54 Bulletin of the University of Texas 



bearing aments clustered at the ends of branches, pistils bear- 

 ing aments scattered on the stem. Fruit a compressed dry 

 brown drupe, solitary or in clusters of 2-4, ripening before the 

 leaves are mature, %' long, 14' wide. 



Swamps of Florida, Texas and southeastern Missouri. In 

 Texas it occurs in swamps of the Brazos River. 



The wood is lighter than any other in our -area. It is fre- 

 quently used for floats of fishing nets. 



MYRICACEAE Dumort. Bayberry Family. 



Morella cerifera Linnaeus. Wax Myrtle. Bayberry. A 

 fragrant shrub or small tree occasionally reaching -a height 

 of 40 and trunk diameter of 8'-10', but usually much smaller, 

 shrubby and forming dense thickets. Bark smooth, light gray, 

 about %' thick. Leaves alternate, simple, thick, firm, ever- 

 green, fragrant, oblanceolate or oblong-spatulate, sparingly 

 notched or entire, l%'-4' long, glandular on both surfaces, 

 hairy beneath. Flowers in aments appearing about the end of 

 March, staminate and pistillate borne on different plants. 

 Fruit short spikes of dry, ovoid drupes covered with waxy 

 coating. 



New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Florida, Arkansas, Mis- 

 sissippi and Texas. 



The wood is soft, brittle, and used only for fuel. The wax 

 which occurs on the fruit is sometimes collected and used for 

 candles. 



SALICACEAE Lindley. The Willow Family. 



Trees or shrubs with alternate, simple leaves with or with- 

 out stipules. Flowers borne in catkins appearing before or 

 with the leaves, staminate, and pistillate on different trees. 

 The fruit is a dehiscent capsule containing numerous seeds, 

 each with a dense tuft of long, silky, white hairs at the apex. 



Leaves less than twice as long as broad, winter 



buds with numerous scales 1. Populus. 



Leaves more than twice as long as broad, winter 



buds with one outer scale-. . 2. Salix. 



