The Flowering of the Forest Trees 7 1 l 



idea of fraternity and cooperation is carried through- 

 out. 



But the pistillate flowers of the forest-trees are 

 less gregarious. They grow singly, or in small, 

 compact clusters, which almost invariably terminate 

 the branches and tip the twigs, so that they are 

 in the best possible position to catch some of the 

 wind-blown pollen as it flies by. Those of the 

 walnut, " pig-nut," and hickory are bright-green, 

 like the unfolding foliage. At the heart of each 

 is a single pistil, forking into two plume-like heads, 

 which look downy, but prove unexpectedly solid to 

 the touch. The pistil plumes of the butternut 

 are dull-red, and might easily be mistaken for a 

 pair of unfolding baby-leaves (Fig. 11). 



The pistillate flower, or little nut, of the beech 

 tree is one green ovary, capped with three thread- 

 like styles, and walled about with scales which will 

 become the bur of the nut one of these days. 

 The young acorn is a three-celled ovary (and 

 thereby hangs a tale), containing the first begin- 

 nings of six seeds, and capped by a stigma which 

 forks into three. Around its base is a little scaly 

 covering, the acorn-cup that is to be. 



The embryo nuts of the walnut, butternut, 

 hickory, and beech, and the baby-acorns, appear 



