452 Sapotace.t.. 



Leaves evergreon, coriacpous, entire, short-petiolate. Floirers mostly axillary in umbels, 

 with slender pedicels from the axils of persistent bracts : calyx o-parted, imbricated in the 

 bud. persistent ; corolla 5-lobed. saucer-shaped, pink, purple or white, and containing ten 

 pouches with keels extending from the pouches to the lobes and sinuses ; stamens 10. shorter 

 than the corolla, with oblong anthers retained in the pouches of the corolla until the flower 

 opens, then liberated by straightening of the elastic filiform filaments causing a discharge of 

 the pollen : disk 10-lobed ; ovary subglobose, 5-celled, with filiform exserted style and capitate 

 stigma ; ovules numerous in each cell, anatropous, attached to an axile placenta. Fruit a sub- 



globose crustaceous. 5-celled capsule, obscurely 5-lobed tardily septicidally dehiscent from the 

 persistent axis ; seeds minute.subglobose, embryo in fleshy albumen. 

 :>r Kalm, a Swedish botanist 



For species see pp. 370-371. 



per 



The name is in honor of Peter Kalm, a Swedish botanist of the 18th century 



THE SOTJE-WOOD OR SORREL-TREE. Genus OXYDENDRU^I de C. 



A genus of a single American species of the south Atlantic and Gulf states and the lower 

 Mississippi basin. They are trees with roughly furrowed bark, somewhat acidulous juices 

 and twigs with segmented pith. 



Leaves deciduous, revolute in bud. petiolate, narrow-oblong, about equally pointed at both 

 ends, subentire or denticulate, lustrous dark green above, paler and with yellowish veins 

 beneath. Floivers (in summer) in terminal unilateral racemes, with bibracteolate pedicels; 

 sepals 5, persistent; corolla ovoid-cylindric white, puberulous, with 5 miunte reflexed lobes; 

 stamens 10. with broad filaments and nai rower linear anthers opening by clefts; ovary ovoid, 

 5-celled, with numerous amphitropous ovules and thick exserted style having terminal stigma. 

 Fruit a 5-augled, 5-celled, ovoid-pyramidal capsule, tipped with the remnants of the style, 

 loculicidally dehiscent, and at maturity liberating numerous elongated seeds pointed at both ends. 



The name is from two Greek words referring to a slightly tart flavor of the leaves. 

 For species see pp. 372-373. 



THE BLUEBERRIES, ETC. Gexus VACCIXIU^I L. 



This genus consists of shrubs (some epiphytal) and a few small trees with slender branch- 

 lets and many of its representatives with edible fruits. They are of wide distribution in the 

 north temperate and boreal regions and at high altitudes within the tropics. About one 

 hundred and twenty-five species are known, of w^hich twenty-five and several varieties are 

 North American. Only one of these is arborescent. 



Leaves alternate and mostly small. Floirers small, white or pink, with bibracteolate 

 pedicels, in axillary racemes or clusters or rarely solitary ; calyx 3-5-lobed. valvate, persistent 

 and the tube adnate to the ovary ; corolla gamopetalous. epigynous, mostly urn-shaped or cam- 

 panulate, 4-5-lobed, imbricated ; stamens twice as many as the lobes of the corolla and inserted 

 on its base under the edge of the thick disk : filaments short ; anthers awned on the back and 

 cells prolonged upwards into tubes opening by terminal jiores ; ovary 4-5-celIed or imperfectly 

 8-10-celled ; style filiform, erect, with terminal stigma : ovulfs numerous, anatropous. attached 

 to inner angle" of the cell. Fruit a berry 4-5 or 8-lU-celled containing many compressed seeds 

 with minute embryo surrounded with fleshy albumen. 



The name is the classical Latin name of the European Bilherry. 



For species see pp. 37.'f-375. 



SAPODILLA FAMILY. SAPOTACE.E Reichenb. 



Trees, shrubs and vines with milky juice and of wide distribution throughout the warmer 



regions of the globe, some species producing valuable timbers or fruits and one producing the 



gutta percha of commerce. The family consists of about 400 species of 35 genera, of which 5 



genera are represented in the trees of the United States, all subtropical excepting Bumelia. 



Leaves alternate or sometimes clustered, simple, entire, pinnately-veined, mostly cori- 

 aceous, petiolate. without stipules. Floicers small, regular, perfect, in axillary clusters ; calvx 

 of 5-8 persistent sepals, imbricated; corolla hypogenous. 5-S-cleft with an internal lobe-like 

 appendage staminodium at each sinus and a short tube ; disk none ; stamens as many as the 

 lobes of the corolla and opposite them inserted on the tube ; anthers 2-celled, subextrorse. 

 longitudinally dehiscent ; pistil with ovary sessile, usually 5-celled, with simple style and 

 terminal stigma, and containing a solitary anatropous ovule. Fruit a berry with persistent 

 calyx at base and tipped with remnants of the style, usually 1-seeded, the seed containing a 

 large straight embryo with or without albumen. 



