142 AMENTACE^ 



usually simple ; stigmas 1 or more. This order consists of shrubs, and of 

 some very valuable trees. It is divided into several sub-orders or groups, 

 and four of these groups contain British species. The first sub-order, 

 Myriceee (Sweet Gale Group), has its flowers in catkins, and its ripe fruit 

 assumes a drupe-like form, from being surrounded by the fleshy scales of the 

 catkins. In Betulineise (the Birch Group), the flowers are all in catkins, and 

 the fruit is thin, flattened and dry, 1-celled, and containing one or two seeds 

 without downy tufts. In Salicinese (the Willow Group), all the flowers are 

 in catkins, the fruit is a 2-valved capsule, and the seeds are tufted with 

 down ; while in the Cupuliferse, the fertile flowers are in tufts or spikes, the 

 barren flowers in catkins, and the fruit is either entirely or partly inclosed 

 in a bony or leathery case, termed a cupula. 



Suh-Order I. Sweet Gale Group {Myrkece). 



1. Sweet Gale {Myrica). — Stamens and pistils on different plants ; scales 

 of the catkin concave ; stamens 2 — 16 ; stigmas 2 ; fruit drupe-like, 1-seeded. 

 Name in Greek synonymous with the tamarisk. 



Suh-Order II. Birch Group {BHulinece). 



2. Birch (Betula). — Stamens and pistils in separate flowers ; scales of 

 the barren catkins in threes ; stamens 2 ; scales of the fertile catkin 3-lobed, 

 3-flowered; stigmas 2 ; fruit flattened, 1-seeded, winged. Name said, by 

 Sir W. Hooker, to be from betu, the Celtic name for the Birch. 



3. Alder (Almts). — Stamens and pistils in separate flowers; scales of 

 the barren catkin 3-lobed, 3-flowered ; stamens 4 ; scales of the fertile catkin 

 2-flowered, permanent, becoming hard and dry ; stigmas 2 ; fruit flattened, 

 not winged. 



Suh-Order III. Willow Group (Sulicinece). 



4. Willow (Sdlix). — Stamens and pistils on different plants ; scales of 

 the catkin overlapping each other; stamens 1 — 5; stigmas 2; capsule of 2 

 valves, 1-celled ; seeds numerous, with downy tufts. Name said, by Theis, 

 to be from the Celtic sal, near, and lis, water. 



5. Poplar (Pdpulus). — Stamens and pistils on different plants ; scales of 

 the catkin jagged; stamens 4 — 12; stigmas 2, 2 — 3 — 4-cleft ; capsule of 2 

 valves ; seeds numerous, with downy tufts. Name from the Latin j^opulus, 

 or the Tree of the People. 



Sub-Order IV. Mast-bearing Group {Oupuliferce). 



6. Beech (Fdgus). — Barren flowers in a globose catkin ; stamens 8 — 40 ; 

 fertile flowers 2 — 4 together, within a 4-lobed prickly involucre ; stigmas 3 ; 

 nuts 3-cornered. Name in Greek, phago, from the eatable fruit. 



7. Chestnut (Castdnea).- — Barren flowers in a long cylindrical catkin or 

 spike ; stamens 10 — 20 ; fertile flowers 3 together, within a 4-lobed very 

 prickly involucre; stigmas 3 — 8; nuts 1 — 3 together, within the enlarged 

 prickly involucre. Name from Castanea, in Thessaly. 



8. Oak (Qu&cus). — Barren flowers in a long di'ooping catkin ; stamens 



