364 CLASS XXI. ORDER III. 



smooth. The fertile flowers form a large, very compact, cylin- 

 drical spike or ament, over and adjoining which is a spike of 

 barren flowers. The leaves of this plant are much used in the 

 manufacture of chairs. — July. — Perennial. 



Typiia angustifolia. L. Narrow Flag. 



Leaves linear, channelled; barren and fertile spikes 

 remote, both cyhndrical. 



In similar situations with the last. Leaves smaller. Barren 

 and fertile spikes at different heights on the stem, separated by 

 a short interval. — July. — Perennial. 



374. COMPTONIA. 

 CoMPTONiA ASPLENiFOLiA. Ait. Swect Fem. 



Sljn. LiQUIDAMBAR ASFLENIFOLIUM. L. 



This handsome shrub possesses a peculiar, and somewhat spicy 

 scent. It is pretty common on hills and in dry woods, attaining 

 to the height of about two or three feet, the branches covered 

 with a brownish red bark, which is hairy or downy in tlie young 

 shoots. The leaves are numerous, alternate, inserted by short 

 petioles, somewhat hairy, linear-lanceolate, having their sides 

 cut almost to the middle rib into numerous, roundish lobes 

 marked by parallel veins. The middle vein is prominent be- 

 neath and hairy. At the base of each leaf is a pair of half heart 

 shaped, acuminate stipules, and frequently an additional pair of 

 ovate ones below them. The barren flowers form erect, cylindri- 

 cal aments, which bend over as they decay. They appear in 

 May, and occupy the extremities of the branches. Each ament 

 is composed of brownish, hairy, concave, reniform, acuminate 

 scales, closely imbricating each other. Each scale contains six 

 or eight oblong, crowded anthers, supported on the inside by a 

 minute calyx of two oblong, scarious leafets, vs^hich frequently 

 remain on the rachis when the scale is detached, and thus escape 

 observation. The fertile flowers are situated lower upon the 

 branches, forming a crowded and almost globular ament, resem- 

 bling a small burr. Each stem of this ament contains a calyx 

 of about six linear leaves which extend far beyond the scales 

 so as generally to conceal them. The calyx contains an oval 



