CUPULIFER&. 253 



in some localities a more convenient species to study. But for 

 the general description here the red oak will serve the purpose. 

 Just as the leaves are expanding in the spring, the delicate 

 sprays of pendulous male catkins form beautiful objects. The 

 petals are wanting in the flower, and the sepals form a united 

 calyx, with several lobes, that is, the parts of the calyx are 

 coherent. In the male flowers the calyx is bell-shaped and 

 deeply lobed. The pendent stamens, variable in number, just 

 reach below its margin. The pistillate or female flowers are 

 not borne in catkins, but stand on short stalks, either singly or 

 a few in a cluster. The calyx here is urn-shaped with short 

 lobes. The ovary consists of three united (coherent) carpels, 

 and there are three stigmas. Only one seed is developed in the 

 ovary, and the fruit is an acorn. The numerous scales at the 

 base of the ovary form a scaly involucre, the cup. 



The beech, chestnut, and oak are members of the oak 

 family. 



410. Other anient bearers. — The following additional fam- 

 ilies among the ament bearers are represented in this country : 

 the birch family (birch, alder), the hazelnut family (hazelnut, 

 hornbeam, etc.), walnut family (hickory, walnut), and the 

 sweet-gale family (myrica). 



Exercise 69. 



411. The oak. — (The white oak or any common one in the neighborhood.) 



The leaves. — Determine the arrangement of the leaves on the shoot. 

 Sketch a leaf showing the form, outline, and venation. Compare the young 

 leaves with the old ones as to texture, surface characters, etc. 



The inflorescence. — What is the kind of inflorescence ? Are both kinds of 

 flowers in the same inflorescence or in different inflorescences ? 



The staminate inflorescence. — Note the cluster of staminate aments. De- 

 termine a single flower and sketch it to show the parts. What parts of the 

 flower are present ? Determine the number of parts of each set present. 



The pistillate inflorescence. — How does it differ from the staminate in- 

 florescence? Sketch a pistillate flower, showing the parts. What parts of 

 the flower are present ? 



The fruit (an acorn with the cup). — Sketch an acorn in the "cup." 



