186 Our Field and Forest Trees 



So, many tree flowers come and go before the 

 leaves expand. 



Fig. 47. Blos- 

 soms of the oak: 

 A_, Pollen - shed- 

 ding, or staminate; 

 B, Pistillate. 



These flowers are 

 often very Imperfect 

 indeed. Perhaps only 

 a botanist would con- 

 sider them as flowers 

 at all. One "flower" 

 may be just a pistil, 

 or a little group of 

 pistils, with a few 

 scales. And the sta- 

 mens with the pollen 

 for these pistils grow, mingled with scales, in 

 long, swaying dangles, called "catkins" (Fig. 

 47). 



