Myrica.] amentace^e. 323 



Leaves evergi'een, obovate-oblong, mostly obtuse, 2 to 3 in. long, entire or 

 veiy rarely slightly toothed at the top, coriaceous and glabrous. Male catkins 

 about 1 in. long, solitary or clustered, not divided; but within the lower scales 

 are often 2, 3, or more lateral ones, sometimes with 1 or 2 stamens in their 

 axils, showing a tendency in the catkin to ramify. (Drupes globular, densely 

 covered with resinous dots.) 



Hongkong, Champion. On the Chinese continent, in Loochoo and Japan. It is very near 

 also to the common Indian M. sapida, "Wall. ; but has mnch more obtuse leaves, and the 

 catkins apparently never paniculately branched as in that species. 



Order XCVIT. URTICE^. 



Flowers unisexual or rarely polygamous, usually in cymes or heads, not in 

 catkins. Perianth calyx-like, of 1 to 5 divisions. Stamens as many as peri- 

 anth-segments, and opposite to them, rarely reduced to fewer or one. Anthers 

 2-celled. Ovary free, or rarely adherent, 1-celled, with 1 ovule, rarely 2-celled, 

 with 2 ovules, of which 1 only comes to perfection. Style usually short or 

 none, with 1 or 2 long or short stigmas. Fruit a 1-seeded indehiscent drupe, 

 or winged samara, or small seed-like nut. Albumen fleshy or none. Radicle 

 superior. — Trees, shrubs, herbs, or climbers, fm-nished with stipules. Foliage 

 and inflorescence very various. A scabrous surface and a milky juice or acrid 

 or stinging secretions are very common. 



A large Order, distributed over nearly the whole world, abundant within the tropics, less 

 so in temperate regions, and rare in cold climates. 



Styles or stigmas 2, equal. Trees or shrubs. Flowers cyraose, polyga- 

 mous or dioecious. Filaments nearly erect in the bud. 

 Flowers polygamous, the fertile ones hermaphrodite. 



Stamens not exceeding the perianth. Stigmas linear . . . . 1. Celtis. 



Stamens exserted. Stigmas short, plumose 2. Sponia. 



Flowers dioecious. Stigmas subulate 3. Gir'gnniera. 



Style or stigma simple, unilateral, or rarely with a second shorter 

 branch. 

 Flowers minute, very closely packed on or inside a succulent recepta- 

 cle. Trees or shrubs. 



Flowers outside a globular or oblong receptacle 4. Aetocarpus. 



Flowers inside a hollow, globular, ovoid or pear-shaped receptacle. 5. Ficus. 

 Flowers distinct, in cymes, clusters, heads, or spikes. (Herbs or under- 

 shrubs.) 



Female perianth 4- or 5-cleft. Stigma short, tufted 6. Pelltoxia. 



Female perianth tubular, enclosing or adhering to the ovary and fruit. 

 Stigma filiform. Perianth enclosing the fruit. 



Clusters of flowers in axillary panicles. Stigma persistent . 7- Bcehmeria. 

 Clusters of flowers single and sessile. Stigma deciduous. 

 Male perianth surrounded by a prominent ring. Leaves 3- 



nervcd to the top 9. Memorialis. 



Male perianth without appendages. Leaves 3 -nerved at the 



base only 8. Pouzolsia. 



Stigma disk-shaped. Perianth adnate 10. Villebrunia. 



1. CELTIS, Linn. 



Flowers polygamous, in axillary or lateral cymes. Perianth deciduous, of 

 4 or 5 segments, imbricate in the'^bud. Stamens as nianv, incurved, shorter 



Y 2 



