MONOECIA TETRANDHIA. Urtica. 277 



shaped, with egg-shaped, brown, rather pointed scales, out- 

 wardly hairy. Fruit egg-shaped, acute. 

 Discrim. The thick down of the leaves, and particularly of the 

 sheaths, and capsules. 



(CjilifoTmis. See Appendix.) * ' 



MONOECIA TETRANDRIA. 



ALNUS. Alder. 



A. glutinosa. Common A. Leaves roundish-wedge- 

 shaped, wavy, saw-tootlied, glutinous, blunt ; downy at 

 the branching of the veins beneath. H. L. 59- Alnus. 

 G. E. 1477. Betula Alnus. E, B, 1508, Sb. 64. 



Watery places, moist woods. 



Tree. March. 



Branches dark, spreading, Ci'ooked, glutinous, when young. Ls. 

 alternate, footstalked, deep, shining green, with many almost 

 parallel veins. Catkins, stamen-bearing ones, long, drooping, 

 cylindrical : pistil-bearing ones, small, oval, ascending, reddish 

 brown. 

 Valuable for piles of bridges, &c., enduring moisture well. The 



bark and leaves for dying, tanning, and staining nets. Wood 



used by the wheelwright, and turner. The knots beautifully veined. 



Sheep will feed on the leaves. Plant astringent. The catkins 



dye green. Grass grows well under its shade ; a picturesque 



tree, spreading over the still pool : planted in a low meadow, the 



gi'ound round it becomes boggy. 



Wood hard, used for clogs or pattens. The hark dyes linen of a 



dull red, and, wdth iron, brown, or black. Sm. 



URT'ICA'. Nettle. 



U. urens. Small Stinging N. Leaves opposite, sharply 

 saw-toothed, elliptical, with about five longitudinal 

 ribs. Clubs nearly simple. E. B. 1236. C. 6. 70. 

 U. minor. G. E. 707- 



A troublesome weed. 



An. July. 



Plant much branched, pale green, covered with stinging bristles. 



Bract, small, bent back. 

 Discrim. From Ur. choica, by its smaller size, annual, iibrous 



root, brighter colour, and elliptical leaves. 



' So called, ab urcndo, from burning, or stinging. 



