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riAXUP.ouK oi' I Ki:i:s oi'' tiik A okiii i:i;.\ Sr.\ii;s a.xd ("a.naua. 4.'>1 



Leavr.s nltpniiili>. ijctiolati'. coiKlupliciiic in Ihr l)ii(i. Fhnnrs small, greenish, polygamo- 

 diopoioiis. ill (•ai)iI;Ue clusters (or the fertile ones soiM.'iinws solitary) with slender peduncles, 

 from the axils of the lower leaves or of caducous bracts, the staininati' flowers numerous: 

 calyx minutely .l-lohed : petals .">, minute and thick or none: stamens .")-l."i in the staminate 

 flowers, exserted and inserted with the petals on the edK(> of the entire or i<il)e(l disk: jtistiliate 

 flowers sessile at the end of the peduncle, few tofretiier. bracted : stamens included: ovary 

 1-2-CPlled and stylo eloiifjated. slender, curved and stigmatic towards the apex on one sidp. 

 Fruit an oblong or ovoid drupe with thin tart juicy flesh and thick-walled liorny compressed 

 ridged or winged stone: embryo straight. 



Xj/xsn is the name of a water nymph and aiiiilied to the genus because of its species 

 growing in wet jjlaces. 



Ki:V TO THE SPKCIES. 



a Lea\-es entire; fruit less limn "i in. long 



Stone little flallened and indistinctly ribbed N. sylvatica. 



Stone (lislinclly llattened .•ind i)romineutly ribbed N. biflora. 



a' Leaves remolely dentate: fruit 1 in. or more long: stone with acute ridges. N. aquaMca. 

 /•'or nix'cics sec pp. .U!2-.'iC)7. 

 Division 3. GAMOPETAL,.a:. 

 Plants with petals more or less united, or someiini.'s se])arate or wanting. 



HEATH FAMILY. ERICACE.E DC. 



A large and interesting family of tri't-s and shrubs of world-wide (iistribution in tropical 



and temperate regions. A few ovim- a thousand species are known, grouped in about sixty 



genera. Of these twenty-one genera are found within the I'liited States, seven having arl)or- 



escent representati\es. 



Ltiivrs alternate, simple, aiul without stipules. Floircr.t regular, perfect: calyx free from 

 the pistil. 4-rt-lobed : corolla regular, hypogeuous, .~)-lobed or parted (exceptionally 4-lohed or 

 somewhat 2-lipped) imbricated: stamens as many or twice as many as the lobes of the corolla 

 and mostly free : anthers introrse, 2-celled, each cell opening by a terminal pore commonly 

 prolonged and bearing an appendage: ovary superior (inferior in ' \' acchiinm ). 4-l(t-celle(]. witii 

 numerous anatropous ovules : style simple, columnar and with capitate stigma. Fruit a cap- 

 sule, drupe or berry ; seeds with small embi'yo and albumen. 



J KEY TO THE GENERA. 



a Fruit a septicidal^Fdehiscent capsule : leaves persistent : flowers in 



Terminal clusters: corolla bell-shai)ed. H-cleft : leaves revolute Rhododendron. 



Axillary clusters: corolla H-lobed saucer-shaped and containing pouches: leaxos liai. 



Kalinia. 

 a' Fruit a loculiridally deliiscent cai)sule: flowers in terminal i>anicles : leaves d.^ciduous. 



Oxydendruni. 

 a' Fruit a berry: anther-cells jirolonged : corolla camiianulate or urceolate. white: leaves 

 deciduous Vacciniuni. 



THE RHODODENDRONS. Gi:xu.s RIK )D()nEXI)ROX L. 



Small tr.'es and shrubs with bitter astringent i)roi)erties and showy flowers, of some over 

 one hundred and (ifty si)ecies of eastern and southern Asia and the adjacent islands and North 

 .Vinerici. 'i'liey are largely grown for ornamcuital purpo.ses and many garden v.irieties have* 

 been iiroduced by hybridization and selection. Of the eight species t"ound in the Fnited Stati>s 

 one is arborescent on the Atlantic coast region and another raiely on the I'acilic slope. 



Leans clustered at the ends of the hranchiets. i>ersistent and coriaceous with r.'v.dute 

 entire margins: midribs broad. i)etiol(>s stout. Floinrs in t.'rminal corymbs or umbels fro;ii 

 terminal scaly cone-like buds: calyx .")-lobed or i)arted. persistent: corolla cami)anulate with 

 r> nearly regular lobes: disk fleshy, lobed : stamens usually l(t and somewhat unecinal. declined 

 and spreading: filaments i)il()se at l)ase and attached to the backs of the anthers: ovary Ti-celled 

 with slender exserted persistent style and many anatropous ovules in each cell attached to 

 the axile placenta. Fruit a woody cajjsule. ."-•_'( >-valved. septicidally dehiscent from the 

 summit and containing many seeds with coat laciniated at the ends. 



The name is from Greek words meaning Ifost-tnc. 



For Np)ci<;<< srr pp. .^(IS-.Vlf). 



THE LAURELS. ( ;k xf.-^ KALMI A L. 



Small trees and shrubs of (I or 7 species, all of which are found in the T'nited States 

 excepting one. which is ,i n.iiiv of Cuba. The fulli>wing one s|)ecies is the only arborescent 

 representative. 



