MYRICACE^E. (SWEET-GALE FAMILY.) 409 



of streams, &c. ; common northward and along the Alleghanies. Shrub 2- 

 5 high, with slender smooth branches. 



5. CARPINUS, L. HORNBEAM. IRON-WOOD. 



Sterile flowers in drooping cylindrical catkins, consisting of about 12 stamens 

 in the axil of a simple and entire scale-like bract, destitute of a proper calyx : 

 filaments very short : anthers 1-celled, bearded at the apex. Fertile flowers 

 several, spiked in a sort of loose terminal catkin, with small deciduous bracts, 

 each subtending a pair of flowers, consisting of a 2-celled 2-ovulcd ovary termi- 

 nated by 2 thread-like stigmas. Nut small, ovoid, ribbed, stalked, each with a 

 simple, 1-sided, enlarged, open and leaf-like involuprc. Trees with a smooth 

 gray bark, slender buds like the Beech, and foliage resembling the Beech or 

 Birch, appearing later than the flowers. (The ancient Latin name.) 



1. C. Americ&tm, Michx. (AMERICAN HORNBEAM. BLUE or WATER 

 BEECH.) Leaves ovate-oblong, pointed, sharply doubly serrate, nearly smooth; 

 involucral leaf 3-lobed, halberd-shaped, sparingly cut-toothed on one side. 

 Along streams ; common. Tree 10- 20 high, with a ridged trunk, and very- 

 hard whitish wood ; called, indiscriminately with the next, Iron-wood. 



6. OS TRY A, Micheli. HOP-HORNBEAM. IRON-WOOD. 



Sterile flowers nearly as in Carpinus : filaments irregularly somewhat united. 

 Fertile flowers numerous in a short terminal catkin, with small deciduous bracts ; 

 each enclosed in a membranous sac-like involucre which enlarges and forms 

 a bladdery closed bag in fruit, these imbricated to form a sort of strobile appear- 

 ing like that of the Hop. Ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled, crowned with the entire and 

 bearded border of the calyx, forming a small and smooth nut. Slender trees 

 with very hard wood, brownish finely furrowed bark, and foliage, c. nearly as 

 in the last genus. Flowers appearing with the leaves. (The classical name.) 



1. O. Virgiiaica, Willd. (AMERICAN HOP-HORNBEAM. LEVKR-WOOD.) 

 Leaves oblong-ovate, taper-pointed, very sharply doubly sen-ate, downy be- 

 neath ; buds acute ; involucral sacs bristly-hairy at the base. Itich woods, 

 not rare. April, May; the large and handsome oval-oblong hop-like fruit full 

 grown in Aug. Tree 20 - 40 high. 



ORDER 108. MYRICACE^E. (SWEET-GALE FAMILY.) 



Monoecious or dioecious shrubs, with both kinds of flowers in short scaly 

 catkins, and resinous-dotted often fragrant leaves, differing from the Birch 

 Family chiefly by the 1-celled ovary with a single erect orthotropous ovule, 

 and the drupe-like nut. Involucre none. 



1. OTYRICA, L. BAYBERRY. WAX-MYRTLE. 



Flowers dioecious : the sterile in oblong or cylindrical, the fertile in ovoid cat- 

 kins, closely imbricated ; both destitute of calyx and corolla, solitary under a 

 35 



