194 COMMON CANADlASr WILD PLANTS. 



honey-yellow in lateral umbel-like clusters, before tbe leaves. 

 Stamens very much as in Sassafras, but the anthers are 

 2-ceUed and 2-valved. Pistillate flowers with 15-18 rudi- 

 ments of stamens. Drupe red. — Damp woods, in early 

 spring. 



Order LXXX. THYMELEA'CE^. (Mezerettm P.) 



Shrubs with tough leather-like bark and entire leaves. 

 Flowers perfect. Calyx tubular, resembling a corolla, pale 

 yellow. Stamens twice as many as the lobes of the calyx 

 (in our species 8). Style thread-like. Stigma capitate. 

 Ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled, free from the calyx. Fruit a 

 berry-like drupe. Only one Species in Canada. 



DIRCA, L. Leathebwood. Moose-wood. 



1. D. palUStriS, L. Abranchingshrub,2-5feethigh, with 

 curious jointed branchlets and nearly oval leaves on short 

 petioles. Flowers in clusters of 3 or 4, preceding the leaves. 

 Filaments exserted, half of them longer than the others. — 

 Damp woods. 



2. Daphne Meze'reum, L. , has escaped from cultivation 

 in a few places. A low shrub with purple, rose-coloured or 

 whitish flowers, preceding the leaves in early spring. 



Order LXXXt. ELffiAGNA'CEiE. (Oleaster F.) 



Shrubs with perfect or dicBoious flowers, and leaves which 

 are scurfy on the under surface. The calyx-tube in the 

 fertile flowers becomes fleshy and encloses the ovary, forming 

 a berry-like fruit. Otherwise the plants of this Order are 

 not greatly different from those of the last. 



Synop'is of the Genera. 



1. Elseag'nns. Flowers perfect. r;tamens4. Leaves altemat*. 



2. Staepherd'la. Flowers duEclous. Stamens 8. Leaves opposite. 



1. EIJEAG'KVS. Tourn. 

 E. argen'tea, Pursh. (Silver-Beery.) Shrub 6-12 feet 

 high, the young branches covered with rusty scales. Leaves 

 sUiptical to lanceolate, silvery-scurfy. Flowers many, 



