350 SANTALACEAB QSANDALWOOD FAMILY:^ 



apex of a staXh-like free central placenta which rises from the base of the cell, but 

 the (indehiscent) fruit always 1-seeded. — Seed destitute of any proper seed-coat. 

 Stamens equal in number to the lobes of the calyx, and inserted opposite them 

 into the edge of a fleshy disk. Style 1. A small family, chiefly tropical. 



1 . Comandra. Flowers perfect. In umbel-like dusters. Low herbaceous pereooUila. 

 '2. Pyrularia. Flowers dioecious or polygamous. Shrub, with alternate leaves. 

 8. Nestionia. Flowers dioecious. Shrub, with opposite leaves. 



1 . COMAnDRA Nutt. Bastard Toad-plax 



Flowers perfect. Calyx bell- or urn-shaped, lined above the ovary with an, 

 adherent disk which has a 5-lobed free border. Anthers connected by a tuft of 

 thread-like hairs to the calyx-lobes. Fruit drupe-like or nut-like, crowned 

 by the persistent calyx-lobes. Smooth (sometimes parasitic) perennials, with 

 herbaceous sterna from a father woody base, alternate and almost sessile leaves, 

 and greenish-white flowers. (Name from Kd/ai, hair, and av^p, a man, in allu- 

 sion to the hairs on the calyx-lobes which are attached to the anthers.) 



1. C. umbellkta (L.) Nutt. Rootstock underground ; flowering stems 

 1.5-4 dm. high, branched, very leafy ; leaves oblong, thin, pale beneath, 1—3.5 

 cm. long, the pale midrib prominent beneath ; inflorescence an ellipsoid 

 panicle with many cymules of small flowers on divergent branches; calyx-tube 

 conspicuously continued as a neck to the dry globular-urn-shaped fruit ; the 

 lobes oblong ; style slender. — Dry ground, centr. Me. to Wise, and Ga. May, 

 June. — Root forming parasitic attachments to the roots of trees and shrubs. 



2. C. Richardsi^na Fernald. Rootstock superficial, very elongate and freely 

 branching ; flowering stems 0.5-2.5 dm. high, very leafy ; the strongly ascending 

 green leaves lanceolate to ovate, ^?'m, not paler beneath, obscurely veiny ; inflo- 

 rescence corymbose, 1-3 cm. broad, of 1-6 few-flowered cymules on ascending 

 branches. — Dry sandy or gravelly soil, e. Que. to Assina., s. to the Great Lakes, 

 Mo., and Kan. May-Aug. 



3. C. p&llida A. DC. Leaves narrower, more glaucous and acute, linear to 

 narrowly lanceolate (or those upon the main stem oblong), all acute or some- 

 what cuspidate ; fruit ovoid, larger (6-10 mm. long), sessile or on short stout 

 pedicels. — Minn, to N. Mex. and westw. 



4. C. livlda Richards. PedMncZes slender, aaji'Marv/, 3-5-^owere<?, shorter than 

 the oval leaves ; calyx-tube not continued beyond the ovary, the lobes ovate ; 

 style short; fruit pulpy when ripe, red. — Bogs, sterile soil, etc.. Lab. to Mac- 

 kenzie, s. to s. N. B., mts. of n. N. E., Mich., and B. C. June, July. 



2. PYRULArIA Michx. Oii^nut. Bbffai.o-ndt 



Calyx 4-5-cleft, the lobes recurved, hairy-tufted at base in the male flowers. 

 Stamens 4 or 5, on very short filaments, alternate with as many rounded glands. 

 Fertile flowers with a pear-shaped ovary invested by the adherent tube of the 

 calyx, naked at the flat summit ; style short and thick. Fruit fleshy, pear- 

 shaped. — Shrubs or trees, with alternate short-petioled deciduous leaves and 

 small greenish flowers in short and simple spikes or racemes. (Name a diminu- 

 tive of Pyrus, from the shape of the fruit.) 



1. P. piibera Michx. Shrubby, straggling (1-4 m. high), minutely downy 

 when young ; leaves obovate-oblong, acute or pointed at both ends, soft, very 

 veiny, minutely pellucid-punctate ; spike few-flowered, terminal ; calyx 5-cleft ; 

 fruit 2.5 cm. long. — Rich woods, mts. of Pa. to Ga. May. — Whole plant, 

 especially the fruit, imbued with an acrid oil. 



8. NESTRdiaA Raf. 



Calyx 4-6-lobed. Staminate flowers in 3-8-flowered slender-peduncled um- 

 bels ; the pistillate solitary, jointed upon short peduncles springing from opposite 



