CEBCIDIPHYLLACEAE. 



49 



CERCIDIPHYLLTJM. 

 (Family Cercidiphyllaceae). 



Rather small finely branched 

 trees: deciduous. Twigs terete, 

 slender, swollen at the nodes: pith 

 small, creamy, somewhat angular, 

 continuous. Buds moderate, soli- 

 tary, often developing into short 

 spurs, oblong, pointed, appressed, 

 with 1 exposed scale standing 

 next the stem, the end-bud lack- 

 ing. Leaf-scars opposite, or 4r 

 ranked if separate, crescent- 

 shaped, raised, deciduous at end 

 of the first winter: bundle-traces 

 3 : stipule-scars lacking. Some- 

 times placed in the family Tro- 

 chodendraceae. 



One of the most dainty fine- 

 twigged trees of relatively recent 

 introduction, this shares with the 

 two preceding genera a combina- 

 tion of characters which have 



subjected its systematic position to great and fluctuating un- 

 certainty. Unlike the others, which remain in the Trocho- 

 dendraceae, this genus possesses a suggestion of affinity to the 

 Hamamelidaceae; the prevailing disposition has been to erect 

 for it a distinct family, and to leave it in juxtaposition to the 

 Trochodendraceae. As in the two genera here considered, 

 and unlike the other genera referred to that family, its, wood 

 consists in part of true ducts. Its winter-characters are de- 

 scribed and figured by Schneider, f. 92, 135; and Shirasawa, 

 275, pi. 11. 

 Glabrous: buds red. C. japonicum. 



