114 BEECH : CHESTNUT 



verse section of anther ; 4, two female flowers in their cupule ; 5, ovary, 

 advancing towards maturity; 6 and 7, the same in section; 8, fruits 

 exposed by the splitting of the cupule into four valves; 9, the same 

 before splitting; 10, seed in section; 11 and 12, buds (Wi). 



Fig. 109. Beech, Fagus sylvatica. 3, vertical section through female 

 inflorescence ; 5, ripe fruit showing between the valves of the cupule 

 (Wo). 



Nuts with rounded angles or plano-convex, 

 in 3's in the cupule, which is densely beset 

 with stiff sharp prickles. 



Castanea vesca, L. Chestnut (Fig. 110). Nut about 

 20 35 mm. long, with a red-brown, smooth, shining 

 leathery pericarp, and a large paler oval scar of attach- 

 ment, and showing silky hairs at the base and at the 

 pointed, somewhat attenuated, apex, where remains of 

 stigmas and perigone may be found. The seed is reduced 

 to one from an ovary with about 6 chambers containing 

 2 ovules each. 



[In regard to possible confusion with ^Esculus see 

 p. 93.] 



(ii) Fruit 2-seeded and 2-winged; a double 

 samara, each half with one seed and a 

 spreading lateral more or less obliquely 

 expanded wing. 



(a) Wings extended at nearly a right angle 

 to the plane of junction of the two halves, 



