236 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



CaManea ruhjans. 



times witli the remains of the perianth and styles, and inserted, to 

 the number of one to three, by a large basilar surface, in the interior 

 of a closed globular accrescent involucre, covered externally with 

 bracts, which are seen in the female inflorescence, and, besides, with 

 rigid prickles, simple or ramified at the summit,^ primarily disposed 



over four equidistant 

 areas, having at first 

 nearly the form of an 

 isosceles triangle with 

 superior apex- and sepa- 

 rated from each other, at 

 their bases, by groups of 

 bracts which finally con- 

 ceal them at maturity. 

 At maturity, the involu- 

 cre opens above in four 

 pannels and allows the 

 achenes to escape. Each of these contains one fertile seed,^ the 

 embryo (fig. 198) of which, destitute of albumen, has thick farina- 

 ceous cotyledons, externally waved or ruminant, sometimes deeply, 

 and a superior radicle concealing the base of the cotyledons. The 

 Chestnuts proper are trees of the northern hemisphere. There are 

 probably only two species,^ one American, the other, with numerous 

 forms and variations, spread over the temperate regions of North 

 America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The leaves, caducous, are 

 alternate,''^ penninerved, dentate, plicate in vernation according to the 

 principal and lateral nervures,^ accompanied at the base of the petiole 

 by two lateral stipules which fall early. But it appears impossible 



Fig. 192. Female 

 glomerule (|). 



Fig. 195. Compound fruit. 



' The lower division, longer than the others, 

 has been considered as representing a modified 

 leaf (A. DC. Prodr. Hi) in the axil of which 

 should he placed the others shorter and variahle 

 in number. 



2 Accompanied near the summit hy from 

 two to twelve other seeds sterile and rudimen- 

 tary, of which one or two here and there may 

 become fertile. 



3 L. Spec. 1416 {Fagus).—1m:s-R. Fl. Jap. 

 195 (Jfl^Jw).— DtiHAM. Arbr. ed. 2, iii. 66, t. 

 19.— Loud. Arbr. 912, f. 1707, 1708.— Rafin. 

 X. Sylv, 82. — MiOHX. Arbr. Amer. i. 166, t. 7. — 



Wangenh. Kordam. Holz. t. 47. — Catesb. Carol. 

 1, t. 9.— Ell. A Sketch, ii. 614. — Nun. Gen. ii. 

 217.— A. Gray, Man. ii. 5, 454.— Chapm. Ft. 

 S. Unit. Si. 424. -Bge. Emm. n. 347, 349.— 

 Bl. Mus. Lugd.-Sat. i. 285. — Sieb. et Zucc. 

 Fl. Jap. Fam. n. 189, 710. — Benth. Fl. Hoiigk. 

 319.— Mia. Ann. Mus. L\tgd.-Bat. i. 121.— 

 Gben. et GoDR. Fl. de Fr. iii. 115. 



* Disposed according to the fraction |, or 

 sometimes distichous (Dcell; Fl. Mad. ii. 542). 



* Henry, N. Act. Nat. Cur. xxii. p. i. t. 28. 

 — DcBLL, Zur Erklaer. d. Laubkn. Ameni. 26, 

 fig. 21. 



