QUERCIFLOKJE. 347 



(A), cylindrical, with the ? at the base and the $ at the top," or 

 some are entirely and composed of small dichasia. The cupule 

 ((7, F) is 4<-valved, provided with spines, and entirely envelops the 

 3 nuts ; it is already developed at the time of flowering. <J -flowers 

 are most frequently borne in 7-flowered dichasia, and have a well developed 

 perianth, most frequently consisting of 6 leaves in two whorls (Fig. 332 B), and 

 a large number of stamens. $ -flowers are most frequently borne in 3-flowered 

 dichasia (Figs. 332 C, 333) ; the letters in Fig. 333 indicate the older theory, 

 according to which the 4 bracteoles (a'-ft) of the two lateral flowers are thick 

 and united into a single 4-valved, woody cupule, which surrounds the 3 nuts, 

 and is furnished externally with spines ; the spines are well developed hair- 

 structures. 6 carpels in two whorls. The leaves in the vertical shoots have 

 a divergence of f , f , T 5 ^ ; on the horizontal shoots they are alternate. The 

 cotyledons remain underground on germination. 



Fagus (Beech). The < -catkins are pendulous, capitate ; the <$ - 

 flowers have an obliquely bell-shaped, fringed perianth, with 6-20 



FIG. 333. Diagram of the cupule of Castanea. FIG. 33*. Female flower of Fagus (mag.) 



stamens. ? -catkins erect, 2-flowered, borne singly in the axil of 

 foliage-leaves of the same year; the $ -flower has a gyriceceum 

 formed of 3 carpels, bearing an epigynous, 6-leaved perianth (Fig. 

 334). In this genus the dichasium has only 2 flowers, the central 

 one being suppressed. The cupule contains, therefore, only 2 tri- 

 angular nuts (" mast "). All the shoots have the leaves arranged in two 

 rows; the rows are on the underside, being only about 90 distant from each 

 other ; the buds on the other hand approach each other towards the upper side. 

 The bud-scales are stipules without laminae ; in vernation the laminae are folded 

 -along the lateral ribs, the upper lateral portion being the largest (as in Horn- 

 beam and Chestnut). The cotyledons are folded, and at germination are 

 aerial, large, and reniform. 4 species (Europe, Japan, N. Am.) Notliofagus 

 (S. Am., New Zealand, S. Austr.) 



Quercus (Oak, Fig. 335). Catkins simple. $ -catkins long, 

 thin, pendulous, few-flowered. $ -catkins erect ; the cupule is cup- 

 like, entire, and encloses only the base of the solitary nut (" acorn "). 

 The <?- flower has a similar construction to that of the Chestnut. The- 



