LIMNANTHACEAE. 599 



2-4-celled (mostly 3-celled) ovary, with 2 or i anatropous ovules in each 

 cavity ; styles as many as the ovary -cavities, simple. Fruit a capsule or 

 drupe, its carpels i -2-seeded. Embryo straight; endosperm fleshy, or 

 almost wanting. About 6 genera and 30 species, only the following and 

 the Californian Simniondsia native in N. Am. 



i. PACHYSANDRA Michx. 



Monoecious perennial herbs, with matted rootstocks, the stems procumbent or 

 ascending, leafy above. Leaves alternate, estipulate, petioled, persistent, broad, 

 3-nerved. Flowers spicate, the pistillate and staminate in the same spike. Stam- 

 inate flowe'rs with 4 sepals; stamens 4, opposite the sepals; filaments thick, long- 

 exserted. Pistillate flowers with 4 sepals or more; ovary 3-celled, the cavities with 

 a partition at the base ; styles 3, spreading; ovules 2 in each cavity. Capsule of 3 

 2-seeded carpels. [Greek, thick stamen.] Two species, the following of south- 

 eastern N. Am., the other Japanese. 



i. Pachy sandra procumbens Michx. ALLEGHANY MOUNTAIN SPURGE. 

 (I. F. f. 2345.) Somewhat pubescent; stems 3 dm. long or less. Leaves ovate, 

 oval, or obovate, 5-10 cm. long, coarsely dentate or some of them entire, cuneateor 

 abruptly narrowed at the base into a petiole; spikes in the axils of the lower scales, 

 5-7.5 cm. long, the staminate flowers forming most of the spike, the pistillate few 

 toward its base; filaments white, 8-10 mm. long. In woods, W. Va. to Fla. and 

 La. Flowers fragrant. April-May. 



Family 3. LIMNANTHACEAE Lindl. 

 False Mermaid Family. 



Annual herbs, with alternate petioled estipulate pinnately divided 

 leaves. Flowers perfect, regular, axillary, long-ped uncled. Sepals 2-5, 

 valvate, persistent. Petals the same number as the sepals, alternating 

 with as many small glands, the nearly perigynous stamens distinct. Fila- 

 ments filiform ; anthers 2-celled, the sacs longitudinally dehiscent. Car- 

 pels as many as the sepals and opposite them, i-ovuled, nearly distinct, 

 the single slender style arising from the centre, cleft above into as many 

 stigmas as there are carpels ; ovule ascending. Fruit very deeply 2-5- 

 lobed, the carpels indehiscent. Embryo straight ; endosperm none ; 

 cotyledons thick. Two North American genera, the following, and Lim- 

 nanthes, of the Pacific States, with 5 or 6 species. 



i. FLOERKEA Willd. 



A diffuse glabrous herb, with small white solitary flowers. Sepals 2 or 3. 

 Petals 2 or 3, oblong, entire. Stamens 4-6. Ovary 2-3-Iobed- nearly to the base, 

 2-3-celled; stigmas 2 or 3. Mature carpels 1-3, indehiscent, fleshy. Seed erect. 

 [In honor of H. G. Floerke, 1790 1835, a German botanist.] A monotypic genus. 



i. Floerkea proserpinacoides Willd. FALSE MERMAID. (I. F. f. 2346.) 

 Slender, 1-4 dm. long. Leaves thin, slender- petioled, 1.25-7.5 cm. long, the seg- 

 ments 5 or 3, distant, lanceolate, oblong or linear-oblong, entire or cleft; peduncles 

 slender; flowers about 3 mm. broad; sepals ovate, acute, at length much exceeding 

 the fruit; stamens about equalling the petals; ripe carpels nearly globular, about 

 3 mm. in diameter, tuberculate above. In marshes and along rivers, Quebec to 

 Ont., Ore., Penn., Tenn., Mo., Utah and Cal. April-June. 



Family 4. ANACARDIACEAE Lindl. 

 Sumac Family. 



Trees or shrubs, with acrid resinous or milky sap, alternate or rarely 

 opposite leaves, and polygamo-dicecious or perfect, mainly regular flowers. 

 Calyx 3-7-cleft. Petals of the same number, imbricated in the bud, or 

 rarely none. Disk generally annular. Stamens as many or twice as many 

 as the petals, rarely fewer, or more, inserted at the base of the disk; fila- 



