BIRCH FAMILY 



stipulate. Apparently they often appear in pairs, but these 

 pairs are really borne on spur-like two-leaved lateral 

 branchlets. 



The flowers are moncccious, opening with 

 or before the leaves and borne in three- 

 flowered clusters in the axils of the scales of 

 drooping or erect aments. Staniinate anients 

 are pendulous, clustered or solitary in the 

 axils of the last leaves of the branch of the 

 year r)r near the ends of the short lateral 

 branchlets of the year. They form in early 



autumn and re- 

 main rigid dur- 

 ing tlic winter. 

 The scales of 

 the staminate 

 aments when 

 mature are broadly ovate, 

 rounded, yellow or orange 

 ( olor below the middle, 

 dark chestnut brown at 

 apex. Each scale bears 

 two bractlets and thi-ee 

 sterile flowers, each flower consisting of a 

 sessile, membranaccnus, usually two-lobed, 

 calyx, fiach calyx Ijears four short fila- 

 ments with one-celled anlhers or sli'ictl}', 

 two filaments divided into two branches, 

 each bearing a half-anther. Anther cells 

 oi)e!i longitudinally. The pistillate aments 

 are erect or pendulous, solitary ; terminal 



Four staminate and One .1 . 1 i i .. i vi i i 



„..,,., . , on the two-leaved lateral siiur-like branch- 



Pisti Ua tt- Ainent ot 1 



Sweet Birch, B<-/«/.i lets of tlic ycar. I'he pistillate scales are 

 oblong-ovate, lhree-lol)ed, pale yellow green 



Brancli of Red Bircll, 

 Bcliila ///^'-r.?, Sltow- 

 ing the Staminate 

 Ameiits.is they Ap- 

 piear in Winter. 



Ic lit a . Staminate 

 Aments 3' to 4' long. 



often tinged with red, becoming brown at 

 maturity. These scales bear two or thi'ee fertile flowers, 

 each flower consisting of a naked ovary. The ovary is 



2(;6 



