198 DICOTYLEDONS CUPULIFEE^E DIAGRAM 16. 



inserted, as in the thistle, upon the ovary ; and it has five stamons 

 with the pistil in the middle. We find in the camomile and the 

 daisy, besides the ordinary yellow regular flowers, others which are 

 irregular like those of the chicory, and white, and form a rim 

 round the others. But these irregular flowers are also incomplete ; 

 they have neither stamens nor pistils, and are neither male nor 

 female, but neuter ; and therefore produce no seeds. 



In the Sunflower the receptacle is also surrounded with irre- 

 gular neuter flowers ; but there is a difference between the flowers 

 within them. In the centre of the receptacle they have a pistil 

 and no stamens, and are female flowers ; but towards the edges of 

 the receptacle, they are male flowers, with stamens and no pistil. 

 The latter, like the neuter flowers, of course produce no seeds. 



The Dahlia is a composite plant in which all the flowers have 

 been rendered neuter and irregular by cultivation. In its native 

 country, there is only a row of large neuter flowers round the 

 receptacle, and the others are small and yellow, as in most 

 composite. 



FAMILY CUPULIFERffi. 

 [ DIAGRAM 16. ] 



This family has inconspicuous flowers, and in- 

 cludes most of our forest trees, such as the oak, 

 the Spanish chestnut, the beech, the hazel, and the 

 hornbeam. The flowers are in most cases reduced 

 to a simple scale, sometimes isolated, and some- 

 times in clusters, like the flowers of the hop. The 

 sexes are sometimes found on the same tree, 

 and sometimes separated. They are male clusters, 

 or tassels, which hang on the branches of the hazel at 

 the end of winter, before the leaves have appeared. 

 On looking at them closely, it is easy to see the 



stamens inserted at the base of the scales. The 

 Male Tassel of 

 the Hazel, female flower is often single. The fruit is variable, 



