100 



THE ELM. 



spring many of the young twigs may be observed 

 thickly set with bead-like scaly buds, which expand 

 before the leaves, and contain the rudiments of 

 flowers, each of which consists of a calyx of one 



Q 



leaf divided into five purple segments, and en- 

 closing an equal number of stamens of the same 

 colour, and a cloven germen bearing two styles.^' 

 The stamens soon wither and fall off, but the ger- 

 men enlarges and becomes a thin, pale, membra- 

 nous seed-vessel, rounded and notched at the 

 extremity, and bearing in the centre a solitary 

 seed. The calyx remains attached to the base of 



* For an explanation of these terms, see vol. i. p. 21 — 23. 



