AMEXTACE^, 467 



or oblique at the base, usually rough on the upper side and downy under- 

 neath. Flowers reddish, in dense clusters, surrounded by brownish bracts, 

 wliich soon fall off; the pedicels scarcely as long as the perianth. Fruits 

 green and leaf-Uke, broadly ovate or orbicular, 6 to 9 lines long, with a 

 small notch at the top j the seed suspended in a small cavity near the centre 

 of the fruit. 



Chiefly in hUly districts, in northern and western Europe. In Britain, it 

 is the common wild Ebn of Scotland, Ireland, and nortliern and western 

 England, but seldom planted, and rare in south-eastern England, where a 

 variety of the common S. is often called wych Elm. Fl. early spring, before 

 the leaves come out. 



2. Common Elm. XTlmus campestris, Sm. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1886, U. suberosa, t. 2161, and U. glabra, t. 2248.) 

 Very near the wych -E., and many botanists consider the two races as 

 forming but one species. The common H. appeal's however to be generally, 

 if not constantly, distinguished by the fruit, which is deeply notched, 

 the top of the seed-bearing cavity almost reaching the notch. It is 

 usually also a taller and straighter-growing tree, attaining in rich soils 

 above a hiindred.feet ; the young branches are more slender, and the leaves 

 usually smaller and less coarse ; but all these characters are very variable. 



Widely spread over central, southern, and eastern Europe, and western 

 Asia, and the most generally planted species. In Britain, it is the most 

 frequent one in central, southern, and eastern England, but in the north and 

 the west only where planted. It is indeed doubtful whether it be really in- 

 digenous anywhere in Britain. Fl. early spring, before the leaves come out. 

 It varies with the leaves nearly smooth and glabrous, and the bark becomes 

 corky, even on the young branches, more frequently than in the tvych F!. ; 

 but the supposed species estabhshed on these characters do not come true 

 from seed. 



LXXII. THE CATKIN FAMILY. AMENTACE^. 



Trees or shrubs, with alternate flat leav.es, usually with sti- 

 pules, and small, unisexual flovrers, in cylindrical, oblong, or 

 globular spikes, called catkins, which are usually dense with 

 closely packed, scale-like bracts, rarely loose, or with minute 

 deciduous scales. Stamens in the male catkins 2 or more 

 (rarely united into 1) under each scale, usually accompanied 

 by 2 or more smaller scales, either distinct or forming in a 

 few cases an irregular or oblique perianth, or rarely entirely 

 deficient. Eemale catkins either like the males, with 1, 2, or 

 3 flowers under each scale, or reduced to a sessile bud, with 2 

 or 3 flowers in the centre, surrounded by the lower empty 

 scales of the catkin ; under each scale are also usually 2 or 3 

 inner scales. Perianth none, or closely combined with the 

 ovary, with a minute, free, entire or toothed border. Ovary 

 1-celled or several-celled, with 2 or more styles, always resiilt- 



