4.'!6 Latrack-e. IIajiajiejjdaceje. 



(■ontniiiin!^ n sin^rle anntrnpnus ovulo siispi'iidi-d frmii (lie apex of the i:-e]l : stigma discoid or 

 <'apilate. l-'niit a i.tiie sei^ded diaijH' nv l)erry ; seed with tiiiii testa, erert eiuiii'vo aiid radical 

 belweeii (lie lliirl; flesliy cotyledons. 



KEY TO THE (JEXEItA. 



Leaves jietsistent. eoriaci'ous. entire; flowers perfect; calyx-lobes i)ei-sistent . . . . Persea. 

 Leaves deciduous, ralher thin. I'Ulire oi' l-;Molied ; tlowers diiecious Sassafras. 



THE BAYS. Gexl-s PERSEA G.^-rtn. f. 



About fifty species are recognized of I his gcnns. all exci']itin.i.' one natives of the western 

 hemisphere. Three are species of the .\tlanlic ami (;ulf (.'oast n-uions. two ranging noi'th- 

 ward into Virginia. 



Lcitrrs |iersistent. rigid, coriai'ecius. ))innatel\"-\ciiietl, reAidnte in the Imd. FJtnirr.-^ 

 I)erfect. a|)pearing in sindng in t\A'0 or three-llowen'd pc(lnncnl;ile cymes, ixirymlis cr ]ianicles 

 from the axils of the h'aves of the yeai'. «ith twc hiactcd pedicels; cal.\x campannlate. per- 

 sistent, those of the diilci- scidcs slioitcst ; siamcns IL'. ahmii as long as the inner sejials. those 

 of the innermost series sicrih' and gland-like, .-'od in our siiciaes the anthers of the third 

 series extrorse .and these of (he idlicrs intr(U-sc ; o\ary suhghihose. glabrous, terminating in a 

 slender eluh-shapcd style with discoid tciaidnal stigma. J-'niit a stiliglohosi- or oblong drupe 



subtended b.\ the enlarged jiersisienl cul.\x and wilh ihin Hesh ; s I globose, pendulous, with 



testa seiiarahle into (wo i-oats. 



J'crsta is tile classical name a[ some oiaental tree. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Branchlets and (letioles toirientose ; pedttmles niostl,\" eloirgated P. pubescens 



Braijihlets and jietioles glabrous or neaijy sr) ; pi^dumdes mosily short P. Borbonia. 



For xinrirx x, r pp. JJS-2;i. 



THE SASSAFRAS. Gi-xu.s SASSAFR.\S Nee.s ..\nd Eberm. 



Trees with pleasant aromatic ju-operties. di'eply furrowed bark and smooth green 

 lUucilaginous twigs. They are natives of eastern North America and China, those of the 

 latter region, so far as now understood, beiirg imlistinguishable from the American species. 



Lcatts decidutitts. membranaceous, involute in the liud. ovale to (tldong and entire or 

 with an oblique lobe on one or both sides, cmispi. noiisl) reticulate-wined, laineate at base, 

 with arcttate veins, pilose at first Vitit Hnally ghabroiis d;irk green with \adus deiiressed abo>"e. 

 paler beneath, mucilaginous. Fluiii rx aij|ie:iring with the lea\es at the emls of the branchlets, 

 pedunc-ulate. in pilose (dnstered racemes, from tlie axils of the inm-r accrescent bud scales, 

 with slender pedicels from the axils of deciduous bracts; calyx with (i subeiintil spreading 

 lobes, yellowish green; staunms !l. with elongateil bright ,\"ellow lilametits. tlios." of the inner 

 series bearing near their base I'ai-h 2 orange-cohui'd sttilked glands; aniliers o'dmig. orange- 

 colored, iutrorse. those of the idstillate flowers sm;ill and itsitally sterile; oNary ovidd. green. 

 glabrous, with long style and <:iiu'lale stigma. J'niit a globose oblong lustifnis dark blue 

 drupe subtended b.\" the red obscinely hdicd calyx .and enlargeil end \^f the ]ii'dicel and having 

 thin flesh with smooth brown oblong poltited seeds. 



The nami' is saiil to be that us(m1 by the early French settlers iu Florida. 



Fur xpnirx xn pp. „',.'„'-„>„'.!. 



WITCH HAZEL FAMILY. 1 1 AMAMELID.VCE.E. 



The Witcdi-Ilazcl famil.\- consists of (rei's and shrubs of about eighteen genera and 



thirty-five spe.des (d' easteiii Xiu'tli .Vmerica. Asia. Maihigascar atnl Sotith Africa. Three of 



tlte genera, two of which are a ibiu'cscerit . are represented in Notth America, 



Ijiari'x simjile. de.adtious. altiu-nate. petiidale. with siipiiles. l-'hiucrs ]MM-fe(a" iir tinisexual ; 

 calyx 4-lohed and with tube coherent to the o\;ir\ or none; petals 4 and iierygenous or none; 

 stamens 4 or ,S or uutiierous wilh L'-celled ialrcuse anthers; o\;ir\ compound formed by the 

 union bidow of L! carpels. U-celled and «ith Ll sitlnil.ale styles: o\iiles 1 or many, anatropous 

 and susiieilded from ait axile placenta. I'r\iil :\ woody L'-beaked cajisule dehiscent at the 

 Slimmil ; si'eds 1 or se\-eral with large straight eiiibi\\o and scant albumen. 



KEY TO 4TIE CIOXEK.V. 



Ijcaves pinnately \-eined ; llowers petd'ccd ; fiaiit a L'-ccIIimI .-apsnle HamameHs,. 



Leaves palmalely lobed ; flowei-s unisi'xual ; fruit a globiilai' head of ciuisididated capsitle-;. 



Liiquidambar. 



