pistillate

Perigynium mostly thick and hard in texture, often scabrous or hirsute, straight-beaked; pistillate spikes compactly flowered, mostly large, erect or nearly so; staminate spikes 1 or more; stigmas 3.

Fertile, capable of producing fruit; as a pistillate flower; applied also to a pollen-bearing stamen.

The short-stalked, bell-shaped flowers are unisexual, but staminate and pistillate are borne on the same plant; the latter are recognized by the swollen warty green ovary below the rest of the flower.

One year the trees were in full bloom the last week in February, and although cold weather followed, the protected pistillate flowers were not injured.

Staminate and pistillate flowers are borne on different plants; they have three small green sepals and three broadly ovate white membranous petals.