Catkin n. (Bot.) An ament; a species of inflorescence, consisting of a slender axis with many unisexual apetalous flowers along its sides, as in the willow and poplar, and (as to the staminate flowers) in the chestnut, oak, hickory, etc. so called from its resemblance to a cat's tail.
... experienced than at any time since the Station orchard was set in 1925. It was a good season to separate the hardy and tender sorts. Throughout the winter the weather was exceptionally mild and favorable for that type of winter injury due to early growth activity. In a normally cold winter catkin killing as a rule is not very serious, except on a few tender varieties. Although catkin killing was so serious at Geneva, S. H. Graham of Ithaca, who is growing a number of varieties on an exposed location ... — Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting • Northern Nut Growers Association