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catkin
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pussy willow Monoecious flowers black oak alder catkins European hornbeam birch angiosperm inflorescences
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pussy willow
pussy willow Male catkin of a pussy willow (Salix discolor).

catkin

flower cluster
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Article History
Monoecious flowers
1 of 2
Monoecious flowersA drooping male catkin (left) and the small red female inflorescence (right) of hazel (Corylus avellana).
black oak
2 of 2
black oakThe leaves and catkins of a black oak (Quercus velutina).

catkin, elongated cluster of single-sex flowers bearing scaly bracts and usually lacking petals. Catkins may be erect or pendulous and are often somewhat inconspicuous. Many trees bear catkins, including willows, birches, and oaks. Wind carries pollen from male to female catkins or from male catkins to female flowers arranged in a different inflorescence form (e.g., in spikes). Depending on the species, a catkin-producing plant may be monoecious (both male and female flowers are present on a single individual) or dioecious (female and male flowers are borne on separate individuals).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.