76 CELASTRACE^. (STAFF-TREE FAMILY.) 



3. M. ? latifolia, Swartz. Smooth ; branchlets 4-angle(l ; leaves opposite, 

 coriaceous, obovate, rounded or emarginate at the apex, narrowed at the base 

 into a short petiole, the margins revolutc and obscurely crenate ; cymes axillary 

 and terminal, shorter than the leaves, widely spreading, few-flowered, or in the 

 more sterile plant many-flowered ; sepals roundish, much shorter than the oblong 

 petals ; disk with four emarginate lobes alternating with the stamens ; ovary 

 2-celled, with a single suspended ovule in each cell ; stigma sessile, 2-lobed ; 

 drupe ovoid, l^sccdcd ; embryo largo, in thin albumen. — South Florida. — 

 Shrub 8° - 10° high. Leaves 1 ' long. 



2. SCHJEFFERIA, Jacq. 



Flowers dioecious. Sepals 4, barely united at the base, rounded, 3-fuiTOwcd. 

 Petals 4, spatulate-oblong, much longer than the calyx. Stamens 4. Ovary 

 2-celled. Stigmas 2, sessile. Drupe dry, 2-ceIled, 2-seedcd. Embiyo in oily 

 albumen. Radicle inferior. — Shrubs or frees, with alternate leaves and small 

 greenish flowers in axillary clusters. 



1. S. frutescens, Jacq. Smooth; leaves obovate-oblong, entire, acute or 

 obtuse ; flowers 3 - .5 in n cluster, the slender pedicels arising from u, wart-like 

 peduncle; drupe globose. — South Florida. — A small tree witli hard and close- 

 grained wood. Leaves 1 J' long, pale green. 



3. EUOmrMUS, L. Spisdi-r-tree. 



Flowers perfect. Calyx flat, 4-5-cleft. Petals 4-5,. spreading. Stamens 

 4 - •'), very short, inserted with the petals under the broad and fleshy disk which 

 surrounds the ovary. Ovary 3 - 5-colled, with 2 erect or resupinate ovules in 

 each cell. Style very short. Capsule 3-5-celled, loculicidally 3-5-valved. 

 Seed enclosed in a red pulpy aril. — Erect or trailing shrubs, with 4-angled 

 branches, opposite serrate leaves, and greenish or purplish flowers in axillary 

 peduncled cymes. 



1. E. Americanus, L. (Strawberkt Bush) Flowers greenish, 

 pentamerous ; peduncles 1 - 3-flowered ; capsule warty; leaves short-petioled, 

 varying from ovate or obovate to linear-lanceolate, seiTulatc. — Low shady 

 woods, Florida and northward. May and June. — Shrub 3° - 6° high. Leaves 

 l'-2' long. 



2. E. atropurpureus, Jacq. Flowers purple, tetramerous ; peduncles 

 many-flowered ; capsule smooth ; leaves oblong, on rather long petioles, serru- 

 late. — Kivcr-banks, Florida and northward. May and Juno. — Shrub 8° - 12° 

 high. Leaves 2' -5' long. Flowers dark purple. 



4. CELASTBUS, L. Staff-tree. 



Flowers somewhat dioecious. Calyx cup-shaped, 5-cleft. Petals 5, spreading. 

 Stamens .5, inserted with the petals into the edge of the cup-shaped fleshy disk 

 which fills the tube of the calyx, abortive in the fertile flower. Ovary 2-4- 

 celled, the cells 2-ovuled. Style thick. Capsule globose, commonly 3-celIed 



