THE HAZEL 59 



the advantage to wind-fertilised flowers of blossom- 

 ing before the leaves appear. As the two kinds 

 of flower in the Hazel often do not come to 

 maturity simultaneously, the advantage of cross- 

 fertilisation is thus secured. Again, a cluster or 

 short spike of flowers (each of which is structurally 

 a short branch), surrounded by bracts and sessile 

 on a bough, will stand a better chance of keeping' 

 its place, in spite of spring storms, than a single 

 flower. Moreover, the tufted stigmas secure the 

 fertilisation of some of their number. Fertilisation 

 acts as a stimulus. The male catkins have per- 

 formed their function and have dropped off, so 

 nourishment flows towards the female one. In 

 order, however, that the fruit may not ripen too 

 soon and so fall to the ground and rot before 

 the winter's frosts, it must not develop thus early 

 in spring. The food is, therefore, thus employed in 

 producing a branch below the nascent bunch of 

 nuts. 



The leaves of the Hazel are three to four inches 

 long, broadly ovate, heart-shaped, and somewhat 

 one-sided at the base, with irregularly toothed 

 edges, a long point, a downy under- surface, and a 

 short stalk. In the bud they are folded into 

 several longitudinal plaits, and when young are 

 bright and pleasing in hue ; but later on they take 

 yellow-brown tints of green and a dull woolliness, 

 that render the tree heavy as a feature in the 

 landscape, except when relieved by the brown stem, 

 the pale green clusters of unripe nuts, or their owm 

 autumnal changes into yellow, dull orange, or red. 



