18 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



Conifers) several in a whorl. Parts of the flower in fours or fives, very 

 rarely in threes. 



A second class of Flowering Plants and comprising the rest of the group is the Endo- 

 genous or Monocotyledonous Plants, characterized by having stems in which the wood 

 occurs as threads or bundles running through a cellular, pith-like tissue so that a trans- 

 verse section exhibits the wood as dots and not in concentric rings. Leaves mostly 

 parallel-veined. Embryo with single cotyledon, or rarely two, and then alternate and 

 unequal. Parts of the flower generally in threes. In southern United States and else- 

 where in or near the tropics trees are found, such as the Palms, etc., which belong to this 

 class, but none that we have to do with at present. 



Exogenous plants are subdivided into two well-marked groups or sub- 

 classes Angiospermce and Gymnospermce. The former includes by far 

 the greater part of the Flowering Plants, and most of the species repre- 

 sented in "American Woods " are representatives of it. 



ANGIOSPEKM/E. 



Flowering, exogenous plants in which there is a complete pistil with 

 stigma and closed ovary containing ovules which develop into seeds at 

 maturity. This sub-class comprises many groups of plants known as Orders, 

 and such as are represented by plants which attain the dimensions of trees, 

 within the limits of the United States, we purpose to consider in the follow- 

 ing pages : 



ORDER ILICINEAE: HOLLY FAMILY. 



Leaves simple, mostly alternate, coriaceous, ex-stipulate and mostly evergreen. Flowers 

 small, white or greenish, axillary, 4-8 numerous and sometimes dioecious; calyx minute, 

 free, imbricated in the bud; corolla regular, cleft or almost parted, hypogynous, imbricated 

 in the bud; stamens as many as the divisions of the corolla, alternate with them and 

 attached to their base; anthers adnate, opening lengthwise; ovary free from the calyx, 

 4-8-celled, with a single suspended ovule in each cell; stigmas 4-8 or united into one, 

 nearly sessile. Fruit drupaceous, with 4-8 anatropous seeds containing large fleshy albu- 

 men and minute embryo. 



Trees and shrubs of over one hundred species, some of considerable economic value. 



GENUS ILEX, L. 



Teaves alternate. Flowers lateral, single or clustered and usually perfect (but many 

 are abortive), usually 4 (but sometimes 5-8) numerous; calyx persistent; petals distinct 

 or scarcely united at the base, obtuse, oval or obovate, spreading; stigmas separate or 

 united. Fruit a drupe-like berry, and usually red or purple. 



Trees and shrubs of about one hundred sixty species of which thirteen inhabit eastern 

 North America (none the western side of the continent} and five of these are trees. (Ilex 

 is an ancient Latin name, but originally applied to a species of Oak.) 



