350 SANTALACEAE QSANDALWOOD FAMILY^ 



apex of a stalk-like free central placenta which rises from the base of the cell, hut 

 the {indehiscent) fruit always \-seeded. — ^eQ^ destitute of any proper seed-coat. 

 Stamens equal in number to the lobes of the calyx, and inserted opposite them 

 into the edge of a fleshy disk. Style 1. A small family, chiefly tropical. 



1. Comandra. Flowers perfect, in umbel-like clusters. Low herbaceous perennials. 



2. Pyrularia. Flowers dioecious or polygamous. Shrub, with alternate leaves. 

 8. Westronia. Flowers dioecious. Shrub, with opposite leaves. 



1 . COMAnDRA Nutt. Bastard Toad-flax 



Flowers perfect. Calyx bell- or urn-shaped, lined above the ovary with an 

 adherent disk which has a 5-lobed free border. Anthers connec«-ed by a tuft of 

 thread-like hairs to the calyx-lobes. Fruit drupe-like or nut-like, crowned 

 by the persistent calyx-lobes. Smooth (sometimes parasitic) perennials, with 

 herbaceous stems from a rather woody base, alternate and almost sessile leaves, 

 and sreenish-white flowers. (Name from Kbixt], hair, and avf)p, a man, in allu- 

 sion to the hairs on the calyx-lobes which are attached to the anthers.) 



1. C. umbellata (L.) Nutt. Rootstock underground ; flowering stems 

 1.5-4 dm. high, branched, very leafy ; leaves oblong, thin, pale betieath, 1-3.5 

 cm. long, the pale midrib prominent beneath ; inflorescence an ellipsoid 

 panicle with many cymules of small flowers on divergent branches ; calyx-tube 

 conspicuously continued as a neck to the dry globular-urn-shaped fruit ; the 

 lobes oblong ; style slender. —Dry ground, centr. Me. to Wise, and Ga. May, 

 June. —Root forming parasitic attachments to the roots of trees and shrubs. 



2. C. Richardsiana Fernald. Rootstock superficial, very elongate and freely 

 branching ; flowering stems 0.5-2.5 dm. high, very leafy ; the strongly ascending 

 green leaves lanceolate to ovate, /nn, not paler beneath, obscurely veiny ; inflo- 

 rescence corymbose, 1-3 cm. broad, of 1-6 few-flowered cymules on ascending 

 branches. — Dry sandy or gravelly soil, e. Que. to Assina., s. to the Great Lakes, 

 Mo., and Kan. May-Aug. 



3. C. pallida A. DC. Leaves narrower, more glaucous and acute, linear to 

 narrowly lanceolate (or those upon the main stem oblong), all acute or some- 

 what cuspidate ; fruit ovoid, larger (6-10 mm. long), sessile or on short stout 

 pedicels. — Minn, to N. Mex. and westw. 



4. C. livida Richards. Peduncles slender, axillary, S-5-flowered, shorter than 

 the oval leaves ; calyx-tube not continued beyond the ovary, the lobes ovate ; 

 style short; fruit pulpy when ripe, red. — Bogs, sterile soil, etc.. Lab. to Mac- 

 kenzie, s. to s. N. B., mts. of n. N. E., Mich., and B. C. June, July. 



2. PYRULArIA Michx. Oil-nut. Buffalo-nut 



Calyx 4-5-cleft, the lobes recurved, hairy-tufted at base in the male flowers. 

 Stamens 4 or 5, on very short filaments, alternate with as many rounded glands. 

 Fertile flowers with a pear-shaped ovary invested by the adherent tube of the 

 calvx, naked at the flat summit; style short and thick. Fruit fleshy, pear- 

 shaped. — Shrubs or trees, with alternate short-petioled deciduous leaves and 

 small greenish flowers in short and simple spikes or racemes. (Name a diminu- 

 tive of Pi/rus, from the shape of the fruit.) 



1. P. pubera Michx. Shrubby, straggling (1-4 m. high), minutely downy 

 when young ; leaves obovate-oblong, acute or pointed at both ends, soft, very 

 veiny, minutely pellucid-punctate ; spike few-flowered, terminal ; calyx 5-cleft ; 

 fruit 2.5 cm. long. — Rich woods, mts. of Pa. to Ga. May. — Whole plant, 

 especially the fruit, imbued with an acrid oil. 



3. NESTRdNIA Raf. 



Calyx 4-5-lobed. Staminate flowers in 3-8-flowered slender-peduncled um- 

 bels ; the pistillate solitary, jointed upon short peduncles springing from opposite 



