sai'ind.u •]•;.*:. 



251 



Ranges; Mt. Diablo Range. Mar.-May. Sometimes called Western 

 Sumach. 



52. SAPINDACE/E. Buckeye Family. 



Ours trees or shrubs with opposite compound leaves, no stipules, 

 and irregular polygamous flowers. Ovary superior, 3-celled with 2 

 ovules in each cell. Endosperm none. 



1. /ESCULUS L. Horse Chestnut. 

 Leaves palmately compound; leaflets serrate, stipules none. Flow- 

 ers showy, on jointed pedicels, in a terminal thyrse, mostly sterile, 

 only one or two in each thyrse perfecting fruit. Calyx tubular, 

 unequally cleft. Petals 4 or 5, slightly unequal, clawed. Stamens 

 5 to 7, exserted and often unequal. Ovary 3-celled; ovules 2 in each 

 cell, commonly but one ovule in the ovary maturing; style elongated. 

 Fruit a large 3-valved capsule, loculicidally dehiscent. Seed with- 

 out endosperm; coat thick and polished, with a large round scar; 

 cotyledons very large and fleshy, somewhat coherent. (The ancient 

 name of the tallest Italian Oak, having edible acorns and sacred to 

 Jupiter.) 



1. /E. Californica (SpacM Nutt. Buckeye. A low tree, com- 

 monly 10 to 15 ft. high, with the rounded or depressed crown of 

 greater breadth; inflorescence minutely pubescent, otherwise glabrous; 

 leaflets 5 to 7 on petiolules, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, acute 

 or acuminate at apex, serrulate, 3 to 5 in. long; thyrse C3'lindrical, 4 

 to 6 in. long; flowers 4 or 5 lines long, ill-scented; calyx 2 to 

 3-lobed; corolla white; petals 7 lines long, the limb elliptic or ovate, 

 rotately spreading, the claw on the back and margins minutely soft- 

 pubescent; stamens commonly 6, becoming much exserted by elonga- 

 tion after the opening of the corolla, at first declined, 2 or 3 (usually 

 the lower) elongating and becoming erect in advance of the others: 

 fruit smooth, 1-seeded; seed ^ in. in diameter. 



Common throughout middle California, especially on the dry foot- 

 hills; a beautiful tree when laden in June with its profusion of white 

 flowers. Perfect flowers 2 or 3, sometimes 4 or 5, but always in the 

 upper portion of the thyrse. The thyrse usually produces but one 

 fruit; this is pendulous on the at length naked axis of the inflo- 

 rescence, and on account of its size, color and hanging position 

 explains the name, "California Pear," given it by the pioneers. 



53. ACERACE>£. Maple Family. 



Very closely allied to the preceding family, differing chiefly in the 

 regular flowers and 2-celled ovary. Leaves palmately lobed or 

 compound. 



1. ACER L. Maple. 

 Trees or shrubs with palmately lobed leaves. Flowers polygamous 

 or dioecious, small, in terminal racemes, umbel-like corymbs or 



