STYRACACEAE (STORAX FAMILY) 649 



STYRACACEAE (STORAX FAMILY; 



Shrubs or trees, with alternate simple leaves destitute of stipules, and perfect 

 regular flowers ; the calyx either free or adherent to the 2-5-celled ovary ; the 

 corolla of 4-8 petals^ commonly more or less united at base the stamens twice as 

 many as the petals or more numerous, monadelphous or polyadelphous at base; 

 style 1 ; fruit dry or drupe-like, 1-5-celled, the cells commonly l-seeded. Seeds 

 anatropous. Embryo nearly the length of the albumen ; radicle slender, as long 

 as or longer than the flat cotyledons. Corolla hypogynous when the calyx is 

 free ; the stamens adherent to its base. Ovules 2 or more in each cell. A 

 small family, mostly of warm countries. 



* Calyx 5-cleft, imbricate ; stamens in several series ; anthers short, innate ; embryo terete ; flowers 



yellow ; pubescence simple. 



1. Symplocos. Calyx adherent to the lower part of the 3-celled ovary. Petals 5, united merely 



at the base. 



* * Calyx 4-8-toothed or entire ; stamens 2-4 times as many as the petals, in one series ; anthers 



linear or oblong, adnate, introrse ; cotyledons flat ; flowers white ; pubescence soft and mostly 

 stellate. 



2. Halesia. Calyx adherent to the whole surface of the 2-4-celled ovary, which is 2-4-winged 



and 1-4-celled in fruit. Corolla 4-lobed. 



3. Styrax. Calyx adherent only to the base of the 3-celled ovary. Corolla mostly 5-parted. 



Fruit 1-celled, mostly l-seeded. 



1. SYMPLOCOS Jacq. SWEET LEAP 



Petals imbricated in the bud. Stamens in 5 clusters, one adhering to the 

 base of each petal ; filaments slender. Fruit drupe-like or dry, mostly 1-celled 

 and l-seeded. Shrubs or small trees, the leaves commonly turning yellowish in 

 drying, and furnishing a yellow dye. Flowers in axillary clusters or racemes, 

 yellow. (Name a-6/j.ir\oKos, connected, from the union of the stamens.) 



1. S. tinctbria (L.) L'He"r. (HORSE SUGAR.) Leaves elongated-oblong, 

 acute, obscurely toothed, thickish, almost persistent, minutely pubescent and 

 pale beneath, 7-15 cm. long ; flowers 6-14, in close and bracted clusters, 

 odorous. Rich ground, Del. to Fla. and La. Apr. Leaves sweet, greedily 

 eaten by cattle. 



2. HALESIA Ellis. SNOWDROP or SILVER-BELL TREE 



Calyx inversely conical, 4-toothed ; the tube 4-ribbed. Petals 4, united at 

 base, or oftener to the middle, into an open bell-shaped corolla, convolute or 

 imbricated in the bud. Stamens 8-16 ; filaments united into a ring at base, 

 and usually a little adherent to the base of the corolla ; anthers linear-oblong. 

 Ovules 4 in each cell. Fruit large and dry, bony within. Seeds single, cylin- 

 drical. Shrubs or small trees, with large and veiny pointed deciduous leaves ; 

 the snowy white flowers drooping on slender pedicels, in clusters or short 

 racemes, from axillary buds of the preceding year. Pubescence partly stellate, 

 (Named for Stephen Hales, author of Vegetable Statics, etc.) MOHRODENDRON 

 Britton. 



1. H. Carolina L. (OPOSSUM WOOD.) Leaves oblong-ovate ; fruit 4-winged, 

 3-4 cm. long. (H. tetraptera L. ; Mohrodendron carolinum Britton.) Banks 

 of streams, Va. to 111., s. to Fla. Flowers opening while still small and green 

 (according to Harper). 



