692 FLORA. 



Pyxidanthera of the Diapensiaceae), as many as its lobes and alternate 

 with them, or twice as many. Ovary compound. 



Stamens free from the corolla, or merely adnate to its base, not united into a tube. 

 Ovary superior; fruit a capsule, or rarely drupaceous. 

 Corolla essentially polypetalous. 



Ovary 3-celled ; shrubs; leaves deciduous. Fam. 1. Clethraceae. 



Ovary 4-5-celled; low, mostly evergreen perennials. 



Fam. 2. Pyrolaceae. 

 Corolla distinctly gamopetalous (except in Monotropa and Hypopitys of the 

 Monotropaceae and Ledum of the Ericaceae). 

 Herbaceous saprophytes without green leaves. Fam. 3. Monotropaceae. 

 Shrubs with normal, often evergreen leaves. Fam. 4. Ericaceae. 



Ovary inferior, adnate to the calyx, forming a many-seeded berry or drupe in fruit. 



Fam. 5. Vacciniaceae. 

 Stamens borne at the sinuses of the corolla, or united in a 10-lobed tube. 



Fam. 6. Diapensiaceae. 



Family 1. CLETHRACEAE Klotsch. 



White-alder Family. 



Shrubs or trees with alternate deciduous serrate or serrulate petioled 

 leaves in our species, and small white fragrant flowers in terminal usually 

 elongated racemes. Calyx 5-cleft, or 5-parted, persistent, the segments 

 imbricated, Petals 5, slightly united at the base, imbricated, deciduous. 

 Stamens 10; filaments slender; anthers sagittate, inverted in anthesis, 

 the sacs opening by large apical pores ; pollen-grains simple. Disk obso- 

 lete. Ovary 3-angled or 3-lobed, 3-celled, pubescent ; ovules numerous ; 

 style slender; stigmas 3 in our species. Capsule 3-celled, loculicidally 

 3-valved, the valves at length 2-cleft. Only the following genus, compris- 

 ing about 30 species, of N. Am., Japan, Mex. and S. Am. 



I. CLETHRA L. 



Characters of the family. [Greek, alder, from the resemblance of the foliage.] 

 Besides the following, another species occurs in the southern States. 



Leaves obovate, acute or obtuse; filaments glabrous. 1. C. alnifolia. 



Leaves oval or ovate, acuminate; filaments hirsute. 2. C. acuminata. 



1. Clethra alnifolia L. Sweet Pepperbush. White Alder. (I. F. f. 

 2724.) A shrub, 1-3 m. high, the twigs minutely canescent. Leaves narrowed or 

 cuneate at the base, sharply serrate, at least beyond the middle, glabrous or nearly 

 so on both sides, 2.5-7.5 cm. long; petioles 2-12 mm. long; bracts short, deciduous; 

 pedicels, calyx and capsule canescent; calyx lobes obtuse, nerved; flowers about 

 8 mm. broad, of spicy fragrance; style longer than the stamens; capsule subglo- 

 bose. about 3 mm. in diameter, about the length of the calyx. In wet soil, Me. to 

 northern N. J. and Fla., mostly near the coast. July- Aug. 



2. Clethra acuminata Michx. Mountain Sweet Pepperpush. (I. F. f. 

 2725.) A shrub or small tree, similar to the preceding. Leaves green above, pale 

 and sometimes pubescent beneath, serrulate with sharp- pointed teeth, 5-18 cm. 

 long, sometimes 1 cm. wide; petioles 8-25 mm. long; racemes spreading or re- 

 curved, 5-20 cm. long, the rachis, pedicels and calyx densely pubescent or canes- 

 cent; bracts longer than the flowers, caducous. In mountain woods, Va. and W. 

 Va. to Ga. July-August. 



Family 2. PYROLACEAE Agardh. 



Wintt ygreen Family. 



Low mostly evergreen perennials, with branched rootstocks. Leaves 

 petioled. Flowers nearly regular, white or pink. Calvx 4-5-lobed. Co- 

 rolla deeply 4-5-parted, or of 5 petals. Stamens twice as many as the 



divisions of the corolla, the anthers introrse in the bud. inverted at an- 



