STYRACEAE 275 



of interest. The fruits are picked while green and still immature and are 

 pounded into a pulpy mass by means of a wooden hammer, and placed 

 into earthen jars with a quantity of water. The contents of the jar are 

 stirred from time to time and are then left undisturbed for twenty days, 

 after which the pulp is removed and the colorless syrupy liquid which 

 remains is then mixed with the leaves of a certain species of Privet, 

 (Tung-ching) for the purpose of imparting to it a reddish color. The 

 varnish then is ready for use. 



STYRACEAE 



Trees or shrubs, with more or less stellate pubescence. Leaves 

 alternate, simple, pinnately veined, without stipules. Flowers regular, 

 perfect; calyx 4-5 cleft, more or less adnate to the ovary; corolla 4-5 

 lobed, the lobes nearly divided to the base; stamens free, in 1 series, or 

 more or less connate at the base, usually twice as many as the lobes of 

 the corolla; ovary imperfectly 3-5 celled; style 1; ovules 1 to several in 

 each cell. Fruit a capsular drupe. 



Seven genera and about 100 species in the warm parts of N. and S. 

 America, E. Asia and the Mediterranean region. The family is chiefly 

 useful for ornamental purposes. One of the showy genera in this family 

 is Halesia, the Silver Bell of America. 



KEY TO GENERA 



I. Ovary superior; calyx tube campanulate; fruit globose or oblong, 

 not ribbed, nor winged Styrax. 



II. Ovary inferior or subinferior, fruit ribbed or winged, or capsular. 



A. Fruit ribbed or winged; flowers in panicles; ovary 3 celled . . 



Pterostyrax. 



B. Fruit a woody capsule, dehiscent into 5 valves; flowers in 

 racemes; ovary 5 celled Alniphyllam. 



PTEROSTYRAX 



Deciduous trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire, dentate, 



pubescent, petioled. Flowers in panicles, fragrant; calyx 5 toothed; 



corolla 5 parted nearly to the base; stamens 10, exserted; ovary 3 

 celled ; style long. Fruit a ribbed or winged nut, 1-2 seeded. 



