COMBRETACEJE. 



279 



hexapetahim 1 are said to be purgative and diuretic. Tupelos has 

 slightly acid drupes, especially Nyssa capitata 2 and bifiora 3 (fig. 

 241-244), the fruit of which is sometimes substituted for citrons. 

 That of N. aquatica* villosa, 5 srandens, 6 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. 7 These trees are cultivated among us with some difficulty. 

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

 certain species of Gombretum and Quisqualis produce red flowers of a 

 very fine effect. 



1 Lamk. he. cit.— DC. Prodi: iii. 203 (Nami- 

 dou, Kara-Angolam). 



■ Walt. Fl. Carol. 253, n. i. 



3 Michx. Fl. Bor.-Amer. ii. 259. — N. aquatica 

 L. ? (ex JIichx.). 



4 L. Syst. (ed. 1780), iv. 358. 



5 Michx. op. cit. 258. 



6 Michx. ex Rosenth. op. cit. 239. Accord- 

 ing to A. Gray, there are in the northern 

 United States only two species of Nyssa j N. 

 uniflora, comprising N. tomeittosa, angulisans and 

 grandidentata Michx. N. mtiltiflora Wang, and 



comprising N. villosa W. and sylvatica Maksh. 

 Chapman adds in the south N. aquatica L. and 

 N. capitata Walt. ; in all, consequently only 

 four American species, which, probably, present 

 many variations. 



? On the stem of a Nyssa angulisans, see 

 Tki'c ul, Ann. Sc. Nat. sér. 3, xv'ii. 270. On the 

 wood of the Alangieœ : Linbl. Veg. Kiugd. 720. 

 That of the Combretaaœ in general, and notably 

 those growing in brackish waters, presents 

 numerous peculiarities for study. 



