78 ^ Kansas Academy of Science. 



CLASS VIII/ CONIFERS. CONE-BEAREES. 



Exogenous Strobilophytes. 



Sporophytes ligneous, exogenous, with distinct wood covered with bark, 

 and with fascicled acicular foliage, somewhat equivalent to the leaf-petioles 

 of Ginkgoineae without the laminae. Growth of new wood and bark by an- 

 nual periods, in concentric cylindrical layers, continuously on the outside of 

 the wood already formed, and on the inside of the ibark. Tracheids (sap 

 ducts) in the wood in strict radial vertical ranks, two to five ranks or 

 thereabout between two contiguous radial plates. Radial plates in strobil- 

 ophytes one cell thick, rarely more, and with a vertical breadth of from three 

 to about sixteen cells, equivalent to a thickness of from 15 to 40 microns 

 (thousandths of a millimeter) and to a vertical breadth of from one-twen- 

 tieth to one-half a millimeter. Androspores on deciduous aments (andro- 

 phores) ; gynospores on the upper side of scales (carpophyls) upon a peren- 

 nial cone (carpophore). 



Gametophytes minute, developed wholly within the seeds. 



Order XIII. TAXALES. The Yews. 

 Slightly resinous trees or shrubs, with dioecious axillary flowers. An- 

 drophores as scaly deciduous aments ; scales few and small, each covering 

 a small androphyl which bears at its summit five to nine little androspo- 

 rangia (unisporangiate anthers), these pendent, attached by one end, and de- 

 hiscing in a peculiar manner, opening first at the lower ends a little, then 

 gradually tearing upward till the entire androphyl looks like a tiny um- 

 brella, holding the spores till a stiff breeze comes along and carries the 

 ripe ones away. Carpophores solitary, erect, cone-shaped, atfirst terminal, 

 later becoming axillary by development of a secondary terminal branch 

 bud ; ovule (gynosporangium) single, orthotropous, inclosed in integument ; 

 seed develops a red, fleshy aril, which is edible, though the seed is not. 



Family 28. Taxace^. Yew Family. 

 Evergreen trees, with scattered linear leaves (needles), occasionally 

 forming two imperfect ranks by twisting of the leaves to a horizontal posi- 

 tion upon a twig nearly or quite horizontal. Flowers dioecious, axillary, 

 solitary, naked, or partially covered by opposite overlapping scales. Stam- 

 inate flowers on a deciduous ament under the branch, the sporangia pendent. 

 Carpellate flower (carpophore) a solitary straight ovule above the branch, 

 in fruit becoming a bony-coated seed partially surrounded by a fleshy peri- 

 carp (the aril). Embryo in farinaceous albumen; cotyledons two. 



168. Taxus canadensis Marsh. American Yew. Occasionally planted 

 in choicest parks. 



169. Taxus baccata Linn. European Yew. Occasional in cemeteries. 



170. Taxus hibernica Hooker. Irish Yew. A choice tree for cemeteries, 

 but not well adapted to this climate. 



Order XIV. CUPRESSALES. The Cypresses and Cedars. 

 Slightly resinous evergreen trees or shrubs, with unsheathed leaves 

 (scale-like acicles) of several years' duration, rarely one (deciduous) ; leaves 

 very small, scale-like, sharp-pointed. Androphores ament-like, drooping, 

 with minute, sharp-pointed scales; androsporangia globular; dehiscence 

 irregular. Carpophores (ovule-bearing aments) very short, of few woody 



