548 CLETHRACEAE. [Voi,. II. 



Series 2. Gamopetalae. 

 Petals partly or wholly united, rarely separate or wanting. 



This series is also known as Sympetalae and has been called Monopetalae. The coherence of 

 the petals is sometimes very slight or they are quite separate, as in Clethraceae, Pyrolaceae, some 

 Ericaceae, Primulaceae, Sfyracaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Oleaceae, Curcurbitaceae and Gala.i in 

 Diapensiaceae. From this condition the coherence varies through all stages to the tubular or fun- 

 nelform corollas of some Convolvulaceae, Capri foliaceae and Compositae. In American species 

 of Fraxinus (Oleaceae) and in Glaux (Primulaceae), there is no corolla. 



Family i. CLETHRACEAE Klotsch, Linnaea, 24: 12. 1851. 



\VHITE-ALDER FAMILY. 



Shrubs or trees, more or less stellate-canescent, with alternate deciduous 

 serrate or serrulate petioled leaves, in our species, and rather small white frag- 

 rant flowers in terminal solitary or clustered narrow usually elongated racemes. 

 Calyx 5-cleft or 5-parted, persistent, the segments imbricated. Petals 5, slightly 

 united at the base, obovate, oblong, or obcordate, imbricated, deciduous. Sta- 

 mens 10; filaments slender; anthers sagittate, inverted in anthesis, the sacs 

 opening by large apical pores; pollen-grains simple. Disk obsolete. Ovary 

 3-angled or 3-lobed, 3-celled, pubescent; ovules numerous; style slender; stig- 

 mas 3 in our species. Capsule subglobose, or 3-lobed, 3-celled, loculicidally 

 3-valved, the valves at length 2-cleft. 



The family consists only of the following genus, comprising about 30 species, natives of eastern 

 North America, Japan, Mexico and South America. 



i. CLETHRA L. Sp. PI. 396. 1753. 



Characters of the family. [Greek, alder, from the resemblance of the foliage.] 

 The following are the only species known in North America. 



Leaves obovate, acute or obtuse; filaments glabrous. 

 Leaves oval or ovate, acuminate; filaments hirsute. 



1. C. alnifolia. 



2. C, acuminala. 



i. Clethra alnifdlia I,. Sweet 



Pepperbush. White Alder. 



(Fig. 2724.) 



Clethra alnifolia L. Sp. PI. 396. 1753. 



A shrub, 3-io high, the twigs mi- 

 mutely canesccnt. Leaves obovate, ob- 

 tuse or acute at the apex, narrowed or 

 cuneatc at the base, sharply serrate, at 

 least beyond the middle, glabrous or 

 very nearly so and green on both sides, 

 i / ~3 / long; petioles i"-6" long; bracts 

 short, deciduous; pedicels, calyx and 

 capsule cancscent; calyx-lobes oblong, 

 obtuse, nerved; flowers about 4" broad, 

 of spicy fragrance; filaments glabrous; 

 style longer than the stamens; capsule 

 subglobose, about i^ // in diameter 

 about the length of the calyx. 



In swamps and wet woods, or sometimes 

 in dry soil, Maine to northern New Jersey 

 and Florida, mostly near the coast. July 

 Aug. 



