CCXI. CUPULIFER^. 



715 



Q. Cetris. 



9 flower cut transversely 

 (mag.). 



Q. costata. 



Transverse section of 

 fruit. 



Q. cocci/era. 



Ovule with outer flexuous 



membrane and large 



exostome (mag.). 



Q. ^Egilopt. Abortive 



ovules at the base of 



the seed. 



FLOWERS diclinous, in spikes, $ with a single perianth. STAMENS 5-oo . FLOWERS 

 sessile in a cupuliform involucre. PERIANTH single, calyciform. OVARY inferior, 

 of 2-3-6 2-ovuled cells ; OVULES anatropous, pendulous or erect. NUTS involucrate, 

 usually 1- seeded. SEED exalbuminous. EMBRYO straight. STEM woody. LEAVES 

 alternate, stipulate. 



TREES, rarely SHRUBS. LEAVES alternate, simple, penninerved, caducous or 

 persistent, stipulate. FLOWERS monoecious, usually in 1 -sexual spikes, sometimes 

 at the base, and $ at the apex ; $ in cylindric or globose catkins, naked or 

 bracteate. PERIANTH single, lobes often unequal. STAMENS 5-20, inserted at the 

 base of the perianth, free ; filaments weak ; anthers 2-celled. OVARY rudimentary or 

 0. FLOWERS ? 1-3-5, sessile in a common cupuliform involucre externally clothed 

 with scaly or spinescent or accrescent scales. PERIANTH superior, regular, usually 

 6-lobed. OVARY inferior, 2-3-6-celled by centripetal septa which are early absorbed ; 

 styles as many as cells, undivided, stigmatiferous at the top ; ovule geminate in each 

 cell, erect, basal or pendulous from the apex, anatropous, furnished with a double 

 integument. FRUIT composed of nuts contained in an involucre or a dehiscent 

 cupule. SEED usually solitary in each nut, the arrested ovules persisting in their 

 original position. EMBRYO straight, exalbuminous ; radicle small, superior ; cotyle- 

 dons usually fleshy, folded or sinuous, and their inner faces pressed together. 



GENEBA. 

 * Quercus. Litliocarpus. * Castanea. Castanopais. * Fagus. 



Cupuliferce approach Betulinea in the alternate stipulate leaves, inflorescence, diclinism, several- 

 celled ovary, anatropous ovule, dry 1-celled fruit, and exalbuminous seed ; but they differ in their in- 

 ferior ovary and cupulate fruit. They are also connected with Juglandiete, for besides the affinities 

 indicated (at p. 713), the acorn is sometimes divided into four by false septa, a character on which 

 Lindley established his genus Syncedrys. Finally, their affinity is obvious with Pomacea (which see), as 

 indicated by Brongniart. 



Cuyuliferce principally inhabit northern temperate regions. They especially abound in America ; 

 they are very rare in the north of Asia [except China and Japan], but form vast forests in South and 

 Central Europe [the Himalayas and East Asiatic mountains]. Some attain the snow limit in the 

 Antarctic regions [others inhabit the mountains of Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand]. They become 

 rare as they approach the equator, and only grow in elevated localities on the large islands of the Indian 

 Archipelao-o. Chesnuts and Oaks are numerous on the high mountains of cisequatorial Asia, and species 

 of the latter genus are not rare in tropical North America. In southern tropical countries they are 



