468 



ELAEAGNACEAE. 



2. Lepargyraea argentea (Nutt.) Greene. Buffalo-berry. 



(Fig. 2538.) 



[VOL. II. 



Rabbit-berry. 



Elaeagnus argentea Nutt. Fraser's Cat. 

 1813. 



Shepherdia argentea Nutt. Gen. 2: 241. 1818. 

 Lepargyraea argentea Greene, Pittonia, a: 



122. 1890. 



A shrub, 6-i8 high, the twigs often 

 terminating in thorns. Leaves oblong, 

 or sometimes oblong- lanceolate, i'-2' 

 long, rarely more than ft' wide, obtuse 

 at the apex, usually cuneate-narrowed at 

 the base, densely silvery-scurfy on both 

 sides; petioles 2 // -6 // long; flowers fas- 

 cicled at the nodes, the globose buds 

 very silvery; fruit oval, or ovoid, scarlet, 

 sour, a // -3 // long, edible. 



Manitoba and Minnesota to Saskatche- 

 wan, Kansas and Nevada. April-May. 

 Called also Beef-suet Tree, Silver Leaf. 

 Fruit ripe July-Aug. 



Family 85. LYTHRACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2, 100. 1836. 



LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY. 



Herbs, shrubs, or often trees in tropical regions, mostly with opposite leaves 

 and solitary or clustered perfect flowers. Stipules usually none. Calyx per- 

 sistent, free from the ovary, but generally enclosing it, the limb toothed and 

 often with accessory teeth in the sinuses. Petals as many as the primary 

 calyx-teeth or none, inserted on the calyx. Disk, annular or none. Stamens 

 various, inserted on the calyx. Anthers versatile, longitudinally dehiscent. 

 Ovary sessile or stipitate, 2-6-celled or sometimes i-celled; style i; stigma 

 capitate or 2-lobed; ovules oo, rarely few, anatropous. Capsule i -sev- 

 eral-celled, variously dehiscent or sometimes indehiscent. Seeds without endo- 

 sperm; cotyledons flat, often auricled at the base. 



About 21 genera and 350 species, of wide geographic distribution, most abundant in tropical 

 America. 



Calyx-tube campanulate or hemispheric; flowers regular. 

 Flowers small, axillary, solitary or few; low herbs. 



Petals 4 in our species; capsule bursting irregularly. i. Ammannia. 



Petals none; capsule indehiscent. 2. Didiplis. 



Petals 4; capsule septicidally dehiscent. 3. Rolala. 



Flowers large, in axillary cymes; large aquatic shrub. 4. Decodon. 



Calyx-tube cylindric; flowers regular. 5. Lythrunt. 



Calyx-tube tubular, oblique; flowers irregular. 6. Parsonsia. 



i. AMMANNIA L,. Sp. PI. 119. 1753. 



Annual glabrous or glabrate herbs, mostly with 4-angled stems, opposite sessile narrow 

 leaves, and small axillary solitary or clustered flowers. Calyx campanulate, globose or 

 ovoid, 4-angled, 4-toothed, often with small accessory teeth in the sinuses. Petals 4 in our 

 species, deciduous. Stamens 4-8, inserted on the calyx-tube; filaments slender or short. 

 Ovary enclosed in the calyx-tube, nearly globular, 2-4-celled, bursting irregularly. [Named 

 for Johann Ammann, 1699-1741, a German botanist] 



About 20 species, of wide geographic distribution, most abundant in warm regions. Besides 

 the following, another occurs in the Southern States. 



Flowers sessile, solitary, or 2-3 together. 



Leaves linear-lanceolate, acuminate; style elongated. i. A.coccinea. 



Leaves obovate or oblanceolate, obtuse ; style very short. . 2. A.Koehnei, 



Flowers pedicelled, in axillary cymes. 3. A. auriculata. 



