122 



THE OAK. 



The male inflorescences hang down from between 

 the bud-scales as simple catkin-like spikes, each bear- 

 ing about a dozen flowers. Each male flower springs 



FIG. 31. A sprig of oak in May, with the pendent male catkin below, 

 and the minute spikes of female flowers just showing above. (Th. 

 Hartig.) 



from the axil of a tiny scale-like bract, and consists of 

 a shallow perianth, unequally divided into about five to 

 seven small linear-lanceolate lobes, inclosing about five 

 to twelve stamens ; there is no trace of an ovary. The 

 number of lobes of the perianth varies, as also does the 

 number of stamens ; the former are covered with short 

 hairs. 



