298 



THE FLORA. 



§ Leaves undivided. Fertile amcnts ovoid. Drupes gobular, coated witli 



wax or resiuous grains. Shrubs growing along shores. Mtrica. (*) 



* M. cerife'ra. Bayberry. Lvs. oblanceolatc. Drupes coated with 



white wax. 



* M. Gale. Sweet Gale. Lvs. M'edge-oblong. Drupes winged, reddish. 



Order CXXI. BETULACE^. The Birchworts. 



Trees or sJiriils^ witL deciduous stipules.^ with the alternate 

 leates simple, having the veinlets running straight to the margin; 

 flowers monoecious, both kinds contained in scalj 

 catkins, 2 or 3 under each bract ; calyx and corolla hardly any ; 

 ovary 2-celled and 2-ovuled, but becoming in 



fruit a 1-celled and 1-seeded nut, by the suppression of the other seed 

 and cell. 



Analysis of the Genera. 

 $ bracts with 12 stain, each ; ? bracts with mostly 8 ovaries. Birch. Bet'ula. 1 

 ^ bracts with 4-8 stam. each ; $ bracts with 2 ova. or fls. each. Alder. Alnus 



633 



BET'ULA. Birch. 

 5 in a cylindrical cat- 

 kin, bracts each with 3 

 tetrandrous flowers be- 

 neath it. ? in an oblong 

 or egg - shaped catkin, 

 bracts 8-lobed, each with 3 2-styled ova- 

 ries or flowers, with no calyx. Samara 

 flattened, broadly winged. — Trees and 

 shrubs, mostly with the outer bark in thin 

 layers with horizontal fibres. Catkins ap- 

 pearing in early spring before the leaves. 



§ Trees with a yellowish bark, and heart -ovate, 

 serrate leaves 1 



§ Trees with reddish-brown bark, and ovate, 

 doubly serrate leaves 2, 3 



§ Trees with white bark and long-stalked, long- 

 pointed leaves 4, 5 



§ Shrubs with l)ro\vnish bark, aud roundish, 

 crcna':; leaves (3, 7 



632 



Mg. 632. Sweet Black Birch {Betuln 

 lenta), with staminate and pistillate 

 catkins : a, a scale with staminata 

 flowers; 6, with pistillate flowers. Fi{.'. 

 033. a, A winged samara cut length- 

 wise, showing its fertile and abortive 

 cell ; b, the same < ut aoi ot.s. 



