112 



INFLORESCENCE 



Fig. 66. 



10th. Ament or catkin, is an assemblage 

 of flowers, composed of scales and stamens, 

 arranged along a common thread-like re- 

 ceptable, as in the chesnut and willow; 

 this is more particularly described under 

 the divisions of the calyx. The scales of 

 the ament are properly the calyxes ; the 

 whole aggregate, including scales, sta- 

 mens or pistils, 1 and filiform receptacle, con- 

 stitutes the ament. At Fig. 66 is the rep- 

 resentation of the ament of the poplar, con- 

 taining pistillate flowers; this is oblong, 

 loosely imbricated, and cylindrical; the 

 ' calyx is a flat scale, with deep, fringed 

 i partings. At b, is a representation of the 

 'fertile or pistillate flower; the calyx or 

 bract is a little below the corolla, which is cup shaped, of one 

 petal, and crowned with an egg-shaped, pointed germ ; the 

 germ is superior, and bears four (sometimes eight) stigmas. 



The staminate ament resembles the pistillate, except that its 

 corolla encloses eight stamens, but no pistil. The poplar is in 

 the class Dioecia, because the pistillate and staminate flowers 

 are on different trees, and of the order Octandria, because its 

 barren flowers have eight stamens. 

 Fig. 67. 



llth. Spadix,isa.n 

 assemblage of flowers 

 growing upon a com- 

 mon receptacle, and 

 surrounded by a spa- 

 tha or sheath, as in 

 the Egyptian lily. 

 At Fig. 67 a, is a rep- 

 resentation of the 

 blossom of the wild 

 turnip (arum) ; a rep- 

 resents the spatha 

 which is erect, sheath- 

 ing, oblong, convolute 

 at the base, b; com- 

 pressed above and be- 

 low the middle ; c rep- 

 resents the spadix 

 which, from its club- 

 shaped appearance, is called clavi form (from 



Ament Spadix. 



