PINE FAMILY. CONIFERS. 49 
Subkingdom SPERMATOPHYTA. 
SEED-BEARING PLANTS. 
Plants producing seeds which contain an embryo formed of one or more 
rudimentary leaves (cotyledons), a stem (hypocotyl, radicle), and a terminal 
bud (plumule), or these parts sometimes undifferentiated before germination. 
Microspores (pollen-grains) are borne in microsporanges (anther-sacs) on the 
apex or side of a modified leaf (filament). The macrosporanges (ovules) are 
borne on the face of a flat or inrolled much modified leaf (carpel) and contain 
‘one macrospore (embryo-sac); this develops the minute female prothallium, 
an archegone of which is fertilized by means of a tube (pollen-tube), a portion 
of the male prothallium sprouting from the pollen-grain., 
The Seed-bearing plants form the most numerous group in existence, not less than 120,- 
-000 species being known. The subkingdom was formerly known as Phanerogamia, or Phae- 
nogamia and more recently as Anthophyta, this term signifying the presence of flowers, 
which characterizes most of the group. But the consideration that the spore-bearing organs 
of the Pine Family cannot well be regarded as flowers, and the fact that the production of 
seeds is the most characteristic difference between these plants and the Pteridophyta, are 
reasons which haye led to the acceptance of the term here adopted. 
There are two classes in the subkingdom, which differ from each other as follows: 
‘Ovules and seeds borne on the face of a scale; stigmas none. Class 1. GYMNOSPERMAE. 
-Ovules and seeds contained in a closed cavity (ovary). Class 2, ANGIOSPERMAE. 
Class 1. GYMNOSPERMAE. 
Ovules (macrosporanges) naked, not enclosed in an ovary, this represented 
by a scale or apparently wanting. Pollen-grains (microspores) dividing at 
maturity into two or more cells, one of which gives rise to the pollen-tube (male 
prothallium ), which directly fertilizes an archegone of the nutritive endosperm 
(female prothallium ) in the ovule. 
The Gymnosperms are an ancient group, first known in Silurian time. They became most 
numerous in the Triassic age. They are now represented by not more than 450 species of trees 
and shrubs. 
There are three orders, Coniferales, Cycadales and Gnetales, the first of which is represented in 
-our area by the Pine and Yew Families. 
Family tr. PINACEAE Lindl. Nat. syst. Rd. 2, 313. 1836. 
PINE FAMILY. CONIFERS. 
Resinous trees or shrubs, mostly with evergreen narrow entire or scale-like 
leaves, the wood uniform in texture, without tracheae, the tracheids marked by 
large depressed disks, the pollen-sacs and ovules borne in separate spikes 
(aments). Perianth none. Stamens several together, subtended by a scale; fila- 
ments more or less united ; pollen-sacs (anthers) 2—several-celled, variously de- 
hiscent ; pollen-grains often provided with two lateral inflated sacs. Ovules 
with two integuments, orthotropous or amphitropous, borne solitary or several 
together on the surface of a scale, which is subtended by a bract in most gen- 
era. Fruit a cone with numerous, several or few, woody, papery or fleshy 
scales; sometimes berry-like. Seeds wingless or winged. Endosperm fleshy or 
starchy, copious. Embryo straight, slender. Cotyledons 2 or several. 
About 25 genera and 240 species of wide distribution, most abundant in temperate regions. 
Scales of the cone numerous (except in Lar71a-); leaf-buds scaly. 
Cone-scales woody; leaves needle-shaped, 2-5 in a sheath. 1. Pinus. 
Cone-scales thin; leaves linear-filiform, scattered or fascicled, not in sheaths. 
Leaves fascicled on very short branchlets, deciduous. 2. LATia. 
Leaves scattered, persistent. 
Cones pendulous; leaves jointed to short persistent sterigmata. 
Leaves tetragonal, sessile. 3. Picea. 
Leaves flat, short-petioled. 4. Tsuga. 
Cones erect; sterigmata inconspicuous or none. 5. Abies. 
Scales of the cone few (3-12); leaf-buds naked. 
Cone-seales spiral, thick; leaves deciduous. 6. Taxodium. 
Cone-scales opposite; leaves persistent. 
Cone oblong, its scales not peltate. 7. Thuja. 
Cone globose, its scales peltate. 8. Chamaecyparis. 
Fruit fleshy, berry-like, a modified cone. 9. Juniperus. 
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