438 OLEACEiE centunculus 



8AMOLUS . 



peduncles that recurve in fruit: lobes of the corolla lanceolate, acute, 

 minutely denticulate or glandular-ciliate, but little longer than the calyx : 

 seeds minute. California to Oregon and the Atlantic States. Naturalized 

 from Europe and Asia. 



10 CENTUNCULUS Dill. L. Gen. n. 145. 



Low glabrous annuals with mostly alternate leaves and minute 

 solitary flowers in the axils of the middle leaves. Calyx 4-5-par- 

 ted into linear acute lobes, longer than the corolla, persistent. 

 Corolla small, with subglobose tube and 4 or 5 acute entire teeth. 

 Stamens 4 or 5, inserted on the throat of the corolla, with distinct 

 short filaments and broadly ovate to cordate obtuse anthers Style 

 filiform : stigma capitate. Seeds minute, numerous. 



C. minimus L. Sp. 116. Stems ascending, 2-6 inches long, simple or 

 branched : leaves ovate, obovate or spatulate-oblong, tapering at base, 2-3 

 lines long, all but the lowest sessile: flowers 4-5-merous : calyx-lobes lan- 

 ceolate, acuminate, fully as long as the capsule. In moist places, California 

 and Oregon to Brit. Columbia, Minnesota and Illinois. Europe and S. Am. 



Tribe 2 Samolese Endl. Gen. 734- Ovary connate at base with 

 the base of the calyx. 



11 SAMOLUS Tourn. L. Gen. n. 222. 



Low glabrous caulescent herbs with alternate entire leaves and 

 small white flowers in simple or panicled racemes. Flowers 5- 

 merons. Calyx persistent, its tube adnate to the ovary below. 

 Corolla perigynous, nearly campanulate ; the rounded lobes imbri- 

 cated in the bud. Fertile stamens 5, inserted on the tube of the 

 corolla; with short filaments and cordate anthers: staminoidea 5, 

 in the sinuses of the corolla, or wanting. Style short or slender: 

 stigma obtuse or capitate. Capsule ovate or globular, 5-valved at 

 the top, many seeded. Seeds minute. 



S. floribundus H. B. K. Nov. Gen. ii, 224. Stems erect or ascending, 

 6-18 inches high, diffusely branched, leafy up to the racemes: leaves ob- 

 ovate to spatulate^l-3 inches long, tapering to a short petiole: flowers 

 usually numerous, less than a line broad, in loose paniculate racemes: 

 pedicels filiform, spreading, 4-12 lines long, bracteolate near the middle : 

 calyx adherent to the middle of the ovary and capsule, the lobes ovate, 

 half as long as tbe short* campanulate corolla : sterile filaments in the sinu- 

 ses reflexed. In wet places, California to Brit. Columbia, Canada, Florida 

 and Texas. 



Order LIX OLEACEiE Lindl. Nat. Syst, 



Trees or shrubs, rarely almost herbaceous, with colorless 

 bland juice, opposite, rarely alternate, leaves without stipules 

 and perfect or dioecious regular flowers. Flowers gamopetal- 

 ous, 2-4-petalous, apetalous or even achlaraydeous. Stamens 

 2, sometimes 4, fewer than the parts of the corolla, distinct. 

 Ovary two-celled, with one or two pairs of anatropous ovules in 

 each cell. Style one or none. Fruit a capsule, samara, berry 

 or drupe. Seeds with a rather large embryo in firm fleshy al- 



