

ANATOMY, AND LIFE-HISTORY OF THE CONIFER-E. 



309 































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of attention from morphologists and anatomists than has, till 

 recently at any rate, been bestowed upon the other groups. 

 Nevertheless, it will be found, on comparison, that the structure 

 of the cone in this group presents no essential differences from 

 that of other groups excepting the Taxace© and Podocarpeae. 

 The bract is generally conspicuously separate from the seed-scale 

 in the young condition. Sometimes it remains very prominent 

 m the adult state, as in Pseudotsuga Douglasii, Abies bracteata, 

 A. nobilis, &c. ; whilst in others it is much smaller than the seed- 



disappears entirely. 



Pinus 



Cedrus. 



Pseudotsug 



with the scale, as in Cup 



but always more or less separate from the fruit-scale, even in 

 those cases where the latter greatly preponderates. In Pinus 

 the cones do not mature till the second year after their formation ; 

 whilst in other genera maturation takes place during the first 



season. 



ally 



appearance of a terminal position results from the young cone 



growing 



ly turned 



Usually 



after a time the cone is deflexed, and the terminal shoot assumes 

 its proper direction ; but in some cases, as in Pinus Lemoniana* 

 and P. cubensis var. tertrocarpa, the bud is arrested in its deve- 

 lopment and the cone remains terminal. Minor differences, 

 available for the discrimination of species, exist, as has been 

 already alluded to. 



Development of the Scales. — In the young cone of 

 vncinata the bracts are serially continuous with the perul® or 

 brown bud-scales. These get smaller and smaller till they 

 become mere membranous rims from whose axil (or apparently 



Pinus 



with its hook-like 



mination. 



mature 

 fruit-scale forms the large 



The bract is thus formed before the fruit-scale ; but the latter 

 speedily overtakes it in course of development. At first the 



bract and the seed-scale 



are 



tercalary 



at the base there appears to be formed a little stalk bearing the 



* Sir C. Lemon in Trans. Hurt. Soc. yol. i. p. 512, t. 20 ; Murray in « Pine- 

 tu m Britannioum,' fasc. v. 























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