THE MAPLES. 



57 



In other trees, the twigs will be found to resemble Fig. 



74. The scaly buds are present, and the clusters of flow- 

 ers within them as before, but the projecting stamens 

 are wanting. If stamens are present at all, they are 

 short and almost concealed in the calyx, as shown in Fig. 



75, where two anthers are just visible over the edge of 



the calyx. The centre of the flower 

 is occupied by a syncarpous pistil, 

 having a two-celled ovary and two 

 long styles, as shown in the figure. 



The flowers of the Maple, there- 

 fore, being sterile or staminate upon 

 one tree, and fertile or pistillate upon 

 another, are, as in Willow, said to be 

 dioecious ; or, if we take into account 

 the fact that some of the flowers 

 have stamens as well as pistils, we 

 shall more accurately describe the 

 whole inflorescence ( or mode of 

 flowering) as polygamo-dioecious. 



In Maple, as in 

 Fig. 75. Billow, the assist- 

 ance of insects is necessary to ensure 

 the transfer of the pollen to the stigma. 

 The flowers are, therefore, entomophilous. 

 After fertilization, a wing is devel- 

 oped from the back of each of the two 

 carpels, and the pedicels lengthen, so that as the fruit 

 ripens it presents the familiar aspect of hanging clusters of 

 double samaras, as these winged fruits are called (Fig. 76), 



Fig. 74. Twig of Red Maple bearing pistillate flowers. 

 Fig. 75. Single pistillate flower. (Wood & Steele.) 

 Fig. 76. Winged fruit or samara of Maple. 



Fig. 74. 



