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126 soon afterwards; in July the young acorns can be made out peeping from the cupules in which they had hitherto been inclosed. The acorn reaches its full size towards the end of September, and ripens and falls in



34.—Female flower in section. To the left three transverse sections through the young ovary; the lower one showing the three placentas, each with two ovules. To the right, three longitudinal median sections through the whole flower at successive periods: a, stigma; b, carpal; c, perianth; d, cavity of ovary with ovules; m, the cupule. (Th. Hartig.)

October. When ripe the acorn is, as we have seen, an ovoid, smooth, olive-brown nut, with the broad end inserted into the cupule, and the narrower, somewhat tapering end projecting free.