748 



THE CATKIN FAMILY. 



An extensive family, widely distributed over the globe, but chiefly 

 in the temperate regions of both hemispheres, where it often constitutes 

 a large proportion of the forest trees. Minor differences, chiefly in 

 the female flowers, have induced its division into several tribes, often 

 considered as independent families, but as a whole it forms a natural 

 as well as a distinct group. Among the few British plants that have 

 their inflorescence at all resembling catkins, Hippophae is readily dis- 

 tinguished by the berry-like fruits and scurfy foliage, Elms by their 

 hermaphrodite flowers, and Conifers by their peculiar foliage inde- 

 pendently of the important character of the naked seeds. 



Tree or shrub, in flower. 



Scales of the male catkins broad, imbricated. Anthers longer 

 than their filaments. 

 Male and female catkins short, sessile, and erect ... 1. Gale. 

 Male catkins cylindrical, usually pendulous. 



Three distinct flowers, each with 4 stamens, under each 

 scale of the male catkin. Female catkins small, 



ovoid 2. Alder. 



Stamens 6 to 12 within each scale, not in distinct 

 flowers. 

 Scales of the male catkins stalked. Female catkins 



cylindrical 3. BiRCH. 



Scales of the catkins sessile. 



Stamens at the base of the scale. Female catkins 



loose, with narrow scales 4. Hornbeam. 



Stamens on the scale itself. Female catkins sessile 



and bud-like 5. Hazel. 



Scales of the male catkins narrow-linear, or divided, or very 

 minute. Anthers small, on slender filaments. 

 Flowers dioecious. Catkins, both male and female, cylin- 

 drical, compact, and usually sillcy-hairy. 

 Catkin-scales entire. Stamens 2, rarely 3 to 5, with 1 



or 2 gland-like inner scales 8. Willow. 



Catkin-scales jagged. Stamens several, in an oblique, 



cup-shaped perianth 9. Poplar. 



Flowers monoecious. 



Male catkins slender and interrupted. Female flowers 



in small, sessile or shortly-stalked clusters .... 7. Oak. 

 Male catkins globular, on pendulous stalks. Females 



erect, globular, softly hairy 6. Beech. 



Tree or shrub, in fruit. 



Capsules (in catkins) opening in 2 valves. Seeds minute, 

 with a tuft of long, cottony hairs. 



