The Bulletin. 



25 



bright-colored kind that attract bees, butterflies and other beauty 

 lovers. They are, on the other hand ; of the inconspicuous type that 

 depend on the wind for fertilization and do not attract insects for 

 the work of pollen bearing. Most common flowers are perfect and 

 have in the one flower all the essential organs for fertilization. An 

 apple blossom is a good example of this type of flower. Pecan blos- 

 soms are not perfect, but belong to that peculiar class of inflorescence 



Fig. 13. — Branch Showing Pistillate Flowers, Which Later Become Nuts. 



(Photo by S. B. Shaw.) 



known to botanists as monoecious; that is, having the male and female 

 organs in different flowers on the same tree. The staminate or male 

 flowers are in the form of long tassel-like catkins. These appear 

 along the sides of the twigs of last year's growth and push out in 

 spring, before the pistillate or female blossoms are evident. See Fig. 

 12. This fact gives rise to the popular but erroneous impression 

 that pecan trees bloom twice a year. The pistillate or female blos- 

 soms are on the end of the fresh, new growth of the present season. 



