756 Xolisma 



ako of medicinal value, but this is probably greatly exaggerated, so that its chief 

 value lies in its beauty and hardiness as an ornamental plant, for which it is sur- 

 passed by few others. 



The genus, of which this is the type species, is a small one of about 7 species, 

 strictly North American, occurring from Alaska to Cuba. The name is in com- 

 memoration of Peter Kalm (17 15-17 79), a Swedish naturalist of Linnaeus' time, 

 who traveled extensively in eastern North America about 1750. 



IV. XOLISMA 



GENUS Xolisma RAFINESQUE 



Species Xolisma fermginea (Walter) Heller 



Andromeda ferruginea Walter 



SMALL evergreen tree or shrub, of the pinelands of the coastal plain 

 from South Carolina to Florida, sometimes called Titi; it attains a 

 maximum height of 9 meters, with a trunk diameter of 2.5 dm. 



The trunk is slender, often crooked, the branches slender and stifif. 

 The bark is 3 to 6 mm. thick, furrowed and scaly; reddish brown. The twigs 

 are slender, densely scurfy. The leaves are persistent, leathery, elliptic to obovate 



or oblanceolate, 2.5 to 7 cm. long, 

 sharp or taper-pointed, tapering at 

 the base, thick, entire and revolute 

 on the margin, roughish when un- 

 folding, becoming smooth, pale green 

 and shining above, pale and rusty 

 scurfy with prominent midrib be- 

 neath, the venation prominent on 

 either side; the leaf -stalk is enlarged 

 at the base, thick and short. The 

 flowers appear from February to 

 May, in axillary, crowded leafy 

 bracted panicles, on slender, recurved 

 stalks 5 to 10 mm. long. The csXjk 



is cup-shaped, about 3.5 mm. across, 

 Fig. 691. -Xolisma. ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ abruptly 



pointed and scurfy; the corolla is globose, white or pinkish, 2.5 to 3 mm. across; 

 its 5 lobes are sharp-pointed, refle.xed, and fringed on the margin; stamens 10, 

 their filaments bent; anthers short, smooth, not appendaged; ovary thickly whit- 

 ish- wooUy; style slightly longer than the corolla and smooth; stigma truncate. 

 The fruit is a dry capsule, oblong-ovoid or oval, 4 to 6 mm. high, 4- to 6-ribbed ; 

 seeds numerous, very small, narrowly oblong, winged at the ends. 



The wood is hard, weak, close-grained, Ught reddish brown and satiny; its 



