CHAP. XII.] ABIETINEiE. 211 



seed is sown and begins to germinate, the 

 young plant sends down a root, and pushes 

 through the ground its upright shoot, which has 

 six cotyledons, bearing the husk of the seed 

 upon their tip. All the species of the genus 

 Pinus agree with the Scotch Pine in the con- 

 struction of their flowers, and they differ from 

 each other principally in their cones, and in the 

 number of leaves which they have in a sheath. 

 By far the greater number have two leaves in a 

 sheath, (see a in Jig. 93,) and among these are 

 the Scotch Pine (P. sylvestris), which has small 

 straight cones without prickles ; P. Banksiana, 

 w^iich has crooked cones ; P. pungens and other 

 American Pines, which have prickly cones, 

 every scale being furnished with a sharp spine ; 

 the Corsican Pine (P. Laricio)^ and several 

 allied species, which have no spines on their 

 cones, but every scale curving outwards ; 

 the Pinaster (P. Pinaster) which has large 

 cones, with very short broad spines, and the 

 Stone Pine (P. Phiea), the cones of which are 

 smooth and shining, and very large, and the 

 seeds of which are eaten. The pines that have 

 three leaves in a sheath, are chiefly natives of 

 North America, and have prickly cones ; such 

 as Pinus Tceda and its allies, P. ponderosa^ 

 remarkable for its heavy wood which sinks 

 in water, and its large spreading branches ; and 

 p 2 



