THE CAPER FAMILY. 205 



THE CAPER FAHILY. 



Cappari dacccE. 



Rarely trees, but shrubs, or herbs with ivatery sap and simple, or 

 pabnately eompound /eai'es whieh are alternate, or less often opposite. 

 Floivers : mostly perfect and borne in our species in loose racemose clusters, 

 or ifi pairs, or fe7v flowered clusters on short four-angled peduncles. 



JAMAICA CAPER TREE. 



Capparis Jc x maicensis. 



FAMILY SHAPE HEIGHT RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Caper. Shrubby or 7uith a 't-iojet't. Southern Florida. April., May. 



straight., slender trunk. 



Bark : dark reddish brown; irregularly broken. BrauchU'ts : angular. Leaves : 

 simple; oblong-lanceolate or elliptical, growing on petioles about a half of an inch 

 long, rounded and notched at the apex and rounded at the base; entire; dark yel- 

 lowish green, lustrous on the upper side, paler below and rough from the presence 

 of tiny scales; the midrib conspicuous. Floiuei-s : white, fading to tones of pur- 

 ple; fragrant; growing at the ends of the branches in a loose cyme. Sepals: 

 recurved after anthesis or when flower is fully expanded. Petals : four; rounded; 

 imbricated. Slafnens : numerous, with very long filaments. Pods: from two to 

 several inches long; brownisli red when ripe and contain kidney-shaped seeds. 



There are comparatively few trees, or shrubs of more interest than this 

 beautiful flowered individual which makes its home on the coast and keys of 

 southern Florida. And as every year this region is more visited than before 

 by strangers it is becoming better known as a feature of our silva. The 

 delicate white flowers in fading turn to purple and match somewhat their 

 long, misty filaments. Very curious are the pods as they twist and retwist 

 in drying and thus secure for the seeds a diverse distribution. 



C. cynophallophbra, caper-tree, is also an inhabitant of the Floridan keys 

 and coast. While its leaves are very similar to those of the related species 

 they are smooth, and the flower's sepals are much shorter than its petals. 



PITCHER=PLANT FAMILY. 



Sarraccnidccc. 

 Insectivorous, marsh and bog herbs with basal, tubular, trumpet, or 

 pitcher-shaped leaves and large showy floivers which nod from the end of 

 scapes. 



