CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT. 29 



panels in diameter when four to six feet from the 

 ground, where it will be nearly double the size it is 

 one foot from the ground. 



The leaves of the hop vine are irregular in size 

 and conformation; the larger are usually three to five 

 lobed, the smaller heart-shaped. There is no fixed char- 

 acteristic difference in foliage between varieties. 



The flowers are very numerous on both male and 

 female plants. The male flowers are in loose clusters, 

 as shown at Fig. 7, of a yellowish green color, with a 

 five-pointed calyx and five stamens. The male plant 

 produces the pollen, which, carried by the wind or by 

 bees or insects to the pistil of the female flower, ferti- 

 lizes the latter so that it can produce seed. Unless 



FIG; 10. GRAINS OF LUPULIN. 

 V*f> Highly magnified. 



there are a sufficient number of male plants (say one to 

 every 100 female roots), no seed will be produced. The 

 male vine bears no hops. The male flower in bloom 

 produces a very fine flour called pollen. This pollen 

 can be seen in the morning, when the light is just right, 

 by vibrating the male vine and looking toward the 

 sun. It looks like the dust in the rays of the sun when 

 passing through a knot hole. 



The female plants, only, produce hops. The single 

 cone of hops is botanically called a strobile, and con- 

 sists of a series of scales or bracts and their fruit. The 



