Oedeb 117.— PLATANACBjE. 639 



2 to 9-ovulod. Fmii fleshy, with as many l-seeded nuts. Seed ascending, albu- 

 minous, radicle inferior.- 



Gmera 8, specien 4, natives of N. Europe, N. America nnd the Straits of Magellan. Proper- 

 ti68i ociduloua. The berries are nutritious. 



GENERA. 



* StamonsS. Stigmas 6 to 9-raye(l. Berry 6 to Q-seeded Empetro-m. 1 



*Stamcns8. Stigmas 3 or 4, stylo slender. Drupe 8 or 4-seeded Corema. 2 



* Stamens 2. Stigmas 4. Berry 2-seeded. Sllrub erect Ceeatioia. 3 



1. EM'PETRUM, Tourn. Crowberry. (Gr. Lv, upon, Trerpof, a stone; 

 from the places of its natural growth.) Flowers $ $ . Perianth con- 

 sisting of 2 series of scales, the 3 inner petaloid ; $ Stamens 3, anthers 

 pendulous on long filaments. $ Stigma subsessile, 6 to 9-rayed ; drupe 

 globular, with 6 to 9 seedlike nutlets. — ^Alpine undershrubs. 



E. nigrum L. Procumbent branches smooth ; Ivs. imbricated, linear-oblong, obtuse 

 at each end, nearly smooth, with a revolute margin. — A small, prostrate shrub, 

 found on the granite rocks of the White Mts. of N. H., and the calcareous moun- 

 tains of Vt. The stem is 1 to 3 or 4f long, much branched and closely covered 

 all around with evergreen leaves, which are 2 or 3" long, half a line wide. 

 Flowers very small, reddish, crowded in the axils of the upper Ivs. Berries black, 

 not ill-flavored. May, Jn. 



2. CORE^MA, Don. (Oakesia, Tuckerman.) (Gr. Koprjfia, a broom ; 

 from the resemblance.) Flowers $ ? or ^ ^ $ . , Perianth of 5 or 6 

 bractlets, the 3 inner sepaloid. J Stamens 3, sometimes 4, with ex- 

 serted filaments. ? Ovary 3 or 4-oelled ; style filiform, 3 or 4-cleft, 

 with narrow stigmas; drupe globular, minute, with 3 or 4 nutlets. — 

 diflFuse undershrubs. Lvs. linear. 



C. Courddii Torr. Diffuse, very slender, glabrous ; lvs. linear, revolute on the 

 margin, coriaceous ; fruit dry. — Sandy and rocky plains, here and there, from Can. ? 

 Me. to N". J. Sts. If high, with a reddish-ash-colored bark, with short, verticillate 

 branches. Lvs. evergreen, numerous, spiral or imperfectly verticiUate, 3" long, 

 linear, revolute. Fls. in terminal clusters of 10 to 15, with brownish scales and 

 purple stamens and styles. — Plants with 5 are less common than those with i 

 or $ . Mar., Apr. 



3. CERATrOLA, Mx. Sand-hill Rosemary. (A Latin diminutive, 

 from Kepag, a horn ; referring to the stigmas.) Flowers 8 . Perianth 

 of 6 to 8 imbricated, concave, fimbriate scales, the two or 4 inner mem- 

 branous. $ Stamens 2, exserted, anthers 2-celled, roundish. $ Ovary 

 2-celled ; style short ; stigmas 4 or 6, spreading, toothed ; fruit a drupe 

 with 2-seed-like nuts. — A shrub with verticillate branches, crowded, 

 acerous lvs. and axillary, sessile fls. 



C. ericoides Mx. — Hills or plains sandy or gravelly, Augusta, Ga. to Apalachi- 

 cola, Fla. Shrub evergreen, 3 to 6f high. Yoimg branohlets downy. Lvs. in 

 close whorls of 3s and 4s, about 6" long, rigid, acute. Fls. lateral, stigmas pur- 

 ple. Fr. yellowish, small, astringent. Aug., Sept. 



Order CXVII. PLATANACE^. Sycamores. 



Trees with a watery juice, alternate palmate leaves and sheathing, scarious sti- 

 pules. Flowers monoecious, in globular aments, destitute of both calyx and corolla. 

 Sterile. — Stamens single, with only small scales intermixed. Anthers 2-oelled, 

 linear. Fertile. — Ovary terminated by a thick style with one side stigmatic. Nut 

 clavate, tipped with the persistent, recurved style. Seed solitary, albummous. 

 Fig. 82. 



