76 ROUND THE YEAR 



The catkins of the Alder, like most other catkins, 

 appear before the leaves. The tip of the branch forks 

 beyond the furthest leaf-bud, and each fork divides in 



FIG. 18. Flowering branch of Alder {Alnus glutinosa)^ with catkins and cones. 

 a, a ripe cone. 



two, three or more branches. All the branches of the 

 same fork carry flowers of the same kind, either male 

 (stamen-bearing) or female (ovule-bearing). It cannot 



