3874 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
smooth, and of a remarkably dark copper color. The recent 
shoots are covered with a close, brownish down, which is not 
entirely removed till the end of three or four years. 
‘The leaves are alternate, on very short petioles, oblong-lance- 
olate, often larger towards the extremity, rather obtuse, obso- 
letely serrate and somewhat revolute at the margin, shining 
above and dotted with scaly dots, which beneath are rust- 
colored. 
The flowers are in racemes, on the ends of the branclies, in 
the axil of last year’s leaves. These leaves are much sinaller 
than those not supporting flowers, and are formed later in the 
previous season. ‘They diminish in size to the extremity of the 
branch, where they a1e only two or three lines long. 
The flower-stalks are short and stout, and, at the time of fruit, 
are arranged in two rows. Just below the calyx are two very 
short, rounded, acuminate bracts. The segments of the calyx 
are five, pointed, with a membranous border, coriaceous, per- 
sistent, and protecting the fruit, and closely covered with white 
scales. 
Corolla white, egg-shaped, somewhat five-sided, contracted 
towards the mouth, ending in five slightly reflexed, rounded, 
brownish teeth, between which the point of the pistil shows 
itself. Stamens ten, opening from the base of the corolla; 
filament ribbon-shaped, white below, gradually tapering to a 
brownish thread. Pistil persistent, tapermg, gradually dying 
down to the capsule. Fruit a capsule, round, flattened, opening 
late by five valves, two-coated, the external, dark, coriaceous, 
the internal, whitish yellow, and remaining on the branches 
until the appearance of the flowers of the succeeding spring. 
Anthers brown, of two long, conical tubes, opening at the point. 
It forms large beds in the edge of swamps or bogey meadows, 
where it opens its abundant and showy racemes in April, among 
the earliest flowers of spring. 
AX. 3. THE LYONIA. LYOWNIA. Nuttall. 
A genus sonamed by Mr. Nuttall to commemorate the name 
of John Lyon, an indefatigable collector of North American 
plants, who fell victim to a dangerous epidemic, amidst those 
