CUPULIFER.E. 209 



Officinal Plants. 



Salix alba. 



caprea. 



fragilis. 



49. CUPULIFEILE. 



Flowers monoecious ; the stameniferous ones collected 

 into cylindrical or rarely roundish catkins, the pistilife- 

 rous ones often aggregate. Stamens 5-20, placed upon 

 the base of the scaly bractese, or of a 4-6-cleft squama- 

 ceoQS perianth. Ovaria crowned by the rudiments of a 

 superior single perianth, seated within a variously tex- 

 tured cupula, and many-celled and ovuled. Ovules 1-2 

 in each cell, pendulous. Styles 2-6, not much deve- 

 loped ; stigmas distinct. Fruit a gland or nut, one- 

 celled by abortion, more or less enclosed by the cupula. 

 Seed pendulous and exalbuminous ; embryo large, with 

 a small superior radicle, and fleshy cotyledons. 



Trees or shrubs, with simple stipulate alternate leaves, 

 directly veined from costa to margin. Allied to Sali- 

 cinese. 



Geographical Relations. Chiefly belonging to tempe- 

 rate and cold regions, though found in Africa and South 

 America. 



Properties. Very astringent, the wood affording va- 

 luable timber. 



Officinal Plants. 



Quercus infectoria. 

 pedunculata. 



robor. 

 3 



