COMBRETACEM. 279 



13xajpetalum ^ are said to be purgative and diuretic. Tupelos lias 

 ightly acid drupes, especially Nyssa cajpitata^ and bifiora^ (fig. 

 z4 1-244), the fruit of which is sometimes substituted for citrons. 

 That of N. aquatica^'^ villosa^^ srandens,^ is also eaten. The wood 

 of these trees splits with difficulty, on account of the intricacy of 

 their fibres; it is often used in the United States, but is little 

 valued."^ These trees are cultivated among us with some difficulty. 

 Plants of the other series are met with only in conservatories, where 

 certain species of Gomhretum and Quisqualis produce red flowers of a 

 very fine efi'ect. 



^ Lamk. he. cit. — DC. Ft-odr. iii. 203 {Nami- comprising iV. villosa W. and syhmtica Marsh. 



doii, Kara-Angolam). Chapman adds in the south N. aquatica Jj. and 



- Walt. Fl. Carol. 253, n. 4. N. capitata Walt. ; in all, consequently only 



' MicHX. Fl. Bor.-Amer. ii. 259. — N. aquatica four American species, which, probably, present 



L. ? (ex MiCHX.). many variations. 



^ L. Si/st. (ed. 1780), iv. 358. 7 On the stem of a Nyssa angulisans, see 



5 MiCHX. op. cit. 258. Trecul, Jnn. Sc. Nat. ser. 3, xvii. 270. On the 



8 MiCHX. ex RosENTH. op. cit. 239. Accord- wood of the Jlangiece : Lindl. Veg. Kingd. 720. 



ing to A. Gray, there are in the northern That of the CombretacecB in general, and notably 



United States only two species of Nyssa; N. those growing in brackish waters, presents 



unijlora, comprising N. tomodosa, angulisans and numerous peculiarities for study. 

 grandidentata Michx. N. multijlora Wang, and 



