260 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



6 ? Castanea T. — Flowers monoecious (nearly of Quercus) ; male 

 calyx oftener 6-partite; folioles 2-seriate. Stamens 6-20, often 

 2 -seriate ; filaments erect exserted ; anthers extrorse ; cells short snb- 

 globose rimose. Female flowers within involucre 1-3 ; receptacle 

 lageniform, enclosing adnate germen ; ce]ls 3 (Gastanopsis) or 4-6, 

 more or less complete ; style branches same in number simple, sur- 

 rounded at base by lobes of superior calyx generally same in number. 

 Ovules in each cell 2 descending and other characters of Quercus. 

 Fruit dry, 1-3 enclosed in subglobose involucre, externally cristate 

 or echinate with sharp scales various in form or sub-conical tubercles, 

 finally closed or 2-4-partite. Seed in each 1, descending ; cotyledons 

 of exalbuminous embryo fleshy farinaceous, plano-convex or exter- 

 nally undulately ruminate ; radicle superior. — Trees ; leaves alternate, 

 entire or dentate penninerved ; stipules lateral fugacious ; male cat- 

 kins springing from axils oftener inferior, slender caducous ; andro- 

 gynous or female from upper or terminal axils ; other characters of 

 Quercus. (Temp, and cold regions of both worlds). — See p. 233. 



7. Fagus T. — Flowers monoecious ; males solitary or sub-capitate. 

 Calyx gamophyllous sub-campanulate, 4-8-lobed. Stamens equal in 

 number to lobes of calyx, or twice as many ; filaments inserted at 

 bottom of calyx, slender exserted ; anthers oblong extrorse, 2 -rimose ; 

 connective obtuse or mucronate at apex. Female flowers within 

 involucre 1-3 ; receptacle very concave lageniform 3-gonal ; cells 3, 

 2 -ovulate ; style branches 3, short or elongate, glabrous or pilose at 

 back, surrounded at base with 6 lobes of epigynous calyx. Ovules 

 in cells 2, collaterally descending ; micropyle extrorsely superior. 

 Fruit enclosed in common accrescent woody involucre, 4-partite and 

 bracteate at base, clothed externally with scales or fimbriate prickles, 

 dry indehiscent, alately 3-gonal. Fertile seed 1, descending, accom- 

 panied above by 3-5 very small sterile seeds ; cotyledons of ex- 

 albuminous embryo fleshy rather thick, entire or adpressed plicate, 

 in germination epigeous, expanded, foliaceous ; radicle short superior. 

 — Trees or shrubs ; leaves alternate penninerved, in vernation convex 

 plicate along nerves or non-plicate (Nothofagus), persistent or deci- 

 duous ; stipules lateral fugacious ; male flowers springing from axils 

 of inferior leaves; females from those of superior sessile stipitate. 

 (Temp, regions of both worlds). — See p. 237. 



