DICOTYLEDONS. 49 



flowers in slender, drooping aments sessile at the end of the 

 growth of the previous season ; stamens 3-12, subtended by 

 a bract, filaments forked, anthers hairy ; pistillate aments 

 spike-like, each pair of flowers subtended by a deciduous 

 bract, and each flower by a persistent bractlet which becomes 

 large and leaf-like in fruit ; ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled ; stigmas 

 2, filiform ; fruit a small angular nut. 



C. Caroliniana Walt. Hornbeam. A small tree with smooth 

 and close gray bark ; twigs slender ; leaves ovate-oblong, acute or 

 acuminate, sharply and doubly serrate, the straight veins terminat- 

 ing in tlie larger serrations ; downy when young and soon becoming 

 smooth; staminate aments 1-1^ in. long; pistilhite aments long- 

 peduncled, 8-12-flowered ; bractlets becoming nearly 1 in. long, cut- 

 toothed, the middle tooth much longer than the others. February- 

 March. In rich, moist woods. Often known as '• blue beech " and 

 " iron wood." 



II. OSTRYA. 



Small trees, with dark bark and very hard wood ; leaves 

 open and concave in the bud and somewliat plaited on the 

 veins ; staminate flowers on slender, drooping aments sessile 

 at the end of the growth of the previous season ; stamens 

 3-12, subtended by a bract, filaments forked, authers liairy ; 

 pistillate flowers surrounded by a tubular bractlet wliicli 

 becomes large and bladder-like at maturity ; fruit a small, 

 pointed, smooth nut ; nuiture anient hop-like. 



(). Vjr(;iniana (Mill) Willd. A small tree with brownish, fur- 

 rowed l)ark ; leaves ovate, acute, doubly serrate, oltcu ine(|uilaleral 

 at the bas«% short-petioled ; staminate and fertile aments 2-;> in. long. 

 Fehruary-March. Mature iruit »Iun<*-rJuly. In rich woods. Often 

 known as " iron wood" and "lever wood." 



III. CORYLUS. 



Shrubs with ])r()inin('ntly vcinrd, cut-toothed leaves which 

 are folded lengthwise in the bud, and with the flowers expand- 

 ing before the leaves ; staminate Howers in slender, drooping 

 aments; stamens 8, anthers 1-celled ; fertile flowers several 

 in a (duster or in very short anuMits at the ends of the twigs 

 of the season ; ovary incompletely 2-c(dled, style short, stig- 



