CORYLACEHZ OR CUPULIFERA. 685 
cathartic properties.—J. nigra, the Black Walnut, a native of North 
America, is also esteemed for its timber.—J/. cinerea, the White Walnut or 
Butter-nut, is another useful timber tree. The inner bark of its root, which 
is official in the United States Pharmacopeia under the name of Butter-nut, 
is employed as a mild purgative. When applied to the skin it also acts as 
a rubefacient. The substance termed juglandin is obtained from this bark ; 
it is regarded as a useful remedy in habitual constipation. The unripe fruit 
is used for pickling ; and the ripe seed is edible like our common walnut. 
Order 2. CoRYLACE2 or CUPULIFER&, the Oak Order.— 
Character. —Trees or shrubs. Leaves (fig. 205) alternate, 
usually feather-veined (figs. 312 and 313), simple, with decidu- 
ous stipules. lowers moncecious. Male flowers clustered or in 
amenta (fig. 397), and with or without bracts ; stamens 5—20 
(fig. 1050), inserted into the base of a membranous calyx, or of 
scales orbracts. Female flowers solitary or amentaceous, and sur- 
rounded by an involucre of bracts (fig. 1051), which ultimately 
form a cupule (figs. 400 and 401) round the ovary and fruit ; 
ovary inferior, surmounted by a rudimentary calyx, 3- (jig. 1052) 
or more celled ; ovules 2 in each cell or solitary, pendulous or 
Fie. 1050. Fig. 1051. . Fie. 1052. 
Fig. 1050. Male flower of a species of Oak ( Quercus ).— Fig. 1051. Female 
flower of the same.—Fig. 1052. Transverse section of the female flower. 
peltate ; stigmas almost sessile. Fruit a glans or nut (figs. 400 
and 401), 1-celled by abortion, more or less enclosed by the 
cupule. Seeds large, 1 or 2, exalbuminous ; cotyledons thick, 
fleshy or farinaceous ; radicle superior. 
Bentham and Hooker include the order Betulacez in the 
Cupuliferze (see page 668), and divide the order as thus consti- 
tuted into three tribes as follows :—Tribe 1. Betuleze. Tribe 2. 
Corylee. Tribe3. Quercinee. 
The Betulez are at once distinguished by their superior 
ovary, and the absence of a cupule from the two latter; and the 
Corylez from the Quercineze by the male flowers being achla- 
mydeous, and having one ovule in each cell of the ovary ; the 
latter having a 3—7- lobed ovary, and 2 ovules in each cell. 
Some authors, again, divide this order into two orders— 
Corylaceze and Cupuliferz. 
Distribution and Numbers.—They abound in the forests of 
temperate regions. A few occur in the high lands of tropical 
and hot climates. Illustratiwe Genera :—Carpinus, Tourn. ; 
Corylus, Towrn. ; Quercus, Towrn. There are nearly 300 species. 
