WHITE-ALDER FAMILY 



Calyx. Five-lobed ; lobes oblong, obtuse, nerved, downy, 

 imbricate in bud, persistent. 



Corolla. Petals five, slightly united at the base, white, obo- 

 vate or oblong, imbricate in bud. 



Stamens. Ten ; filaments white, smooth, slender ; anthers 

 sagittate, extrorse in bud but inverted in the flower, two-celled ; 

 cells opening by pores at the base. 



Pistil. Ovary superior, three-angled, three-celled, downy ; 

 style slender, exserted, three-cleft at apex ; ovules numerous. 



Fruit. Capsules, crowded in stiff, erect racemes, subglobose, 

 three-lobed, three-celled, one-eighth of an inch in diameter ; 

 each sits in persistent calyx, crowned with persistent style. 



Clethra alnifolia, naturally a swamp plant, takes very 

 kindly to cultivation and possesses a peculiar value in 

 that it shows its long spikes of fragrant white flowers 

 late in summer when other shrubs are largely out of 

 bloom. The buds are arranged upon a long axis, 

 and they begin to open at the base, consequently the 

 flowering period is extended. The blossoms have a 

 delightful spicy fragrance, are full of nectar and are 

 eagerly sought by tbe bees. 



Two peculiarities of tbe Clethra are of interest to a 

 botanist. One is the character of the hairs found upon 

 the stems and flowers ; under a common magnifying 

 glass these can be seen to be arranged in very perfect 

 stars. The other is the way that the arrow-headed 

 anthers reverse their position ; in tbe bud they look 

 out from the centre of the flower; in the blossom they 

 look in. 



The bush is a favorite of gardeners because it will 

 grow in poor soil and in shade ; thus possessing a gen- 

 eral utility value, at the same time that it has a high 

 personal value. 



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