466 



THYMELEACEAE. 



[VOL. II. 



2. DIRCA L. Sp. PI. 358. 1753. 



Branching shrubs, with tough fibrous bark, alternate thin short-petioled deciduous 

 leaves, and yellowish flowers in peduncled fascicles of 2-4 from scaly buds at the nodes of 

 twigs of the preceding season, branches subsequently developing from the same nodes. 

 Perianth campanulate or funnelform, its limb undulately obscurely 4-toothed. Stamens 8, 

 borne on the perianth, exserted, the alternate ones longer; filaments very slender. Disk 

 obsolete. Ovary nearly sessile, i-celled; style filiform, exserted; stigma small, capitate. 

 Drupe red, oval-oblong. [Named from a fountain in Thebes.] 



Two known species, the following and D. occidentalis A. Gray, of California. 



i. Dirca palustris L. Leather- 

 wood. Moose-wood. 

 (Fig. 2535.) 



Dirca palustris 1,. Sp. PI. 358. 1753. 



A shrub, 2-6 high, the twigs yellow- 

 ish green, glabrous. Leaves oval, or ob- 

 ovate, obtuse at the apex, rounded or 

 narrowed at the base, pubescent when 

 young, glabrous, or very nearly so, and 

 2 / ~3 / long when mature; bud -scales 3 or 

 4, oval, or oblong, very pubescent with 

 brown hairs, deciduous; peduncle about 

 2#"long; flowers nearly sessile; perianth 

 2 // -3 // long; style longer than the sta- 

 mens; drupe about 6" long. 



In woods and thickets, mostly in wet soil, 

 New Brunswick to Minnesota, Virginia and 

 Missouri, and Florida (according to Chap- 

 man). Also called Swamp-wood. The bark 

 produces violent vomiting; applied exter- 

 nally, it is an irritant to the skin. April-May 



Family 84. ELAEAGNACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2. 194. 1836. 



OLKASTER FAMILY. 



Shrubs or trees, mostly silvery-scaly, or stellate-pubescent, with entire 

 alternate or opposite leaves, and perfect polygamous or dioecious flowers clus- 

 tered in the axils or at the nodes of twigs of the preceding season, rarely soli- 

 tary. Lower part of the perianth of perfect or pistillate flowers tubular or urn- 

 shaped, enclosing the ovary and persistent, the upper part 4-lobed or 4-cleft, 

 deciduous (obscurely 2-lobed in the Old World Jlippophac')\ perianth of stam- 

 inate flowers 4-parted (2-parted in Hippophai}. Corolla none. Stamens 4 or 

 8, those of perfect flowers borne on the throat of the perianth; filaments mostly 

 short; anthers 2-celled, the sacs longitudinally dehiscent. Disk annular, or 

 lobed. Ovary sessile, i -celled; ovule i, erect, anatropous; style slender. 

 Fruit drupe-like, the perianth-base becoming thickened and enclosing the achene 

 or nut. Seed erect; embryo straight; endosperm little or wanting. 



Three known genera and about 20 species, widely distributed. 

 Stamens as many as the perianth-parts; flowers perfect or polygamous; leaves alternate. 



i. Elaeagnus. 

 Stamens twice as many as the perianth -parts; flowers dioecious; leaves opposite. 2. Lepargyraea. 



i. ELAEAGNUS L. Sp. PI. 121. 1753. 



Silver-scaly shrubs, some exotic species trees, with alternate petioled leaves. Flowers 

 solitary or 2-4 together in the axils, pedicelled, not bracted, perfect or polygamous. Perianth 

 tubular below, constricted over the top of the ovary, the upper part campanulate or urn- 

 shaped, 4-lobed, deciduous, the lobes valvate. Stamens 4, borne on the throat of the peri- 

 anth. Style linear, long. Fruit drupe-like, the ripened perianth-base fleshy or mealy, en- 

 closing the striate or grooved nut. [Greek, sacred olive.] 



About 20 species, natives of Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Only the following 

 is known in North America. 



