252 BEECH 



cupule, and subtended by an anterior bract and 2 lateral 

 bracteoles. The occasional occurrence of mixed groups 

 and of hermaphrodite flowers is noteworthy. 



[The student may compare the more coarsely prickly 

 " husk " of the Horse-chestnut, which is the ovary -the 

 " nuts " being the true seeds with what is here 

 described.] 



** Staminate and pistillate flowers on the 

 same tree, on different inflorescences, which 

 are never stiff' spikes ; cupule of $ flowers 

 enclosing 1 or 2 but not 3 flowers. 



t The <$ flowers aggregated into a tassel -like 

 head, at the end of a long and slender 

 pendulous stalk; $ flowers in pairs totally 

 invested by a tough cupule, densely covered 

 with subulate, hardly prickly, outgrowths; 

 at the end of a short stiff stalk. Nuts tri- 

 gonal with sharp angles, set free by the 

 splitting into 4 valves of the prickly cupule. 



Fagus sylvatica, L. Beech (Figs. 85, 86, 87). Large 

 tree with cylindrical smooth stem and dense shade of 

 foliage. Inflorescences on the young wood, proterogynous ; 

 flowers monoecious, anemophilous. 



Male flowers in sub-globose, tassel-like, cymose heads, 

 pendent on long (5 6 cm.) slender silky stalks ; flowers 

 numerous, yellowish to orange, white-pubescent. Anthers 

 yellow. Perianth lobes 4 7 ; stamens 8 12. Pollen ellip- 

 soid, with 3 longitudinal furrows. Female flowers in close 

 erect groups, greenish, hairy, with prominent purplish-red 

 stigmas. Each $ inflorescence is a dichasium of 2 flowers, 

 on a short thick erect stalk, and consists of an ovary with 3 

 stigmas invested in a 4 6-lobed perigone. Fruit ovoid- 

 trigonal, acute, shining red-brown, about 16 mm. long. 

 Cupule stalked, tomentose and subulate-spinose, woody 



