MYEICACEAE. 93 



9. S. discolor Muhl. Shrub, or small tree 7 m. tall, the twigs purple or gray- 

 ish: leaf -blades oblong, elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, 5-10 cm. long, mostly acute 

 at both ends or obtuse at the base, glaucous beneath: staminate aments stout, 

 mostly over 2 cm. long: capsules conic, 5-10 mm. long, much longer than the 

 pedicels. M. S. Bather rare, in swamps. Limestones, schists. GLAUCOUS- 

 WILLOW. 



10. S. humilis Marsh. Shrub becoming 2.5 m. tall, the twigs purplish or gray- 

 ish: leaf -blades narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 6-10 cm. long, entire or den- 

 ticulate, whitish beneath: staminate aments over 1 cm. long: capsules 7-8 mm. 

 long. Common, in low grounds and on banks. PRAIRIE-WILLOW. 



11. S. tristis Ait. Shrub usually less than 1 m. tall, the twigs mostly grayish: 

 leaf -blades oblanceolate to linear-oblong, 2-5 cm. long, undulate, hoary on both 

 sides: staminate aments less than 1 cm. long: capsules 5-6 mm. long. S. 

 Frequent, in open woods and thickets. Schists. DWARF GRAY-WILLOW. 



12. S. sericea Marsh. Shrub, the twigs purplish, silky: leaf -blades lanceolate, 

 often narrowly so, 5-10 cm. long, acuminate: staminate aments 1.5-2 cm. long: 

 capsules ovoid-oblong, about 4 mm. long, silky. M. Frequent, in swamps. 

 Limestones. SILKY-WILLOW. 



13. S, viminalis L. Shrub, or small tree, the twigs green or pale-brown: leaf- 

 blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 6-15 cm. long, attenuate, lustrous-pubes- 

 cent beneath: staminate aments 2.5-3.5 cm. long: capsules elongate-conic, 6-8 

 mm. long, puberulent. M. S. Frequent, in low grounds near house yards. 

 Nat. of Eu. OSIER. 



14. S. purpurea L. Shrub, or tree becoming 4 m. tall, the twigs brownish: 

 leaf -blades oblong to oblanceolate or spatulate, 4-7 cm. long, serrulate near the 

 apex, pale beneath: staminate aments about 2 cm. long: anthers pale, turning 

 black : capsules densely tomentose, ovoid-conic, about 5 mm. long. M. Eather 

 rare, in swamps. Nat. of Eu. PURPLE- WILLOW. 



Order MYEICALES. 



Shrubs or small trees, usually aromatic. Leaves alternate: blades 

 simple, sometimes toothed or pinnatifid. Flowers dioecious or monoecious, 

 the staminate in long aments, each flower consisting of an androecium of 

 2-8 stamens, the pistillate in short aments, each flower consisting of a 

 gynoecium of 2 united carpels on a bract subtended by 2 bractlets and 

 surrounded by 2-8 scales. Stigmas 2. Ovule solitary. Fruit a nut, the 

 epicarp often waxy. 



FAMILY 1. MYRICACEAE. BAYBERRY FAMILY. 

 Shrubs or trees. Leaves resinous-dotted. Aments scaly-bracted. 

 Perianth wanting. Ovary 1-celled. Nut short and thick. 



Leaf -blades pinnatifid ; stipules present: scales surrounding the ovary 8, subulate, 

 conspicuous. * COMPTOMA. 



Leaf-blades entire or toothed ; stipules wanting : scales surround- 

 ing the ovary 2-4, very short, inconspicuous. 



1. COMPTONIA Banks. Monoecious shrubs. Leaf -blades pinnatifid. Pis- 

 tillate aments bristly. Fruit not drupe-like, surrounded by a bur-like involucre. 



1. C. peregrina (L.) Coulter. Shrub 3-10 dm. tall: leaf -blades linear-oblong 

 to linear-lanceolate, 4-11 cm. long, the segments obtuse: staminate aments 1-3 

 cm long the bracts 3-4 mm. long: pistillate aments bur-like: nut ovoid, 5 mm. 

 long, shining. N. S. Common, in thickets and on roadsides. Sandstones 

 and shales, schists. Spr. SWEET-FERN. 



