\ 



614 



MONOECIA POLYANDRIA. 



i a 



CASTANEA. Tournefort. 



3Iasculi. Amentiijn 

 nudum. Calyx 0. Co- 

 rolla 5-petahi. St ami' 



na 



io. 



10 



Foeminei, Cahjx 5 

 6 phyllus, muricatus. 



Corolla 0. 



Germina 



3. Stigmata penicilli- 



formia. Nuces 1 — 

 calyce echinato inclusce. 



V 



Sterile florets, 

 ment naked. Calyx 0. 

 Corolla five-petalled. 



Stamens 10 



20. 



Fertile florets 



Ca- 



lyx 5 



6 leaved, muri- 



cate. Corolla 0. Germs 

 3. Stigmas feathered. 

 AhUs 1 — Sj included in 

 an ecliinate calyx. 



1. Vesca. Var. Americana. 



C. foliis lanceolatis, 

 acuminatis, mucronato- 

 sei'iatis 

 bris. 



^ 



utrinque gla 



Leaves lanceolate, 

 acuminate, mucroiiatc- 

 ly serrate, glabrous on 

 botli surfaces. 



Sp. pi. 4. 459^ Mich. 2. p. 193. Pursh, 2. p. 624. Nutt. 2. p. 217- ' 

 Fagns Castanca, Lin. Walt. p. 233. 



Icon. Mieh. arb. for. 2. p. 156. 



70 feet In height, and 3 



A very large tree, growing sometimes from CO , „ ^ . . 



5 feet in diameter, tlic trunk generally erect and straight, the brandies oi- 

 ten irregular. Leaces large, oblong-lanceolate, pubescent underneath when 

 young, very glabrous when old. Spil:cs or Aments of sterile flowers, axi - 

 iary, very long, florets in small clusters, mostly dodecandrous, but varyi"o 

 from 5 — 20 stamens. Corolla 6-parted, somewhat lateral. •S''""*^' , ^"£ 

 er than the corolla. Fertile Spikes 2—3 together, sliort, thick. 



Involucrum 2 



Cahjx or 

 Corolla 



3 flowered, solitary, squamose, at length muncate 



Stigmas numerous, rigid ana 



tubular, irregularly 6 — 8-parted. 

 white. 



Style I. ---„ 

 Abortive stamens about 12. Nuts generally 3, enclosed in the pe 

 slstent and spinous involucrum. Nuttall. - - 



The wood of this tree is very extensively used; U is supposed to ''*^^* A' 

 cissitudes of the weather better than that of most of our forest trees, ana 

 therefore employed wherever tliat quality is particularly required. , ^ 



Grows very abundantly in dry, stony, gravelly ridges; not found alone 



the sea-coa.st. 



Flowers Aj)rjl — May. 



