594 



CUPULIFEE^ OE COKYLACE^. 



Platanus orientalis, the Oriental Plane, has broad palmate leaves, 

 resembling the Sycamore, which is often erroneously called the Plane 

 in Scotland. Some say that this is the Sycamore of the ancients. 

 Platanus occidentalis and P. acerifolia are also cultivated as showy 

 trees, under the name of Planes. 



Order 181. — Cupulifee^ or CoEYLACE.ffi!, the Nut Family. (Apet. 

 Diclin.) Flowers amentaceous (fig. 259, p. 178) or aggregate, unisexual. 

 Male flowers, with 5-20 stamens attached to scales (fig. 831). 

 Female flowers geminate on a bract (fig. 832). Ovary surrounded by 

 a coriaceous involucre or cupula (figs. 833, 835), crowned by the 

 remains of a persistent perianth or disk, 3- or more celled ; styles 2 

 (fig. 835) ; ovules 2 or 1, pendulous. Fruit a glans (fig. 281, p. 191 ; 

 836). Seeds usually solitary (figs. 834 ; 580, p. 330), exalbuminous ; 



Fig. 837. 



embryo with a superior radicle (fig. 837). — Trees or shrubs with alter- 

 nate, stipulate, and often feather-veined leaves (fig. 149, p. 83), found 

 chiefly in temperate regions ; some extend to warm countries. Genera, 



Figs. 831-837. Organs of fructification of Corylus'Avellana, the Hazel, to illustrate the 

 natural order Cupuliferse or Corylaceffi. Fig, S3I. Male flower separated from the catkin 

 (amentum), e, Scale or hract hearing the stamens, a, with their dithecal anthers. Fig. 

 832. Female flower, /, in a very young state, with its involucre, i. Fig. 833, Female 



flower more advanced, i, involucre opened to show the ovary, 0, covered by the perianth 

 or disk, c. s. Two styles. Fig. 834. Female flower'cut longitudinally, to show the two 



loculaments with a pendulous ovule in each. Fig. 835, Female flower more advanced, 



c. Perianth, s. Styles, Fig. 836. Eipe fruit, /, enveloped in its involucre or bracts, i. 



Fig. 837. Seed separated, t. Integument, half of which is removed to show the exalbu- 

 minous embiyo, e. r, Superior radicle. 



