168 CORNACE^E. (DOGWOOD FAMILY.) 



drupes pale blue. Dry woods, Florida to South Carolina, and westward. 

 June. A shrub or small tree. Branches slender and sometimes warty. 



* * Flowers capitate, subtended by a white 4-leaved involucre. 

 6. C. florida, L. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or ovate, at length smooth on 

 both sides ; flowers greenish ; drupes ovoid, red. Oak woods, common. May. 

 A small tree. Wood hard and close-grained. Leaves of the involucre cmar- 

 ginate and thickened at the summit, showy. 



2. NYSSA, L. SOUR GUM. 



Flowers dicecio-polygamous. Sterile flowers in many-flowered heads or cymes. 

 Calyx 5-parted. Stamens 5-10. Petals and pistil none.^ Fertile flowers single 

 or few in a head. Calyx-limb 5-toothed or obsolete. Petals 5, minute, or want- 

 ing. Stamens 5-10, mostly sterile. Style long, revolute. Stigma decurrcnt. 

 Ovary 1 -celled. Drupe 1-seeded. Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire 

 or rarely toothed, finely reticulated. Flowers small, greenish, on axillary or 

 lateral peduncles. 



* Sterile flowers in loose clusters. 



1. !N. multiflora, Wang. Leaves oval or obovate, mostly acute, tomen- 

 tose when young, at length shining above ; fertile peduncles long and slender, 

 3 - 8-flowered ; drupes ovoid, dark blue. Rich upland woods, Florida to Mis- 

 sissippi, and northward. May. A tree 30 - 50 high, with widely spreading 

 branches. Leaves rather thick, dark green, 2' -5' long. Fertile peduncles 1^'- 

 3' long. Drupe ' long. 



2. N. aquatica, L. Branches, leaves, &c. tomentose when young, at 

 length nearly smooth ; leaves short-petioled, varying from lanceolate to orbicu- 

 lar, obtuse, sometimes slightly cordate ; peduncles short, the fertile ones 1-2- 

 flowered ; drupes oval, blue. Ponds and swamps, Florida to North Carolina, 

 and westward. April and May. A large tree, or in pine-Barren swamps 

 sometimes a mere shrub. Leaves 1'- 2' long. Peduncles '-1' long. Drupe 

 smaller than in the last. 



3. "N. uniflora, Walt. Leaves large, long-petioled, ovate or oblong, acute, 

 entire or sharply toothed, tomentose beneath, the lower ones often cordate ; fer- 

 tile peduncles elongated, 1-flowered ; drupes ovate-oblong, dark blue. (N. 

 tomentosa, Michx. N. grandidentata, Michx. f.) Deep swamps and ponds, 

 Florida to North Carolina, and westward. April. A large tree. Leaves 

 4' - 6' long. Drupe 8" - 12" long. 



* * Sterile flowers capitate. 



4. N. cap itata, Walt. (OGEECHEE LIME.) Leaves large, short-petioled, 

 oblong, oval or obovate, mucronate or acute, tomentose beneath ; flowers below 

 the leaves, the fertile ones perfect, solitary, on very short peduncles ; drupe ob- 

 long, red. Swamps, Florida and Georgia, near the coast, and westward. 

 A small tree. Leaves 3' - 5' long. Drupe 1' long, agreeably acid. 



