488 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



4-parted; steiile flotvers nwmerons ; stamens 4:, ^vith. club- 

 shaped exserted ^laments ; fertile floivei^s teWf a,t the base 

 of the sterile spike ; ovary 3-celled, with two ovules in each 

 cell ; styles 3, thick, recurved ; capsule of three 1-celled, 

 2 -seeded, 2-valved carpels. — A pubescent creeping peren- 

 nial hei'b, with erect simple branches, bearing at the sum- 

 mit several large ovate toothed alternate abruptly long-pe- 

 tioled leaves, and near the base several thick bracted s^nkes, 

 P. PROCUMBENS, Michx. February and March. Flowering 

 stems 1° high; leaves 3-4' long, often discolored; flowers 

 odorous. 



DRYPETES, Vahl. 



Floivers dioecious, apetalous, in axillary clusters ; calyx 

 4-6-parted, lined in the center with a wavy-lobed disk ; 

 stamens 4-10, inserted under the disk; a7itJier'Ce\\s dis- 

 tinct ; ovary resting upon the disk, 2-celled, the cells 

 2-ovuled; styles 2, short, spreading ;/r?aY drupaceous, 1-2- 

 celled, 1-2-seeded. — Tropical trees or shrubs, with alternate 

 coriaceous entire smooth petioled leaves, and minute 

 many-bracted flotvers. 



D. CROCEA, Poit. Branches smooth ; leaves oblong, acute 

 at each end, somewhat coriaceous, finely veined ; clusters 

 many-flowered, shorter than the petioles ; calyx 4-parted, 

 and like the ovary and slightly 4-augled 1-seeded drupe 

 tomentose ; siarnens 4, exserted ; styles thick, obtuse. — A 

 small tree ; leaves 3'-4' long, smooth and shining; flowers 

 greenish-white. 



D. GLAUCA, Vahl. Branches whitish, warty ; leaves 

 glaucous, oblong, obtuse or gland-pointed, coriaceous ; 

 clusters few-flowered, as long as the petioles ; calyx 5-part- 

 ed; stamens 10', drupes oval, tomentose. Leaves 2-3' 

 long. 



112. CROWBERRY FAMILY. Order, Empetrace^. 

 Shrubs, with evergreen linear alternate or whorled leaves, 



