■ioO COEXACE^. 



Leaves deeiduouii. alternate or rertioiHate. compound, petiolate. raostlj" -^-ith stipules. 

 F'lowers in racemose or panicled umbels or heads, 5-numerous : calvz-tube adnate to the ovary: 

 petals sometimes united: disk epigynou.-; : stamens as many as ihe petals, alternate with them. 

 and inserted on the disk : ovary l-seTei-al-ceiled, eaoh cell containing- a solitary anatropou-i 

 pendulous ovule: styl.'s as many as the cells o£ the ovary. Fruit baccate: seeds with thin 

 testa, small embryo and abuudaut albumen, 



THE IIESCULES-CLTJB,, LTC, Genus ARALIA L. 



Spiny trees, shrubs and hvrbs of abou: thirty species about a half dozen of which ara 

 natives of North America, the remaining of Asia, Of the American species one only is arbor- 

 escent. 



Leaves pinnately or ternately decompound, the pe:ioI-:'s enlavsjed and ola^pirii;: at the ba.^e. 

 Floicers mostly perfect, small, greenish white: pedicels pointed: calyx-lobes minute, valvate : 

 petals itnbricaied in the bud : stamens vith filiform filaments and oblong- introrse, 2-celled 

 anthers ]on,gitudinally dehiscent : ovary inferior, mostly 2-.n-celled, styles of same number. 

 dehiscent or united at base. Fruit a 2-,5-seeded berry laterally compressed or 3-,5-angled and 

 tipped v,-ith the remnants of the styles and calyx-lobes and containing 2-5 compressed seeds 

 with straight radicle and oblong cotyledons. 



The name is of obscure derivation. 



For species see pp. S54-3o5. 

 DOGWOOD EAMIIY. CORXACE_^ Link. 



The Dogwood Fam.ily consists of trees and shrubs of about sixteen genera and eighty-five 



species mainly of north temperate regions. Two genera have arborescent representatives in 



North America. 



Leaves deciduous, simple, variously arranged and without stipules. Floivers regular, in 

 cymes, heads, or solitary; calyx adnate to the ovary, its limb 4-.5-toothed or none: petals 4-."i 

 or none : disk erig'enous : stamens as manv as the petals and inserted with them on the margin 

 of the disk : anthers introrse, 2-celled with a solitary anatropous suspended ovule in each cell. 

 Fruit a 1-2-seeded drupe : seed oblong with foliaceous cotyledons and copious albumen. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



Flowers perfect, arranged in fours : leaves mostly opposite Cornu!. 



Flowers dii?cious or polygamous, petals 5. very small or none; leaves alternate.... Nyssa. 



TEE DOGWOODS OS CCP.NEL3. Genus CORXUS L. 



Trees and shrubs of about forty species widely distributed throughout the north temperate 

 zone and one species in Peru. Sixteen or seventeen species are found in North America of 

 which lour are arborescent. 



Leaves deciduous, mostly opposite. Floii/ers perfect, small, in cymes or heads, the latter 

 with an involucre of showy white bracts in some species : calyx with 4 small lobes, valvate in 

 the bud: disk epigeuous: petals 4, valvate: stamens 4, alternate with the petals exserted and 

 with s! -uder rilanients ; ovary 2-celled, each cell contaiuing a single ovule, with simple columnar 

 style and capitate or truncate stigma. Fruit an oblong drupe with thin flesh and bony or 

 crustaoeous 2-celled ami usually 2-seeded stone. 



The name is from the Latin cornu. horn, alluding to the hardness of the wood of some 

 of the species. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a, Flowers greenish, in dense heads with 4 large white involucral bracts : fruit red. 



C. Florida, 

 a' Flowet=: white, in loo:-e cymes, v-lthout bracts 



Fruit blue ; leaves smooth above C. al-teraif olia. 



Fruit white ; leaves scabrous above C. asperif olia. 



For species see pp. S56-S81. 

 THE TTIPELOS. Genus NYSSA L. 



Trees of five species of which four are nntivi'S of eastern North America and the remain- 

 ing one of southeastern Asia. They produce very fine gr-iii'ed tough wood, with contorted 

 fiber and annua! rings indistinctly indicated. The fruit is very tart and is sometimes used iu 

 conserves. 



