THE COMMON HOP 



337 



The Femalk Flower is very minute (4, Fig. 105), and pos- 

 sesses a cup-shaped perianth (c) with an entire edge. The ovary- 

 is superior, and contains a single pen- 

 dulous seed. Two long stigmas (s) 

 are present, each covered from end 

 to end with small elongated papillae. 



The Fruit (6, Fig. 105) is oval, 

 about the size of a white mustard seed, 

 indehiscent, and generally described 

 as a nut, although it is superior. 



The Seed possesses a curved em- 

 bryo and a very small amount of 

 endosperm. When the strobile or 

 female inflorescence is very young 

 the ' bracts ' are small and scarcely 

 visible except those near its base. 

 The stigmas of the flowers, however, 

 are very conspicuous, and form the 



single male flower of 

 s Perianth (sepal) ; si sta- 



FlG. 105.- 

 the hop. 



2. Perianth of male flower with SO-Called ' brUSh ' of the hop. 



anthers of the stamens removed ; the rrii i .. • j . i r • i j 



short filaments are visible. The plauts are Said to bc ' in burr 



3. Verjj young female inflorescence 

 or ' hop ' in ' burr.' si Stipular bract ; 

 J stigmas, the ' brush ' of the flowers 

 (see 4). 



4. Complete female flower, c The 

 entire cup-like perianth ; o ovary ; s 

 stigma. 



5. A bracteole (3) surrounding the 

 ripe fruit. ^The corolla ; o apex of 

 fruit. 



6. The ripe fruit (a nut). 



when the strobiles have reached this 

 stage of development. 



Soon afterwards the stigmas con- 

 stituting the ' brush ' drop off, and 

 about the same time a rapid growth of 

 the bracts takes place. The strobile 

 then begins to assume its characteristic shape of a fir-cone, and 

 at this period the plant is said to be ' in hop.' 



Although the bracteoles develop to a considerable extent and 

 the hop 'grows out,' even when the flowers in their axils are 

 unfertilised and abortive, nevertheless the largest bracteoles in 

 a ' hop ' are those in whose axils fertile fruits are present : the 

 fertilisation of the ovule, to a certain extent, stimulates the growth 

 of the bracteole subtending the flower. 



