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



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

 S high, with slender smooth branches. 



5. CARPI IV US, L. HORNBEAM. IRON-WOOD. 



Sterile {lowers in drooping cylindrical catkins, consisting of about 12 stamens 

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

 filaments veiy 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 involucre. Trees with a smooth 

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

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



1. C. Americana, Miehx. (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. 



C. OSTKYA, 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. Virgiiiica, Willd. (AMERICAN HOP-HORNBEAM. LEVER-WOOD.) 



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

 neath; buds acute; involucral sacs bristly-hairy at the base. llich 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. MY RICA, L. BAYBERRY. WAX-MYRTLE. 



Flowers dio.'dous : the sterile in oblong or cylindrical, the fertile in ovoid cat- 

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

 35 



