NETTLE FAMILY. 297 



§ 2. Flowers of the two Mnds mostly separate ; the fertile crowded in eatkin-lihe 

 spikes or heads, which become Jleshy in fruit ; jilamenis injiexed in the bvd, 

 spreading elastically when the calyx expands. 



5. MOEUS. Flowers usually monoecious, both sorts in catkin-like spikes. Calyx 



4-parted. Stamens 4. Fertile spike altogether becoming an oval or oblong 

 multiple pulpy fruit imitating a blackberry, but the pulp consists of tlie 

 calyx, bracts, &c. of the flowers, each enclosing a small akene. 



6. BEODSSONETIA. Flowers dioecious; the sterile in cylindrical catkins, and 



like those of Mulberry; the fertile in globular heads, mixed with little bristly 

 scales, their calyx urn-shaped and 3-4-toothed, out of which the ripened 

 ovary protrudes and forms a club-shaped rather fleshy fruit. Style single. 



7. MACLUKA. Flowe' 8 dioecious ; the sterile in racemes, and nearly like those 



of Mulberry; the fertile densely crowded in a large spherical head, its calyx 

 of 4 unequal sepals, in fruit enclosing the small akene: the whole head 

 ripening into a fleshy yellow mass, resembling an orange with a roughish 

 surface. 



III. NETTLE FAMILY peopee. Herbs, as to our wild 

 species, with bland watery juice and tough fibrous bark : many are 

 armed with stinging hairs. Flowers monoecious or dioecious, green- 

 ish. Filaments transversely wrinkled and inflexed in the bud, 

 straightening elastically when the calyx opens. Fruit an akene : 

 style or stigma one and simple. — All ours worthy of notice belong 

 to the three following genera. 



8. XJRTICA. Flowers in racemed, spiked, or head-like clusters; the calyx in 



both sorts of 4 separate sepals. Stamens 4. Stigma a sessile globular tuft. 

 Akene flat, ovate, straight and erect, enclosed between the larger pair of 

 sepals. Herbage beset with stinging hairs : leaves opposite. 



9. LAPORTEA. 1 lowers in loose open cymes, the upper chiefly fertile, and 



lower sterile; the latter with 5 sepals and stamens; the latter of 4 very 

 unequal sepals, the two outer or one of them minute. Stigma slender awl- 

 shaped, hairy down one side, persistent on the ovate flat very oblique and 

 nearly naked akene, which is soon reflexed on its wing-margined pedicel. 

 Herbage beset with stings : leaves large, alternate. 



10. BCEHMLRIA. Flowers either dioecious or intermixed, clustered in spikes ; the 



sterile as in Urtica ; the fertile with a tubular or urn-shaped calyx barely 

 toothed at the apex, enclosing the ovary and closely investing the oblong flat 

 akene. Ho stings. 



IV. HEMP FAMILY. Rough herbs, with watery juice and 

 tough fibrous bark. Leaves mostly opposite and palmately lobed 

 or compound. Flowers dioecious, greenish ; the sterile in axillary 

 loose compound racemes or panicles, the fertile in close clusters or 

 catkins : calyx of the former with 5 sepals, of the latter one scale- 

 like sepal embracing the ovary and akene. Stigmas or hairy styles 

 two, long. 



11. CANNABIS. Erect herb. Stamens 5, drooping. Fertile flowers in irregular 



spiked clusters. Leaves of 5 - 7 lanceolate irregularly toothed leaflets. 



12. HUMULUS. TaU-twining. Stamens erect. Fertile flowers in solitary short 



catkins or spikes, 2 flowers under each of the broad thin bracts which make 



1. IJIiMUS, ELM. (The classical Latin name.) Fine trees in deep, 

 mostly moist or alluvial soil. Fl. early spring ; fruit in early summer. 



§ 1 . Leaves rough and harsh on the upper, soft and usually downy on the lower 

 surface : seed in the middle of the orbicular or round-oval fruit, far away 

 from the shallow notch : flower-clustefs globular : pedicels very short. 

 U. flilva, SuppEET Elm. Common, rather small tree through the coun- 

 try, with tough reddish wood, well-known very mucilaginous inner bark, and 



