354 THE WCfP OKOP. 



(fig, 1) grow in loose, branching axillary panicles, and consist 

 of five oblong sepals, surrounding five stamens, with weak 

 filaments. The female flowers (fig. 2) are collected into 

 green scaly cones, growing on axillary single stalks, or in the 

 variety called grape hops, growing in clusters. The scales 

 are oblong, broad, concave, ribbed, and each bears a flower 

 at its base; the flower consists of a green, short, blunt 

 sepal, clasping a roundish ovary, terminated by a pair of 

 spreading downy stigmas. In forming fruit, the scales 

 grow larger and are covered with resinous aromatic par- 

 ticles, called lupuline; the ovary at the same time chang- 

 ing into a small nut, invested by the enlarged sepal, and 

 containing a single seed, whose embryo is coiled up with- 

 out albumen. These female flowers constitute what are 

 known in the market by the name of hops. 



The male flowers are of no further use than to impregnate 

 the female flowers with their pollen, which is carried to 

 them by the action of the wind ; and when this function 

 is performed, they begin to wither and decay, and are 

 generally removed from the ground. If the female flower 

 or catkin, or cone, as it is frequently termed, be carefully 

 examined, it will be found to consist of a number of 

 imbricated scales, greatly resembling the arrangement of 

 the fruit of the Coniferse, with the fruit at the base, and 

 that the surface of both fruit and scales is studded with 

 minute glands, containing an aromatic resinous substance, 

 constituting the flavouring matter of the hop. This 

 flavouring matter is secreted on the surfaces in a form 

 similar to that of pollen, and has been found, on examina- 

 tion, to consist of a peculiar principle, lupuline a volatile 

 oil a resin a bitter principle, tannin and also some 

 nitrogenous compounds, probably salts of ammonia. Now, 

 it is the possession of all these principles which constitutes 

 the value and suitability of hops for the peculiar economic 

 purpose for which they are so largely cultivated. Besides 



