230 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



III. OAK SEEIES. 



The flowers of the Oaks 1 (fig. 181-188) are monoecious and 

 arranged in spikes. Those bearing male flowers (fig. 181, 183) have 

 a slender axis, often pendent, and alternate bracts, in the axil of 



Quercus liobur. 



Fig. 188. Seed. 



Fig. 181. Floriferous branch. 



Fig. 186. Long. sect, of 

 female flower. 



which are the flowers, solitary or collected in glomerules. They 

 are often pentamerous ; but the calyx may have a smaller number of 

 divisions, generally united below, or a greater number, 3 and they 

 are imbricate or valvate in prefloration. The androecium is often 

 formed of stamens equal in number and superposed to the sepals ; 

 but an equal number, or less, of alternate stamens. Finally, the 

 number of pieces of the androecium may descend to three or four or 



i Quercus T. Inst. 582, t. 349.— L. Gen. (ed. 

 1), 726.— J. Gen. 410, 452.— Gjertn. Fruct. i. t. 

 37.— Lamk. Diet. i. 715 ; Suppl. ii. 209 ; III. t. 

 779.— Schkuhe, Baudb.t. 301,302.— Nees.Gc». 

 ii. 23. — Spach, Suit, à Buffon, xi. 145.— Endl. 

 Gen. n. 1845 ; Suppl. iv. p. ii. 24. — Schacht, 

 Beitr. i. 36, t. 3 ; Der Baum, t. 3. — Payee, Fam. 



Nat. 164.— A. DC. Secm.Journ. Bot. (1863), 1S2 

 Ann. Se. Nat. sér. 4, xviii. 49 ; Frodr. xvi. sect. 

 ii. 2.— Ilex T. Inst. 583, t. 350.— Suber T. Inst. 

 584. — Si/ncedris Ltndl. Introd. (ed. 2), 441. — 

 Lithocarpus Bl. Bijdr. 526 ; Fl. Jav. fasc. 13, 34, 

 t. 20.— Endl. Gen. n. 1846. 

 - To a dozen. 



