URTICACEAE 127 



Cudrania tricuspidata (Can.) Bureau. 



(0. triloba Hance.) 



(Madura tricuspidata Carriere.) 



Shrub or tree to 13 m. tall. Bark pale gray, flaky. Branches thorny. 

 Leaves oval, obovate to elliptic -ovate, entire or slightly 3 lobetl at the 

 apex, acuminate, dark green, slight]}' pubescent below, 4-10 cm. long. 

 Capitate inflorescence about 8 mm. in diameter, axillary, solitary or in 

 pairs, on a tomentose peduncle about 6 mm. long; flowers greenish. 

 Fruit red, globose, about 2.5 cm. in diameter. 



China, Korea and Japan. The leaves of this tree are fed to young 

 silkworms. The fruit is sweet and edible. Small articles are made from 

 the wood. 



Cudrania javanensis Trecul. 



Shrub, rarely tree, to 3 m. tall. Widely distributed and a variable 

 species. 



Fukien, Yunnan, Formosa, Philippine Islands, and India. 



URTICACEAE 



Herbs, shrubs or trees, rarely climbers. Leaves alternate or opposite. 

 Flowers dioecious or monoecious or polygamous, apetalous, regular, 

 clustered; calyx 4-5, rarely 2-3 cleft or parted; stamens as many as and 

 opposite the perianth lobes, the filaments inflexed, uncoiling elastically 

 like a spring; ovary superior, rarely united with the calyx, 1 celled, 1 

 ovuled, style 1; stigma capitate, penicellate or feathery. Fruit an 

 achene or drupe. 



About 41 genera and 5 species widely distributed over the tropical 

 and temperate regions. 



Bcehmeria nivea Gaudichaud, a shrub commonly cultivated for its 

 fibers, belongs to this family. 



DEBREGEASIA 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, 3-nerved at the base, short 

 petioled; stipules bifid. Flowers monoecious or dioecious in globose 

 clusters; staminate with a 4-parted perianth and 4 stamens; pistillate 

 with an ovoid or oblong perianth much contracted at the mouth, and a 



