74 TREES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



spreading, 4-10 inches long, slender, flowers pale yellowish- 

 green or cream-colored; calyx pubescent, mostly 6-parted ; 

 stamens 15-20 ; odor offensive when the anthers are discharg- 

 ing their pollen : fertile flowers near the base of the upper 

 sterile catkins or in separate axils, 1-3 in a prickly involucre ; 

 calyx 6-toothed; ovary ovate, styles as many as the cells of 

 the ovary, exserted. 



Fruit. Burs round, thick, prickly, 2-4 inches in diameter, 

 opening by 4 valves : nuts 1-5, dark brown, covered with 

 whitish down at apex, flat on one side when there are several 

 in a cluster, ovate when only one, sweet and edible. 



Horticultural Value. Hardy throughout New England ; 

 prefers fertile, well-drained, gravelly or rocky soil ; rather 

 difficult to transplant; usually obtainable in nurseries. Its 

 vigorous and rapid growth, massive, broad-spreading head 

 and attractive flowers make it a valuable tree for land- 

 scape gardening, but in public places the prickly burs and 

 edible fruit are a serious disadvantage. Propagated from 

 the seed. 



PLATE XXXVI. CASTANEA SATIVA, VAR. AMERICANA. 



1. Winter buds. 



2. Flowering branch. 



3. Sterile flower. 



4. Fertile flower. 



5. Fruit, 



6. Nut, 



QUERCUS. 



Inflorescence appearing with the leaves in spring; sterile 

 catkins from terminal or lateral buds on shoots of the pre- 

 ceding year, bracted, usually several in a cluster, unbranched, 

 long, cylindrical, pendulous ; bracts of sterile flowers minute, 

 soon falling ; calyx parted or lobed ; stamens 3-12, undivided : 

 fertile flowers terminal or axillary upon the new shoots, single 

 or few-clustered, bracted, erect ; involucre scaly, becoming the 

 cupule or cup around the lower part of the acorn; ovary 

 3-celled ; stigma 3-lobed. 



