MACLOSKIE THYMELEACE^E. 597 



2. PTEROCACTUS VALENTINI Speg. 



Subtuberous undershrub, branching from the base, cespitose, glauces- 

 cent. The branches short, thick, terete, obtuse. Spines 25-35, ail n Y a ~ 

 line, slender, retrorsely plicate. Flowers fuscous-yellow. 



Patagon., at Trelew and Valdez Penins.; between San Julian and Rio 

 Deseado ; by Rio Sta. Cruz. Very polymorphous. 



Family 75. THYMELEACE^:. Mezereon Family. 



Shrubs or trees with tough bark, simple, entire, exstipulate leaves, and 

 regular, mostly perfect flowers. Petals often wanting. Stamens borne 

 on the calyx, as many, or twice as many as its 4-5 lobes. Ovary i -celled, 

 i-ovuled (rarely 2); ovule pendulous. Fruit a berry-like drupe. 



Species 425, most in Austral, and S. Africa. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



(All the following are apetalous, and have i -celled ovaries.) 

 A. Stamens twice as many as the sepals, 2-seriate. Fruit a drupe or nutlet. Calyx normally 



developed. 



b. Hermaphrodite. Style and filaments very short. Stigma capitate. Receptacle cylin- 

 drical, i. Daphne, ?. 597. 

 b2. Dioecious. Style and filaments very long, exceeding the short, funnelform receptacle. 



2. Ovidia, p. 598. 



A2. Stamens as many as, and alternating with, the 4 sepals ; often also 4 or 8 glandular, anti- 

 sepalous staminodes. Small moss-like plants. 3. Drapetes, p. 598. 



i. DAPHNE Linn. Mezereon. 



Shrubs, with alternate leaves or small, pink or white flowers, clustered at 

 the nodes in the leaf-axils or at the base of innovations. Petals none. 

 Calyx tubular, 4-merous, its lobes spreading. Stamens 8, scarcely any 

 protruding. Ovary sessile. Stigma subsessile, capitate. 



Species 40, chiefly Eurasiatic. 



D. PILLO-PILLO. 



Leaves elliptical-oblong, elongate, acute, glabrous on both surfaces. 

 Flowers crowded, terminal, umbellate, the perianth-segments oblong-ovate, 

 silky outside, glabrous internally. 



S. Chili, Valdivia. 



