AMYGDALACEAE. 43 



FAMILY 7. AMYGDALACEAE. PLUM FAMILY. 



Shrubs or trees, commonly with prussic acid in the tissues. Leaves 

 alternate, with free, often early deciduous stipules: blades simple, mostly 

 toothed. Flowers perfect, in corymbs, cymes, racemes, or panicles, some- 

 times clustered. Calyx of 5 sepals, borne on the edge of the hypantbium, 

 deciduous. Corolla of 5 petals. Androecium of many stamens. Gynoe- 

 cium of a single carpel, or rarely of 2 or 3 carpels. Ovary 1-celled : style 

 entire. Fruit a drupe. 



Style basal : ovules erect. 



Inflorescence axillary : drupe with a fluted stone. 1. CHBYSOBALAXUS. 



Inflorescence terminal : drupe with a terete stone. 2. GEOBALANUS. 



Style terminal : ovules pendulous. 



Drupe with a pulpy exocarp : leaves deciduous : flowers in 



clusters! 3. PRCNCS. 



Drupe with a dry exocarp : leaves persistent : flowers in 



axillary racemes. 4. LADROCEBASUS. 



1. CKEYSOBALANUS L. Shrubs or trees. Leaf-blades of an orbicu- 

 lar or obovate type. Cymes axillary. Petals clawed. Filaments distinct or 

 nearly so. Stone of the fruit pointed at the base, ridged. 



Drupe globular or spheroidal : petals cuneate. 1. C. Icaco. 



Drupe obovoid or oblpng-obovoid : petals spatulate. 2. C. pellooarpus. 



1. O. Icaco L. Shrub, or tree sometimes 10 m. tall, and when growing on the 

 beach, with radially creeping branches: leaf -blades broadly obovate to orbicu- 

 lar-obovate, mostly 4-8.5 cm. long, typically retuse: sepals about 2.5 mm. 

 long: drupes globose or spheroidal, 3-4 cm. long, yellow, red, or purple: stone 

 broadly obovoid, blunt-ridged. COCOA-PLTTM. 



Coastal hammocks, sand-dunes, and sandy shores, s. pen. Fla. and the F. Keys. 

 (W. I.) 



2. C. pellocarpus Mey. Shrub or small tree: leaf -blades oval, obovate, or 

 orbicular, mostly 2-6 cm. long, typically rounded or abruptly pointed: sepals 

 about 2 mm. long: drupes obovoid or oblong-obovoid, 1.5-2 cm. long, purple: 

 stone oblong or oblong-obovoid, sharp-ridged. SMALL-FRUITED COCOA-PLUM. 



Everglades, s. pen. Fla. (W. I.) 



2. GEOBALANUS Small. Shrubs, with underground stems. Leaf-blades 

 more elongate than in Chrysobalanus. Cymes terminal. Petals not clawed. 

 Filaments markedly united. Stone of the fruit terete, not pointed at the base. 

 Spr. GOPHER-APPLE. GROUND-OAK. 



Ovary glabrous : drupes 2-2.5 cm. long. 1. G. oblongifolius. 



Ovary pubescent : drupes 3-4 cm. long. 2. G. pallidus. 



1. G. oblongifolius (Michx.) Small. Plants 1-3 dm. tall: blades of the upper 

 leaves oblanceolate to oblong, 3-12 cm. long, glabrous, obtuse or retuse and 

 mucronate: drupes ovoid to obovoid. 



Woods, pinelands, and sand-dunes, nearly throughout Fla., except the F. Keys. 

 (Cont.) 



2. G. pallidus Small. Similar to G. oUongifolius in habit: blades of the 

 upper leaves elliptic to oblong, 4-10 cm. long, acute, densely white-tomentose 

 beneath, the hairs partly deciduous: drupes subglobose. 



Pinelands, E. Keys. (Endemic.) 



3. PRUNUS [Tourn.] L. Shrubs or trees. Leaves sometimes slightly 

 impregnated with prussic acid. Flowers in corymbose or umbel-like clusters, 

 relatively long-pedicelled. Corolla mostly white. Drupes usually glabrous 

 and glaucous, the stone smooth or nearly so. Spr. PLUM. 



