LAURACEAE 211 



A tree 5 to 15 m high, glabrous, or the branchlets, inflorescence, and 

 lower surfaces of the leaves slightly pubescent. Leaves subcoriaceous, 

 ovate to oblong-ovate, brown and shining when dry, 8 to 14 cm long, 

 base usually rounded or somewhat cordate, apex acuminate, the nerves 

 and reticulations prominent on the lower suAace. Inflorescence axillary, 

 the flowers small, greenish-white, or yellowish, in dense, subc^pitate, bract- 

 eate umbels which are arranged in 2 to 8 cm long, usually ^mbescent 

 racemes, the individual umbels in flower 6 to 10 mm in diameter. Fruit 

 subellipsoid, 8 to 10 mm long. 



In thickets, Pasig, fl. Jan.-Peb.; widely distributed in the Philippines. 

 Endemic. 



3. PERSEA Gaertner 



Small or medium trees with alternate, penninerved leaves. Flowers 

 small, perfect, yellowish-green, cymose or panicled, the inflorescence axillary. 

 Perianth-segments 6, those of the outer series shorter than the others. 

 Stamens 12, in 4 series, those of the inner one or two series reduced to 

 staminodes; anthers erect, 4-celled, those of the third row extrorse, in- 

 trorse in the outer row. Fruit a large fleshy drupe. (A name applied 

 by Theophrastus to an Egyptian tree.) 



Species 10 or more, of wide tropical distribution, several in the Philip- 

 pines, a single introduced one in our area. 



* 1. P. AMERICANA Mill. (P. gratissima Gaertn.). Alligator Pear, Avocado. 



A tree 10 m high or less. Leaves oblong to oval or obovate, about 20 

 cm long. Flowers in naked, panicled, pubescent cymes. Flowers small, 

 the perianth-segments 4 to 5 mm long. Fruit large, fleshy, elongated, often 

 somewhat pear-shaped, 8 to 18 cm long, the flesh soft, edible, the single 

 seed large. 



Singalon, cultivated, fl. March. A native of tropical America and a 

 highly prized fruit worthy of extended culture in the Philippines. The 

 only specimens at present known are those introduced from Honolulu in 

 1903; it was, however, introduced by the Spaniards before 1700 and a few 

 trees persisted until recent times, but apparently it was never widely 

 distributed in the Archipelago. 



4. CASSYTHA Linnaeus 



Leafless, parasitic, twining, brown vines, the branches filiform, provided 

 with suckers. Flowers minute, usually perfect, bracteate, in short spikes. 

 Perianth-tube short, enlarged and fleshy in fruit, the segments 6, in 2 

 rows. Stamens 9, in 3 rows; anthers all 2-celled, the 2 outer rows in- 

 trorse, the inner row extrorse. Fruit inclosed in but free from the en- 

 larged, succulent, perianth-tube. (Greek name for dodder {Cuscuta), a 

 plant having a similar appearance.) 



Species about 15 in the tropics of both hemispheres, 1 in the Phil- 

 ippines. 



1. C. fillformls L. 



Stems very long, slender, brown, yellowish-brown, or greenish, twining 

 and matted together, branched, glabrous or pubescent. Flowers small, 

 sessile, in short spikes. Fruit globose about 7 mm in diameter, fleshy. 



In thickets along the beach, Parariaque, Malabon, etc., fl. all the year; 

 widely distributed in the littoral districts of the Philippines and in the 

 tropics generally. It has quite the aspect and habit of dodder (Cuscuta) . 



