6i8 



Titi 



alternate entire-margined leaves are leathery, narrowly to rather broadly oblanceo- 



late to obovate or oblong, 2 to 10 cm. long, i to 3 cm. wide, rather strongly netted- 



veined, blunt or pointed, dark green and 

 shining on the upper side, dull green and 

 paler on the lower; their stalks are from 3 to 

 15 mm. long and they have no stipules. The 

 small white or pinkish flowers are regular 

 and perfect, borne in long narrow clustered 

 racemes near the ends of twigs, soon coming 

 to be at the bases of twigs of the season; the 

 individual flower-stalks are subtended by nar- 

 row pointed bracts and bear two smaller 

 bracts near the base of the flower; the flowers 

 open in June or July and have 5 equal se- 

 pals about I mm. long, 5 much longer pointed 

 petals, 5 stamens somewhat shorter than the 

 petals and alternate with them, a 2-ceUed 

 ovary with a short style and 2 short stigmas. 

 Fig. 568. -Leather-Wood. ^he fruits are blunt 2-ceUed capsules about 



2.5 mm. long, which split open when ripe to release the few pointed seeds. 



The wood is heavy and hard, but weak, reddish brown, close-grained; its 



specific gravity about 0.68. 



Cyrilla antillana Michaux, of the West Indies and northern South America, 



has thicker, blunter leaves; it may occur in southern Florida. 



TITI 



GENUS OLEFTOOTA GiERTNER 



Species Cliftonia monophylla (Lamarck) Britten 



Ptelea monophylla Lamarck. Cliftonia ligiistrina Willdenow 



HE Titi, also called Buckwheat-tree, Black titi and Iron-wood, is a 

 monotype, no other species of the genus being known. It inhabits 

 wet sandy soil and swamps from South Carolina and Georgia to 

 Florida and Louisiana, reaching a maximum height of about 15 meters, 

 with a trunk 5 dm. in diameter, and is one of the most beautiful trees of the 

 southern United States. The genus is named in honor of Francis Clifton, an 

 Enghsh physician. 



The thick dark brown bark of old trees is furrowed and scaly, that of young 

 trunks much thinner and nearly smooth. The young twigs are smooth, round 

 and bright brown, becoming pale brown, the buds narrow and pointed. The 

 leaves are alternate, leathery, smooth evergreen (falling toward the end of the 

 second season), entire-margined, elliptic to oblanceolate, blunt or short-pointed. 



