, perfect. Sepals and petals 5. Stamens 5. Pistil compound; ovary 

 5-celled; style short, terminal; stigma 5-lobed; ovules 2 in each cell. Fruit dry, 

 oblong, 1-celled and 1-seeded by abortion; seed filling the cavity, without an 

 aril. 



1. M. utahensis (Coville) Rydb. A shrub about 1 m. high, with spreading 

 branches and yellow bark; twigs scabrous-hispidulous ; leaf-blades thick, sca- 

 brous-hispidulous, oval, 8-13 mm. long, entire; panicles narrow, raceme-like, 

 3-5 cm. long; sepals lanceolate-triangular, 2 mm. long; petals 3 mm. long, broadly 

 obovate, crenulate on the margins, white. Arid regions: Utah — Nev. — Ariz. 

 Son. 



5. FORSELLESIA Greene. 



Small shrubs, with green, glabrous, spinescent branches. Leaves alternate, 

 small, entire, with adnate setaceous stipules. Flowers axillary, subsoHtary, 

 perfect. Sepals and petals 4-6. Stamens more niunerous, usually twice as 



