HORNBEAM 243 



adherent, wing-like, incomplete cupule to 

 the nut-like fruits. 



Carpinus Betulus, L. Hornbeam (Figs. 78, 79). Medium 

 tree, with Beech-like habit and smooth Beech-like but 

 nuted stem, and dull, somewhat Elm-like leaves, and 

 large rosy stipules on the young shoots. Monoecious, 

 anemophilous flowers. 



Male catkins tawny, numerous, 3 4 cm. long, repre- 

 senting dwarf shoots, and developed in spring ; scales broad 

 ovate, acute, entire, veined longitudinally, and ciliate; 

 yellowish-green, with reddened tips. 



Each scale bears on its inner face a naked </ flower, 

 consisting of about 8 10 (4 12) stamens, split nearly 

 to the base, with long yellow ovoid anthers, hairy at 

 their tips, and with no bracteoles. Pollen pale yellowish, 

 irregularly polyhedral, papillose, with 3 pores, about 50 p 

 in diameter. 



Female catkins fewer, terminating the long shoots, 

 about 2 cm. long, pale green, loose, and with small de- 

 ciduous bracts and bracteoles in the cover-scales. 



Scales ovate-acuminate, long-ciliate. Each cover-scale 

 bears two collateral $ flowers (dichasium), whicL, like the 

 scales, are covered with long white hairs. There are 6 

 subtending bracteoles, and each $ flower consists of a 

 2-celled ovary, with one ovule in each cell, surmounted by 

 a minute epigynous perigone, and two red stigmas. 



Fruiting catkins loose and pendent, about 8 cm. long; 

 on a stalk of nearly equal length. Fruit 1 -seeded and 

 nut-like, ribbed, crowned by the angular, toothed perigone, 

 and remains of the stigmas ; and winged with a large 

 tri-lobed foliaceous appendage (cupule) 3 4 cm. long, 

 composed of the fused and enlarged, prominently-veined 

 bract and bracteoles, the catkin-scales having fallen off. 



162 



