466 THE ELM FAMILY. 



III. HOP. HUMULTJS. 



A single species, differing from all others of the Nettle family by its twining 

 habit, by the inflorescence, and by the seed, which contains a flat, spirally 

 coiled embryo, without albiunen, 



1. Common Hop. Humulus Ijupulus, Liun. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 427.) 



Bootstock perennial, the stems annual, but twining to a considerable 

 height over bushes and small trees. Leaves opposite, stalked, broadly heart- 

 shaped, deeply 3- or 5-lobed, and sharply toothed, very rough but not sting- 

 ing. Flowers dioecious, the males in loose panicles in the upper axils, small, 

 and of a yellowish green. Perianth of 5 segments. Stamens 5. Female 

 flowers in shortly stalked, axillary, ovoid or globular spikes or lieads, con- 

 spicuous for their broad, closely-packed bi-acts, each with 2 sessile flowers 

 in its axil. Perianth a concave scale enclosing the ovary. Stigmas 2, 

 long and linear. After flowering the scales of the spike (often called a cone) 

 become much enlarged, quite concealing the seed-like fruits. 



In hedges, thickets, and open woods, all over Europe and central and 

 Russian Asia, except the extreme north. Extends over England, Ireland, 

 aad here and there into Scotland, but probably, in the north at least, only 

 as an introduced plant, having long been in general cultivation. Fl. summer. 



LXXI. THE ELM FAMILY. ULMACEiE. 



Trees or shrubs, differing from the Nettle family in their 

 flowers mostly hermaphrodite, and the ovary generally 2-celled, 

 although the fruit has but one seed. 



Besides the ISlm genus there are but very few, either tropical or from the 

 warmer parts of the northern hemisphere. 



I. ELM. ULMUS. 



Trees, with alternate, deciduous leaves, and small flowers in clusters, ap- 

 pearing before the leaves on the preceding year's wood. Perianth campa- 

 nulate, with 4 to 6 short lobes or teeth, and as many stamens. Ovai-y 

 flat, with 2 short, diverging styles, and divided into 2 cells, each with a 

 single pendulous ovule. Fruit flat, thin, and leaf-Hke, shghtly thickened in 

 the centre, where it contains one pendulous seed. 



A small genus, spread over the temperate regions of the northern hemi- 

 sphere. 



Fruit slightly uotched at the top, the seed-bearing cavity placed consider- 

 ably below the notch 1. Wi/ch IE. 



Fruit deeply notched, the notch almost reaching the seed-bearing cavity 2. Common E. 



1. Wych Elm. Ulmus montana, Sm. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1887, and U. major, t. 2542.) 

 A tree of considerable size and picturesque form ; the large branches 

 spreading from near the base unless when drawn up in its youth. Leaves 

 nearly sessile, broadly ovate, bordered with double teeth, and very unequal 



