122 THE OAK 
of the tree—i.e. 2—so far as it goes. It should be 
borne in mind that the bud-scales are stipules. 
‘The male inflorescences hang down from between 
the bud-scales as simple catkin-like spikes, each bear- 
ing about a dozen flowers. Hach male flower springs 
Fic. 31.—A sprig of oak in May, with the pendent male 
catkins below, and the minute spikes of female flowers 
just showing above. (Th. Hartig.) 
from the axil of a tiny scale-like bract, and consists of 
a shallow perianth, unequally divided into about five to 
seven small linear-lanceolate lobes, enclosing about five 
to twelve stamens; there is no trace of an ovary. The 
number of lobes of the perianth varies, as also does the 
