48 LAURACEM. 



small, regular, 2- or 1 -sexual, in axillary cymes clusters panicles or 

 racemes ; bracts deciduous, often involucrate or none. Perianth 

 usually inferior ; tube short, sometimes enlarged in fruit ; lobes of 

 limb small, usually G, rarely 4, in two series, usually all similar and 

 equal, imbricate, rarely sub-valvate, herbaceous or petaloid. 

 Stamens usually a multiple of the perianth -lobes, in 2-4 series on 

 the tube ; filaments flattened, inner or some or all often 2-glandular 

 at the base ; anthers erect, 2-or 4-celled, rarely 1 -celled, cells 

 dehiscing by up-curved at length deciduous valve-like lids. Ovary 

 sessile at the base of the perianth-tube, 1 -celled, style terminal, 

 stigma simple or discoid or dilated ; ovule solitary, pendulous from 

 the apex of the cell, anatropous. Fruit a dry or fleshy berry on an 

 often thickened peduncle, naked or rarely enclosed in or adnate to 

 the perianth-tube. Seed pendulous, testa membranous, albumen 

 none ; cotyledons plano-convex, fleshy ; radicle superior, minute. 

 Species about 1,000, chiefly in the warmer regions of Asia, 

 Australia, America and the Pacific Islands. 



Trees or shrubs : 



Anthers of the two outermost rows of stamens 

 opening inwards, those of the third row open- 

 ing outwards ; flowers hermaphrodite, usually 

 panicled : 



Anthers all 2-celled ; perianth deciduous . 1. BEILSCHMIEDIA, 

 Anthers all 4-celled ; perianth peristent : 



Perianth-lobes reflexed in fruit . . 2. MACHILUS, 



Perianth-lobes erect in fruit ; flowers 



often polygamous . . . .3. PHCEBE. 



Anthers of each row of stamens opening in- 

 wards, 4-celled ; flowers dioecious, in um- 

 bels, each umbel supported by an in- 

 volucre of bracts : 



Leaves penninerved ; stamens 9 or more, 



glands of the inner row sessile . . 4. LITSEA. 



Leaves 3- nerved above the base ; stamens 



usually 6, glands of inner row stalked . 5. NEOLITSEA. 



Leafless parasitic twining herbs . . .6. CASSYTHA 



