3'2 II<>r<-n's AMERICAN WOODS. 



rarelv three; styles free or united at base and with terminal stigmas; ovules 

 numerous, anatropous. Fruit capsular, rarely indehiscent, and more rarely 

 fleshy with albuminous seeds. 



Order consists of herbs, shrubs and trees of many species and wide distribu- 

 tion. 



GENUS LYONOTHAMNUS, GRAY. 



Leaves opposite, persistent, coriacious, 3-8 in. long, lanceolate, acuminate, 

 rounded or wedge-shaped at base, long petiolate, simple or variously parted into 

 from 2-8 remote segments, entire, irregularly crenate serrate or serrate-lobate 

 (sometimes all on the same branchlet), smooth, dark-green above, lighter and 

 more or less pubescent beneath, w T ith prominent straight midribs, and very small 

 transverse parallel lateral veins; stipules minute and caducous; branchlets at first 

 pale or orange color and covered with pubescence which soon disappears, and 

 they are then smooth and of a reddish color. Flowers (June to July) perfect, in 

 broad compound terminal pubescent cymes, 4-8 in. or more across, with minute 

 persistent acute bracts and bractlets ; calyx 1-3 bracteolate, with nearly triangular 

 persistent lobes, imbricated in aestivation; petals 5, white, nearly orbicular and 

 also imbricated in aestivation; stamens 15 inserted on the margin of the disk 

 lining the calyx tube, with incurved subulate filaments as long as the petals 

 and oblong introrse two-celled longitudinally dehiscent anthers; pistils two, supe- 

 rior, with ovoid ovaries flattened on contiguous sides and glandular pubescent; 

 style short, with capitate stigma; ovules four suspended in each cell, anatropous. 

 Fruit (ripe in August and September) an ovoid glandular woody follicle arranged 

 in pairs. T \ in. long, dehiscent along the ventral suture and' partly along the 

 dorsal, liberating its four ovate-oblong light-brown seeds pointed at both ends, 

 with thin testa, broad wing-like raphe and scant albumen. 



The genus is represented by the following single species, and is named in com- 

 pliment to Mr. Wm. S. Lyon of Los Angeles, Cal., who discovered it in 1884. 



182. LYONOTHAMNUS FLORIBUNDUS, GRAY. 

 SANTA CATALINA IRON-WOOD, SANTA CRUZ IRON- WOOD. 



Ger., Eisenholtz von Santa Catalina ; Fr., Bois dur de Santa Cata- 

 lina Sp. , Arbol de Ilierro de Santa Catalina. 



This very interesting tree attains the height of from 30 to 50 ft. (15 

 m.), with straight trunk usually ridged and fluted, 12-14 in. (0.35 m.) 

 in diameter, vested in a reddish-gray bark which exfoliates in long- 

 strips, similar to that of old Grape vine trunks, revealing purple- 

 brown papery layers beneath. With small graceful branches and 

 rather open foliage the tree has a very characteristic appearance, and 

 when adorned with its broad cymes of white flowers terminating each 

 branchlet is a beautiful object. 



HABITAT. Found only on the islands of Santa Cruz, Santa Cata- 

 lina and Santa Rosa, growing in small, very exclusive groves along 

 the slopes and ridges near the bottoms of canons, rarely, if ever, 

 growing singly or scattered to any extent among other trees. The 

 exclusive nature of the species, at least as I have seen it on Santa Cat- 

 alina Island, is singularly interesting, the patches of foliage produced 

 by the small groves scattered here and there along the canons being 

 very conspicuous as looked down upon from a commanding summit. 



