liAM)l;OOK VV "I'kK.KS of TJiE NORTHKKJSI StATES AND OaNADA. 429 



THE ALDERS. (iiiNus ALXL'S G,i-;rtn. 



'rill' Al.lei-s air iri'pK luiil slinil.s ,il' ali.iul Iwcnl.v s|H-rii's with astriiiseiU bark and (lu)'nble 

 wooil. iuliabitiiia Uh' iioiHi tt'iuijerute regions (if botli licmisplipi'es, and vanging anmug the 

 mountaiLis ut the New Wiuid into tin.' tfopirs. Nine species aie natives of Xortli Amei'ira of 

 which six are i-eiognized as Ifees, live of these inhabiting the I'ai'ilie slope, and one is a local 

 species of the Atlantic slati's. Kcsides these tliefe is also one species fj'oni the (.)ld World 

 naturalized in localities iiL the Allantic states. 



Learrs serrate or ilentate and falling in autumn witliout change of <'olor ; buds naked, 

 stipitate. J'Uoircrs both kinds in <'\inose slalked anients which a))i)ear during the pre\iot]s 

 season and, remaining dormant during the winter, develop in early spring before the leaves, or, 

 in one American species, in late sumniei' ; staniiiuite anients pendulous with iieltate scales. 

 o-ti Holers in Ihi' axils of each scale and each subtended by niinule bi'actlets : cal>'x 4-iiai-|ed; 

 stamens usually 4. with short siniph' Hlaments : jiistillati' anients ovoid-obloicg. creel, with 

 thick scales and in Hie axils id' each are two llowers willioiit iierianth and siiblciided each 

 by l'-4 niiniiie lirai-1 lets ; it\aiy sessile I'-celled : st,\les 1'. I'ntil: nutlet small, eoniiiressed. 

 tipped with the reinnants of the sl.\le and bearing lateral wings which are sometimes reduced 

 to a mere membranous iKirder. 2 nutlets in the axils of each scale ; scales thick wood.\", erose 

 or ri-tootlied at apex and persistent, forming a strobile. 



Aliui-i is the ancient Latin name of the Alder. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 

 Leaves oblong, lustrous bright green ab i\e ; anients exiianding in autumn. ... A. maritinia. 

 Lea\"es orbicular-obo\'ate. dull gi een and glabrous ; anients expanding in very early s|ji'ing. 



A. glutinosa. 



For Kprcirn sfe pp. 1'2S-1:'S1. 



BEECH FAMILY. FAGACE/E. 



Trees of great economic value and some shrubs of wide distribution, mainly throughout 



the northern hemisphere, 'Pliere are nearly 4(10 known species grouped in six genera, five of 



which are represented in North America. ( >f these one is generally distributed throughout 



the Luited States, two others are represented in the Atlantic states only, and the remaining 



two are confined to tlie Pacific slojie. 



Learcx alternate-, petioled, piiiniveined and with narrow caducous stipules. Flovcrx 

 montecious, small : the staminate in aineiits or heads with 4-S-lobed calyx and 4-20 stamens 



anarroiioiis o\iiies m fic-ii . r-n. dlh u.^, ,.,,,,, ...n,. .-...v "'"^ " ■ , .,...-. ..^n.i.. ...o, u.,.. 



as many linear st\ les as there are cells of I lie ovai'y. Fruit a nut subtended or enveloped by an 

 involueral eoveiing and with a coriaeeoiis or liony exocar]), 1-celled by abortion and containing 

 a single' membranous-coaled seel without albumen; cot.xdedons fleshy; radicle short, superior. 



KEY Til THE GEXEKA. 



a Xut sharply triangular; staniinate flowers in globose long-stalked heads Fagus. 



a= Nut globose and more or less flattened at base; staminate flowers in anients; nut 



Liclosed in a iiricklv dehiscent burr ; aments suberect Castanea. 



Subtended b> a sca'l\. woody involueral cu]) Quercus. 



THE BEECHES. Gr-Nus FAGL^S L. 



Trees with sinoolh gra.\ bark, hard (dose-grained wood and long jiointed buds. About 

 a half dozen s]iecies are known, all confined to the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere 

 and one only is found in North America. 



Leaves convex and plicate on the veins in the bud. firm, deciduous, serrate with straight 

 veins- stipules linear-lan.-eolate ; petioles short. Floirrrs expanding with or soon after the 

 leaves'- the staminate at the base of the shoots of the season m many-flowered drooping heads 

 with'loii" "diracted iicduncles; ,iedicels short; calyx camiianulate, greenish yellow, imbricated 

 in TstivTtion 4-S-lolied ; stamens 8-lG, longer than the calyx, insei-ied on Us base and with 

 ei-eenish' -iiill'iei-s- pislilbile in 2-4-flowered diislers from the axils ol llie iipjicr leaves and 

 sni-roiind'd bv iiuiiiei-ons awl-shaped bracts of which the oiitei-ni.ist are buiger and caducous 

 and he iiiiier' are i.nilcd so as to form a 4-lobr4 burr-bke eoveriiig ; .-alyx 4 or o-lobed, villous, 

 a In-i - lo Ihe 'l-cclleil and .'l-angled o\-ar\- willi 2 o\-iiles in e.-ii-h i-ell and with ?, filiform and 

 rern -ved f \ les rniit a sharpiv ll-angled ovoid nut. with thin luslrons In-own coriaceous 

 shell aiid"iiiclosed iisiiallv in pairs in a 4-val\-ed burr; seed (willi the abortive ovules) 

 susi, ended oilv. edible anil of delii-ious flavor. 



Finiii'^ i>; 'tl"' "I'eek dei-ix-ation alluding to the edible (|iiality of Ihe nuts. 

 For species see pp. l'i,i-lJo. 



