Shrubs with opposite simple serrulate or entire deciduous or persistent leaves (punctate in some southern species), and small yellow or greenish dioecious or polygamous flowers, fascicled, short-racemose or paniculate from scaly buds produced at the axils of the preceding season, appearing before or with the leaves. Calyx wanting, obsolete, or minute and 4-toothed or 4-parted. Corolla wanting, or of 1 or 2 small deciduous petals. Stamens 2-4; anthers ovate or oblong. Ovary ovoid, 2-celled; ovules 2 in each cell, pendulous; style slender; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit an oblong or subglobose drupe with 1 or rarely 2 seeds. [In honor of Charles Le Forestier, a French physician.]

About 15 species, natives of America. Besides the following, which is the type species, about 7 others occur in the southern and southwestern United States.

1. Forestiera Acuminata (Michx.) Poir. Adelia

Fig. 3323

Adelia acuminata Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. a: 225. pl. 48.

1803. Forestiera acuminata Poir. in Lam. Encycl. Suppl. 2:

664. 1811.

A shrub or small tree, sometimes reaching a height of 300 and a trunk diameter of 8', the branches somewhat spiny, the foliage glabrous. Leaves ovate, lanceolate or oblong, acuminate or acute at both ends, finely denticulate, 1'-4' long, 1/2'-2' wide; petioles slender, 4"-12" long; staminate flowers fascicled; pistillate flowers short-paniculate; calyx obsolete; drupe narrowly oblong when mature, about 1/2' long, when young fusiform and often curved.

River-banks, Indiana to Georgia, west to Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. Wood heavy, soft, not strong, yellowish brown; weight per cubic foot 40 lbs. March-April.