490 CONIFER^. (pine FAMILY.; 



Suborder II. Taxacese. (Yew Family.) Flowers dioecioits, 

 axillary and solitary, the fertile consistiiTLT of a naked erect ovule which 

 becomes a bony-coated seed more or less surrounded or enclosed by 

 the enlarged fleshy disk (or scale). 

 10. Taxus. Leaves linear, scattered. Seed surrounded by a red berry-like cup. 



1. PINUS, Tourn. Pine. 



Sterile flower at the base of the shoot of the same spring, inA'olucrate by 2 

 nearly definite number of scales, consisting of numerous stamens spirally in 

 serted on the axis, with very short filaments and a scale-like connective; 

 anther-cells 2, opening lengthwise. Pollen of 3 united cells, the 2 lateral 

 ones empty. Fertile catkins solitary or aggregated immediately below the 

 terminal bud, or lateral on the young shoot, consisting of imbricated carpel- 

 lary scales, each in the axil of a persistent bract, bearing a pair of inverted 

 ovules at the base. Fruit a cone formed of the imbricated woody carpellary 

 scales, which are thickened at the apex (except in White Pines), persistent, 

 spreadiug when ripe and dry ; the 2 nut-like seeds partly sunk in excavations 

 at the base of the scale ; in separating carrying away a pan of its lining as a 

 thin fragile wing. Cotyledons 3-12, linear. — Primary leaves thin and chaff- 

 like, merely bud-scales ; from their axils immediately proceed the secondary 

 needle-shaped evergreen leaves, in fascicles of 2 to 5, from slender buds, some 

 thin scarious bud-scales sheathing the base of the cluster. Leaves when in 

 pairs semicylmdrical, becoming channelled ; when more than 2 triangular ; 

 their edges in our species serrulate. Blossoms developed in spring ; the cones 

 maturing in the second autumn. (The classical Latin name.) 

 § 1. Leaves 5, each with a single jibro-vascular himdle ; sheath loose, deciduous ; 

 cones subterminal, their scales hut slightlij thickened at the end and without 

 prickle or point; hark smooth except on old trunks. 



1. P. Strobus, L. (White Pine.) Tree 75-160° high; leaves very 

 slender, glaucous ; sterile flowers oval (4 - 5" long), with 6-8 involucral scales 

 at base ; fertile catkins long-stalked, cylindrical ; cones narrow, cylindrical, 

 nodding, often curved (4-6' long); seed smooth; cotyledons 8-10. — Newf 

 to Penn., along the mountains to Ga., west to Minn, and E. Iowa. Invaluable 

 for its soft, light, white or yellowisli wood, in large trees nearly free from resin. 

 § 2. Leaves in twos or threes, each with two Jibro-vascular bundles ; sheath close : 



woody scales oj the cones thickened at the end and usually spiny -tipped. 



* Cones lateral ; their scales much thickened at the end ; leaves rigid. 



■t- Leaves in threes {rarely in tivos in n. 2). 



2. P. Tseda, L. (Loblolly or Old-field Pixe.) Leaves long (6- 10) 

 ivith elongated sheaths, light green; cones elongated-oblong (3-5' long) and 

 tapering; scales tipped icith a stout incurved spine. — Wet clay or dry sandy 

 soil, Del. to Fla. near the coast, thence to Tex. and Ark. — A tree 50-150° 

 high ; staminate flowers slender, 2' long, with usually 10-13 involucral scales : 

 seeds with 3 strong rough ridges on the under side 



3. P. rigida, ^lill. (Pitch Pixe.) Zeat-e^ (3 -5' long) dark green, //om 

 short sheaths; cones ovoid-conical or ovate (l-3f' long), often in clusters; 

 scales with a shoH stout recurved prickle. — Sandy or barren soil, N BrunsAvick 



