198 



CUPULIFER^. 



[part 



THE GENUS CASTANEA. 



This is a very small genus, only containing 

 two or three species, of which only one, the 

 Sweet Chestnut {Castanea vesca) is common in 

 England. This plant was included by Linnseus 

 in the genus Fagus, but it appears very distinct. 

 The male flow^ers are produced round a central 

 axis, but so far apart as hardly to be like a 

 catkin (see am jig. 88). 

 These flowers in the bud 

 look like little knobs, 

 but when they open the 

 stamens burst out. as 

 shown at h. Each 

 flower has a large and a 

 small bract, and from 

 ten to fifteen stamens. 

 The female flowers are 

 disposed in a tuft as 

 shown at c, surrounded 

 by a number of bracts 

 and scales, which afterwards grow together and 

 form a spiny involucre (see^^. 89 a,) which forms 

 the husk of the ripe nuts (J), and opens into 

 four valves as shown at c. Each female flower 

 has a closely-fitting calyx, toothed at the tip, 

 which afterwards becomes the hard brown skin 

 that envelops the kernel of the ripe nut ; and 



Fig. 80.— Chestnut (Castanea 

 vesca). 



