MONOECI A— POLYANDRI A. Betula. 1 53 



all botanists devoted to one object, as he was to fruits and seeds, 

 mostly attach too universal and exclusive importance to such 

 parts/in botanical discrimination. A good judge should con- 

 template the whole fructification and habit impartially, learning 

 from thence the limits of a genus, and not making technical 

 characters form the genus, as is now too often done ; witness 

 some able french writers on Orcliulecc, and a thousand unlearn- 

 ed ones on every side. Willdenow cannot however pass un- 

 blamed for naming corolla in Castanea, what is evidently as 

 truly a calyx as in his Fagus. Could he really aim at making 

 only a more plausible generic character r — Dr. Hooker very pro- 

 perly corrects him. 

 The 7iuts, termed Beech Mast, are the food of hogs, and of va- 

 rious small wild quadrupeds. By pressure they yield a sweet 

 oil, fit for many purposes, but which has, I know not why, dis- 

 appointed several speculators who aimed at making it a source 

 of ])ecuniary advantage. 



444. BETULA. Birch. 



Linn. Gen. ASd. Juss. 409. Fl.BrAOW. Camp. eel. \. ]:>7. Tourn. 

 t. 3C0. Lam. t. 760. Gcertn. t. 90. 



Nat. Ord. see n. 442. 



Barr.Jl. Catkin cylindrical, lax, imbricated all round, with 

 ternate, concave scales ; the middle one largest, ovate. 

 Cor. none. Filam. 10 — 12, shorter than the middle scale, 

 to which they are attached. Anth. roundish, 2-lobed. 



Fert, f., C«//i77i similar, but more dense; scales horizon- 

 tal, peltate, dilated outwards, 3-lobed, 3-flowered. Cor, 

 none. Germ, compressed, bordered, of 2 cells. Slj/les 

 2, awl-shaped, downy. Sligm. simple. Nut oblong, de- 

 ciduous, winged at each side, of 1 cell, with a solitai-y 

 /ce?mel. 



Trees or shrubs^ very hardy, with rounti, slender brauc/ies ; 

 scattered, stalked, simple, serrated, deciduous leaves .• 

 and a hard, often veiny, Xiiood. Bark., in several species, 

 of many fine, soft, membranous layers. 



1. 15. all/a. Coinnioii liirch. /S. A\Vt'pini^' Birch. 

 Leaves ovate, acute, somewhal deltoid, unecjually senatid, 



nearly smooth, 

 li. alba. Lum.S],. Vl.WVX). ////A/, r. I. ll.-J //./;/. 101 J. l.u-l. 



Hot. V. :\ I . /. 'J I i)S. //oo/t. Siut. 'J7 1 . / /. i)au. t. I I(i7. 

 H. n. 1 (J'JH. Hall. Uisl. »'. 2. 2!)!). 

 ]\. puhescens. Ehrh. Arb. i\7 . PI. Of. 33S. 



