MYRTALES. 64? 



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



1. Elaeagnus. 

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



2. Lepargyraea. 



i. ELAEAGNUS L. 



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

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

 below, constricted over the top of the ovary, the upper part deciduous, the lobes val- 

 vate. Stamens 4, borne on the throat of the perianth. Ripened perianth-base 

 fleshy or mealy. [Greek, sacred olive.] About 20 species; only the following is 

 known in N. Am. 



i. Elaeagnus argentea Pursh. SILVER BERRY. (I. F. f. 2536.) Stolon- 

 iferous, sometimes 4 m. high, the young twigs covered with brown scurf, becom- 

 ing silvery. Leaves oblong, ovate or oval-lanceolate, densely silvery-scurfy on 

 both sides, short petioled, 2-10 cm. long; flowers usually numerous, I to 3 in the 

 axils, fragrant, silvery, 1 2-1 6 mm. long; perianth silvery without, yellowish 

 within, its lobes ovate, about 2 mm. long; fruit oval, silvery, 8-12 mm. long, the 

 stone 8-striate. James Bay to the N. W. Terr., Quebec, Minn., S. Dak. and 

 Utah. May-July. 



2. LEPARGYRA^EA Raf. [SHEPHERDIA Nutt.] 



Shrubs, brown- or silvery-scurfy or stellate-pubescent, with petioled leaves. 

 Flowers small, dioecious, or sometimes polygamous, subspicate or fascicled at the 

 nodes of the preceding season, or axillary, the pistillate few or sometimes solitary. 

 Pistillate flowers with a 4-lobed perianth, bearing an 8-lobed disk at its mouth 

 which nearly closes it; style somewhat exserted. Staminate flowers with a 4 parted 

 perianth and 8 stamens alternating with as many lobes ol the disk; filaments short. 

 [Greek, silvery-scaly.] Only the following species, and L. rolundifolia of Utah. 



Leaves ovate or oval, green above, silvery beneath; shrub thornless. i. L. Canadensis. 

 Leaves oblong, silvery on both sides; shrub mostly thorny. 2. L. argentea. 



1. Lepargyraea Canadensis (L.) Greene. CANADIAN BUFFALO-BERRY. 

 (I. F. f. 2537.) A thornless shrub, 1-2.8 m. high, the young shoots brown- 

 scurfy. Leaves ovate or oval, obtuse, 2-4 cm. long, green and sparingly stellate- 

 scurfy above, densely silvery stellate- scurfy beneath; petioles 4-6 mm. long; flow- 

 ers yellowish; perianth about 4 mm. broad; fruit cval, red or yellowish, 4-6 mm. 

 long, the flesh insipid, the nut smooth. On banks, Newf. to Alaska, Me., N. Y., 

 Mich, and Utah. April-June. 



2. Lepargyraea argentea (Nutt.) Greene. BUFFALO-BERRY. RABBIT- 

 BERRY. (I. F. f. 2538.) A shrub, 2-6 m. high, the twigs often terminating in 

 thorns. Leaves oblong, or sometimes oblong-lanceolate, 2-5 cm. long, obtuse 

 at the apex, usually cuneate-narrowed at the base; densely silvery-scurfy on both 

 sides; petioles 4-12 mm. long; flowers fascicled at the nodes; fruit oval, or ovoid, 

 scarlet, sour, 4-6 mm. long, edible. Manitoba and Minn, to Saskatch., Kans. 

 and Nev. April-May. 



Order 26. MYRTALES. 



Our species mostly herbs, many tropical and subtropical ones shrubs 

 or trees. Leaves simple, often lobed or dissected. Petals usually-present, 

 distinct (wanting in some Haloragidaceae). Calyx gamosepalous, mostly 

 superior or adnate to the compound ovary. Ovules usually numeror 



Land or marsh plants; or, if aquatic, submerged leaves not dissected. 



Calyx-tube merely enclosing the ovary, but free from it, except at the base. 



Anthers longitudinally dehiscent. Fam. i. Lythraceae* 



Anthers opening by terminal pores. Fam. 2. Melastomaccae. 



Calyx-tube almost wholly adnate to the ovary. Fam. 3. Onagraceae. 



Aquatic or amphibious herbs, the submerged leaves dissected (except in Htppurts, which 

 has whorled narrow leaves and onlv i stamen). 



