Handbook of TsEJis of the Noetheen States and Canada. 435' 

 THE TULIP-TREES. Genus LIRIODENDRON L. 



Trees of two species, one of exttnsive distribution througliout the eastern states of North. 

 America and tlie other in central China. They are trees with deeplj- furrowed brown bark 

 and further characterized as follows : 



Leares incurved in the bud and bent down so that the apex points to the base of the 

 bud. alternate, deciduous, truncate, subcordate or somewhat wedge-shaped at base, truncate 

 or with a wide sinus at apex, with 4 pointed lobes (occasionally with 2 or G lobes) ; stipules- 

 formed by the accrescent scales of the laterally compressed obtuse buds joined at the edges, 

 strap-shaped and tardily deciduous. Flowers appearing after the unfolding of the leaves,, 

 conspicuous, cup-shaped, somewhat fragrant; sepals three, spreading or leflexed, concave, 

 greenish white and early deciduous; petals G in 2 rows, erect, falling early; stamens with 

 filaments about % as long as the linear 2-celled extrorse anthers ; pistils closely massed 

 together on the elongated receptacle ; flattened, with wide style, stigmatic at the acuminate 

 recurved apex ; ovules 2, suspended from the ventral suture. Fruit a narrow erect light 

 brown cone, consisting of the flattened saraara?-like indehiscent 4-ribbed carpels which sepai'ate 

 from the axis when ripe ; seeds usually 2, suspended in the small cavity at the base of the 

 samara ; embryo minute at the base of fleshy albumen. 



The name is from two Greek words meaning lili/ or tiiJip and tree. 

 For species see pp. 21.'^-215. 



CUSTARD-APPLE FAMILY. ANONACE^. 



Trees and shrubs of about fifty genera and five hundred and fifty species, with generally 



aromatic properties and mainly of the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World 



and the New. Two genera only aie represented in Noi'th America, one in southern Florida 



and the West Indies and the other in the eastern states. 



Leaves deciduous, alternate, entire, petiolate, pinnately-veined, conduplicate in the bud, 

 without stipules. Floirers solitai-y, perfect and mostly axillary ; sepals three, valvate in the 

 bud ; ' petals six in two series ; stamens numerous on an elevated rounded receptacle with very 

 short filaments and 2-celled introrse anthers adnate to the thick fleshy truncate connective ; 

 pistils few on the summit of the receptacle; ovary 1-celled, containing from one to many 

 anatropous ovules. Fruit fleshy, baccate, formed by the ripening of the single or several 

 united pistils; seed inclosed in an aril, large, anatropous, with thin lustrous brown crustaceous 

 coat and minute embryo at the base of ruminate albumen. 



THE PAPAWS. Genus ASIMINA Adanson. 



Small trees or shrubs emitting an unpleasant odor when bruised and confined to eastern 

 North America. Six or seven species are known, of which all are shrubby and confined to. 

 the South Atlantic and Gulf states except one, which is a small tree entitled to consideration 

 here and the only representative of the Custard Apple Family extending far outside the tropics. 



Leaves membranaceous. Flowers mostly from the axils of the leaves of the previous 

 season, nodding, pedunculate, of a purplish color and disagreeable odor ; sepals green, ovate, 

 smaller than the petals, concave and early deciduous ; petals six, imbricated in the bud, 

 accrescent, hypogenous prominently reticulated, the three outer petals alternate with the 

 sepals spreading and larger than the three inner which are opposite the sepals and erect; 

 stamens closely massed together, anther-cells separate on the connective; pistils few from 

 the summit of the receptacle, with styles slightly recurved and stigmatic on the inner side- 

 above ; ovules several, horizontal, in two ranks on the ventral suture. Frjiit baccate, oval 

 or oblong, smooth ; seeds compressed and with large hilum at base. 



The name Asimina is Latinized from the Indian name, asimiti, of the Papaw. 

 For speeies see pp. 216-217. 



LAUREL FAMILY. LAURACE^. 



Aromatic trees and shrubs of about forty genera and nine hundred species of wide 

 distribution throughout the tropical and a few in the temperate zones. Six genera, of which 

 two are shrubby, are represented in North America, one on the Pacific slope and three in 

 the Atlantic states. 



Leaves alternate, simple, pellucid-punctate, usually thick, without stipules. Flowers 

 small regular yellowish green, perfect, polygamous, diiecious or monoecious, usually fragrant; 

 calvx' 4-G-part'ed the sepals imbricated in the bud in two series; corolla none: stamens KI-12. 

 distinct and inserted on the base of the calyx in three or four series of three each, those of 

 the fourth series sterile; anthers 4-celled opening by uplifted valves; ovary superior, 1-celled, 



