HAMAMEL1DACEAE, 4^9 



nous. Stamens 4-00, perigynous; filaments distinct. Disk circular or 

 none. Ovary compound, of 2 carpels united below, 2-celled ; styles 2, 

 subulate, erect or recurved; ovules 1-00 . Fruit a 2-celled 2-beaked 

 woody or cartilaginous capsule, dehiscent at the summit. Seeds i-sev- 

 eral, anatropous ; embryo large ; endosperm scanty. About 1 5 genera 

 and 35 species, natives of N. Am., Asia and South Africa. 



Ovules 1 in each cavity; flowers perfect or polygamous; shrubs or small trees; fruit not 

 spiny. f 



Flowers white, in catkin-like spikes; petals none. 1. fothergilla. 



Flowers yellow, in axillary clusters; petals long. 2. Hamamelis. 



Ovules several in each cavity; flowers monoecious; large trees ; fruit globular, spiny. 



3. Liquidambar. 



1. FOTHERGILLA Murr. 



Shrubs, the foliage somewhat stellate-pubescent. Leaves alternate, obovate. 

 Flowers in catkin-like bracted terminal spikes, appearing a little before the leaves. 

 Calyx campanulate. slightly 5-7-lobed. Petals none. Stamens about 24, inserted 

 on the edge of the calyx; anthers subglobose. Ovary 2-celled; styles slender. 

 Capsule cartilaginous, 2-celled, 2-seeded. Seeds bony, pendulous. [Named for 

 Dr. John Fothcrgill, 1712-1780, an English naturalist.] Two or three species of 

 eastern N. Am. 



I. Fothergilla Carolina (L.) Britton. Fothergilla. (I. F. f. 1878.) A 

 shrub, 6-15 dm. high, the young twigs densely stellate-pubescent. Leaves short- 

 petioled. 5-8 cm. long, obovate or broadly oval, obtuse or short-pointed at the apex, 

 usually inequilateral, coarsely dentate-crenate above the middle, or entire; spikes 

 erect, 3-5 cm. long; bracts densely pubescent, the lower ones sometimes lobed; 

 stamens white or pinkish, 4-8 mm. long ; capsule very pubescent. In wet grounds, 

 Va. to Ga. April. 



2. HAMAMELIS L. 



Shrubs, with alternate leaves, and clustered lateral yellow bracted flowers, ap- 

 pearing in late summer or autumn. Calyx 4-parted, persistent, adnate to the 

 lower part of the ovary. Petals 4, elongated, linear, persistent, or in the staminate 

 flowers sometimes wanting. Stamens 4, alternating with 4 scale-like staminodia; 

 filaments very short; anthers dehiscent by a valve. Ovary 2-celled; styles 2, short; 

 ovules 1 in each cell, pendulous. Capsule woody, at length 2-valved at the sum- 

 mit. Seed oblong, its testa shining. [Greek, with the apple, flower and fruit be- 

 ing borne together.] Three known species, one native of eastern N. Am., the 

 others of Japan. 



1. Hamamelis Virginiana L. Witch-Hazel (I. F. f. 1879.) A shrub, 

 or rarely a small tree. Leaves short-petioled, obovate or broadly oval, somewhat 

 cordate and inequilateral at the base, stellate-pubescent, at least when young, 5-12 

 cm. long, thick, repand-dentate; flowers in axillary clusters, nearly sessile; petals 

 about 1 mm. wide, 12-18 mm. long; capsule maturing the next season, 6-8 mm. 

 high, at length bursting elastically; seeds large, bony. In low woods, N. B. and 

 N. S. to Minn., Mo., Fla. and Tex. Aug. -Dec. 



3. LIQUIDAMBAR L. 



Large trees with resinous sap, simple alternate lobed petioled leaves, and small 

 monoecious flowers in heads, the staminate clusters racemose, the pistillate ones 

 usually solitary. Calyx and corolla of the staminate flowers none; stamens numer- 

 ous ; filaments short; anthers longitudinally dehiscent. Calyces of the pistillate 

 flowers confluent; petals none; anthers rudimentary, borne on the edge of the calyx; 

 ovary partly inferior, 2-celled; ovules several or numerous; styles 2. Capsules 2- 

 beaked, 2-valved at the summit, dry, hard, forming a dense spinose globular head. 

 [Name Latin- Arabic referring to the fragrant sap.] 



1. Liquidambar Styraciflua L. Sweet Gum. Star-leaved or Red 

 Gum. Bilsted. Alligator-tree. (I. F. f. 1880. ) A forest tree, maximum 

 height about 45 m. ; bark very rough, branches usually winged with corky ridges. 

 Leaves broader than long, 7-20 cm. wide, subcordate at base, deeply 3-7-lobed, 



