CAHTANEACE^. 259 



rimose. Female flowers 2-nate in axils of caducous bracts of catkin ; 

 gynsecium, &c., of Oorylus. Nucules crowned with remains of calyx 

 subligneous plurinerved, 1-lo.cular ; seed of Gonjlus. — Small trees or 

 shrubs ; leaves alternate penni nerved dentate, in vernation concave 

 towards axis, not longitudinally plicate along costa; stipules lateral, 

 oftener caducous ; catkins precocious lateral ; males slender ; females 

 elongate, raraiform terminal ; bracteoles lateral accrescent around 

 axillary fruit, or leaflike lobate patulous or internally increased at 

 base by very small ligule (Distegocarpus), or more rarely conical- 

 tubular (Ostrya), after an thesis developed to a nearly closed cone 

 covered with stinging hairs and surrounding fruit. (North, liemi- 

 sphere of both worlds), — See p. 227. 



III. QUEECINEJE. 



5. Quercus T. — Flowers monoecious or rarely dioecious apetalous; 

 male calyx 3-8 -partite or lobate. Stamens same in number or 

 2-3-times as many ; filaments slender exserted, or central, or more 

 rarely inserted around rudiment of gynsecium ; anthers extrorse, 

 2-locular, 2-rimose. Receptacle of female flower very concave, 

 enclosing adnate germen and bearing superior 3-8-lobed epigynous 

 calyx inserted at margin ; germen cells 2-4, oftener 3, complete or 

 generally incomplete above ; style branches equal to number of cells, 

 linear erect or oftener thick open, stigmatose above. Ovules in 

 cells 2-nate J descending ; more or less completely anatropous ; micro- 

 pyle extrorsely superior. Achene (acorn) surrounded at base with 

 cupule, marked at apex with scar of thin perianth. Fertile seed 1, 

 surrounded at base or at a greater or less height by 5 abortive seeds ; 

 cotyledons of exalbuminous embryo plano-convex fleshy, externally 

 smooth or undulate, more rarely sinuate lobate ; radicle superior. — 

 Trees large or small ; leaves alternate, sometimes persistent, penni- 

 nerved, longitudinally plicate in vernation ; stipules lateral fugacious ; 

 buds squamose stipulate; catkins erect or pendulous, 1- sexual, or 

 more rarely androgynous ; female flowers inferior ; bracts alternate 

 short, 1-3-florous; female catkins 1- or oftener few-florous; each 

 flower and fruit surrounded by cupule externally squamose, spirally 

 or annularly zonate, rarely sub-nude, sometimes finally fissous, free 

 from acorn or adnate to base, exserted or more rarely enclosed. 

 (North, temp, regions of both worlds). — See p. 230. 



17—2 



I 



