page_title: Catkin
section_title: Etymology
hierarchical_section_title: Catkin / Etymology
caption_attribution_description: English: Catkins on a pussy willow conflating into kittens. Illustration by Margaret Ely Webb from "Aldine Readers: Book One", page 57 (available online at the Hathi Trust Digital Library). Text Appearing Before Image: PUSSY WILLOWSSummer is coming.I know it is.How do you think I know?Today I found some pussy willows.Pussy willows come to tell us winter is over.All winter they were asleep.But now they are awake.How glad they look!They know winter is over.
context_page_description: A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster, with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated but sometimes insect-pollinated. They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem that is often drooping. They are found in many plant families, including Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Moraceae, and Salicaceae.
context_section_description: The word catkin is a loanword from the Middle Dutch katteken, meaning "kitten" (compare also German Kätzchen). This name is due either to the resemblance of the lengthy sorts of catkins to a kitten's tail, or to the fine fur found on some catkins. Ament is from the Latin amentum, meaning "thong" or "strap".
caption: Etymology illustrated by pussy willow catkins from a children's book
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