LXII. L;EAGNA CEiE. 



695 



flowers one upon a peduncle. Bracteas rather longer than the ovary. 

 Lobes of the calyx wedge-shaped. Drupe oblona;. (Mic/ix.) A decidu- 

 ous tree. South Carolina and Georgia. Height 70 ft. to 80 ft. ; in 

 England 10 ft. to 12ft. Introduced in 1735. Flowers greenish; April 

 and May. Fruit dark blue ; ripe in September. 



Genus II. 



OSYRIS L. The Osyris, or Poet's Casia. Lin. Si/st, Dioe'cia Triandria. 



Identification. Lin. Gen. PI. ; Willd. .Sp. PI., 4. p. 715. 

 Synonyme. Cusia Camer., Lob., Alpin., Gesn. 



Derivation. The Osuris of Pliny and Dioscorides is so named from ozos, a branch ; from the length 

 and pliability of the branches. 



Geiu Char. Floivers apetalous, unisexual, at least in effect ; tliose of the two 

 sexes upon distinct plants. Alale. Floivers borne in lateral racemes, about 

 3 5 in a raceme, and disposed in 1 2 pairs, with a terminal odd one. 

 Cahjv spreadingly belt-shaped, 3-parted ; its aestivation valvate. Nectary 

 disk-like, 3-cornered. Stamens 3, arising from the nectary, alternate to its 

 angles, and opposite to the lobes of the calyx. Anthers of 2 separate lobes 

 that open inwards. Female. Flowers solitary. Calyx urceolate ; its tube 

 connate with the ovary ; its limb free, 3-cleft. Style single. Stigmas 3. 

 Fruit globose, fleshy, exteriorly crowned by the limb of the calyx, and the 

 remains of the style. Carpel with crustaceous brittle walls. (IVilld.) 



Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, deciduous or sub-evergreen ; entire, 

 small, linear lanceolate. Flowers white, peduncled. Shrub, deciduous 

 or sub-evergreen ; native of South of Europe. 



jt 1. 0. a'lba L. The white;/?ozf)erec? Osyris, or Foetus Casia. 



Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 14.50. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 71-5. 



Synonymes. 0. fbliis llnearibus aciitis Lirfl. It. 1G9. ; O. frutescens baccifera 

 Bauh. Pin. 212. ; Casia poetica Monspeiiensium Cam. Epit. 2G. ; Casia Latini>- 

 rum Alp. Exot.il.; t'asia Monspelii dicta Gesn. Epit. 50.; weisse Osyris, 

 Ger. 



Engravings. Lam. 111., t. 802. ; and our fig. 136!. 



Spec, Char., Sfc. Stem roundish, striated. Leaves alternate, 

 linear-lanceolate, 1 in. long, entire, glabrous. Flowers upon 

 ' the branchlets, peduncled. {Willd.) A low, spreading, deci- 

 1 duous or sub-evergreen shrub. Italy, Spain, Montpelier, and 

 j Carniola. Height 3 ft. to 4 ft. Introduced in 1793. Flowers .^^ S 

 \ white; July and August. Drupe red, about the size of a pea. i^/ x 



j The long supple branches of this shrub were formerly used / "\ 



or brushes, and they are still used in making crates, or ( -"^-^ j 



packing-cases, in the South of Europe. Propagated by seeds, s^^^^^ 



jind grown in dry soil, but somewhat difficult to preserve. j^gj ^,^^ 



Order LXII. ELJEAGlSiA'CEM. 



'^^RD. Char. Perianth tubular, entire, 2 4-lobed, persistent. Stamens 3 4 

 j to 8, alternating with the segments. Anthers nearly sessile, introrse. Ovarium 

 I free, 1-celled, 1-seeded. Style short. Stigma simple, subulate, glandular, 

 j or tongue-shaped. Fruit enclosed in the pulpy, persistent, enlarged tube 

 I of the perianth. Albumen thin or fleshy. (G. Don.) 



', Leaves simple, alternate or opposite, exstipulate, deciduous; oblong or 

 lanceolate, entire. Floivers axillary. Shrubs or low trees, deciduous ; 



Y Y 4 



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