ae 
124 FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS 
nellia, a genus of South American and Hawaiian trees, resembling the 
prickly-ash (Xanthoxylum) in structure and appearance. 
Family Cunoniaceae. Cunonia Family. Contains about 20 genera 
and 120 species, natives of the southern hemisphere. They are shrubs 
or trees with opposite leaves, differing from related groups by the pres- 
ence of stipules. The trees of the large genus Weinmannia afford a 
light wood suitable for cabinet-making, and the astringent bark is used 
for tanning. 
Family Myrothamnaceae. Myrothamnus Family. Consists of one 
genus, Myrothamnus, with several South African species. 
Family Bruniaceae. Brunia Family. Contains 5 genera and about 
50 species, all low, heath-like shrubs of South Africa and Madagascar. 
Though differing very much from the following family, they are not 
materially distinct in structure, except that the leaves are without stip- 
ules. 
Family Hamamelidaceae. Witch-hazel family. Includes 15 gen- 
era and 35 species, natives of North America, South Africa and Asia. 
They are trees or shrubs with simple, alternate leaves, and perfect or 
polygamous flowers, often lacking a perianth. The ovary consists of 2 
carpels, becoming in fruit a 2-valved woody capsule. Hamamelis, the 
witch-hazel, is well known in our eastern States, through its peculiarity 
of blooming in the late fall when the leaves are dropping. othergilla, 
a closely allied genus of the southern States is shown in Fig. 109. 
Liquidambar, the sweetgum, is a handsome forest tree. 
Family Platanaceae. Plane-tree Family. Comprises only the 
genus Platanus, with about 7 species, the best known of which is the 
common plane-tree, button-wood or sycamore (P. occidentalis). The 
flowers are monoecious, in dense globular heads. The hollowed petiole- 
bases of the leaves fit over the bud for the ensuing year like a cap. 
This family is obviously related to the Hamamelidaceae, and is now 
placed next to it, although widely separated in the old sequence of 
Bentham & Hooker. 
