642 Obbeb 119.— CUPULIFEa^B. 



and. a comparatively small kernel difficult of extraction. Taste inferior to tlie 

 shellbark. Wood witli a small duramen, excellent for fuel. Apr., May. 



7 C gllbra Torr. Pignut. Lfis. 5 or 7, ovate-lanceolate, subacuminate, serrate, 

 nearly glabrous both sides; fruit roiaidishrobovate or pyriform, half i-valved; nut 

 smooth and even or slightly angular, hard, thin-shelled, with a bitterish but eatable 

 kernel.— Forests U. S. and Can., growing to the height of 60— lOOf. Trunk 1 to 

 2|f diam., covered with a moderately even bark. Lfts. mostly 1, often 5, some- 

 times 9, the odd one tapering to a short stalk. The fruit is considerably variable 

 in form and quality, often pear-shaped, then obovate or roundish, always some- 

 what bitter. Wood exceedingly tough and hard, and excellent for fuel. Mar., 

 May. (Juglaus, Muhl. C. poroina Nutt.) 



S C. microcarpa Nutt. Lfts. 5 or T, oblong-lanceolate, glabrous, glandular he- 

 neaih, serrate, conspicuously acuminate; aments glabrous; fr. roundishromid, 

 valves thin, united below ; nut thin-shelled, small, slightly quadrangular. — A large 

 tree 60 to 80f high, in moist woodlands, Penn. to Ky. and Tenn. ? Trunk IJ to 

 2f diam. with an even bark. Lfts. mostly 5, often Y, 4 to 8' by 2 to 3', the under 

 surface tufted iu the axils of the veinlets, and sprinkled with dark glandular dots. 

 Fruit about the size of a nutmeg. Nut with a thin shell, not mucronate, eatable. 

 May. 



Order CXIX. CUPULIFER./E. Mastwokts. 



JVces or shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple, straight-veined, with deciduous stipules. 

 Flowers monceoious, the sterile in aments which are raoemed or capitate. S Gaiyx 

 scale-like or regular, with 5 to 20 stamens inserted at its base. ¥ Gaiyx tube 

 . adherent to the ovary, the toothed limb crowning its summit. Ovary 2 to 3 to 6- 

 celled, with sessile stigmas and 1 or 2 ovules in each cell. Fruit a 1-celled, 1-seeded 

 nut, solitary or several together invested by an involucre which forma a scaly or 

 echinate cupule. Seed destitute of albumen, filled by the embryo with its large 

 cotyledons. Illust. m figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 71, 138, 139, 140, 202, 418, 438, 471, 472, 473, 

 474. 46. B. 



Genera 8, apeciea 265, constituting .i larpe portion of tlie forests of the northern temperate 

 regions, and of mountainous tracts within tlio tropics. 



I'roperties. — Tlie barlt of the oak and other genera is well known for its astringent qualities. 

 The edible fruit of the hazel-nut, chestnut, beech, &c., are too well known to require description, 

 Cork is the bark of Quercus Suber. Nutt galls are produced from the petioles of Q. infectoria of 

 Asia Minor, being caused by woimds made by insects. But the timber is of the highest quality 

 ■ and value. 



GENERA. 



§ Sterile flowers in aments, fertile, solitary, or few together. (*) 



* Involucre of many scales, valveless, cup-like, partly enclosing the'l nut Qithrcus. 1 



* Involucre of prickly scales, 4-Talved, enclosing 2 or 3 nuts Castanba. 3 



* Involucre of soft, prickly scales, 4-valved, enclosing 2 nuts. Fagub. S 



* Involucre of 2 or S large, lacerated, united scales, valveless, with 1 — 2 nuts. .Cohtlus. 4 

 § Sterile flowers and fertile, both kinds in pendulous aments. (*) 



* Involucre scales in p.airs, with their edges united, inflated Ostrya. 5 



* Involucre scales in pairs, distinct, 3-lobed, becoming leaf-like Carpinus. 6 



1. QUER'CUS, L. Oak. (Celtic quer, fine, cuez, tree. The Celtic 

 name is drys, lience druid.) $ Fls. in loose aments ; calyx mostly 5- 

 cleft; stamens 5 — 10. ? Cupule cup-sliaped, scaly; ovary 3-celled, 

 6-ovulecL (Fig. 418), 2 of the cells and 5 of the ovules abortive; stigmas 

 .3 ; nut (acorn) coriaceous, 1-celled, 1-seeded, surrounded at the base 

 by the enlarged, cup-shaped, scaly cupule. — A noble genus of trees, 

 rarely shrubs. Aments axillary, pendulous, filiform, with the flowers 

 separate, in one section, not maturirig fruit until the s.econd year (fruit 

 biennial). Timber invaluable. Fig. 420, 



