QUERCIFLOR.E. 



347 



(J.), cylindrical, with the ? at the base and the <$ at the top, or 

 some are entirely $ and composed of small dichasia. The cupule 

 (C, F) is 4-valved, provided with spines, and entirely envelops the 

 3 nuts ; it is already developed at the time of flowering 1 . $ -flowers 

 are most frequently borne in 7-flowered dichasia, aud have a well developed 

 perianth, most frequently consisting of 6 leaves in two whorls (Fig. 332 />), and 

 a large number of stamens. $ -flowers are most frequently borne in 3-flowered 

 dichasia (Figs. 332 C, 333) ; the letters in Fig. 333 indicate the older theory, 

 according to which the 4 bracteoles (a'-/3'j of the two lateral flowers are thick 

 aud united into a single 4-valved, woody cupule, which surrounds the 3 nuts, 

 and is furnished externally with spines ; the spines are well developed hair- 

 structures. 6 carpels in two whorls. The leaves in the vertical shoots have 

 a divergence of , |, $ ; on the horizontal shoots they are alternate. The 

 cotyledons remain underground on germination. 



Fagus (Beech). The -catkins are pendulous, capitate; the <$ - 

 flowers have an obliquely bell -shaped, fringed perianth, with 6-20 



FIG. 333. Diagram of the cupule of Castanea. FIG. 334. Female flower of Fagus (mag.) 



stamens. ? -catkins erect, 2-flowered, borne singly in the axil of 

 foliage-leaves of the same year; the ? -flower has a gyuceceum 

 formed of 3 carpels, bearing an epigynous, 6-leaved perianth (Fig. 

 334). In this genus the dichasium has only 2 flcnvers, the central 

 one being suppressed. The cupule contains, therefore, only 2 tri- 

 angular nuts ('' mast "). All the shoots have the leaves arranged in two 

 rows; the rows are on the underside, being only about 90" distant from each 

 other ; the buds on the other hand approach each other towards the upper side. 

 Tbe bud-scales are stipules without laminae ; in vernation the laminae are folded 

 along the lateral ribs, the upper lateral portion being the largest (as iu Horn- 

 beam and Chestnut). The cotyledons are folded, and at germination are 

 aerial, large, and reniform. 4 species (Europe, Japan, N. Am.) Notlwfugus 

 (S. Atn., New Zealand, S. Austr.) 



Quercus (Oak, Fig. 335). Catkins simple, ^-catkins long, 

 thin, pendulous, few-flowered. $ -catkins erect ; the cupule is cup- 

 like, entire, and encloses only the base of the solitary nut (" acorn "). 

 The $ -flower has a similar construction to that of the Chestnut. The 



