Obdeb 127.— CONIFEIUE. 65$ 



Class II. GYMNOSPERMJ!. 



Exogenous plants with chiefly parallel-veined leaves, always 

 diclinous, with the flowers very incomplete. Pistils none, or 

 represented by open scales. Ovules axillary or naked, fertilized 

 by the direct application of the pollen, becoming at maturity 

 naked seeds, destitute of a true pericarp. Cotyledons often 

 more than 2. This Class constitutes the 



Cohort 4. CONOIDE^E. 



Order CXXVII. CONIFERS. Conifers. 



Trees or shrubs mostly evergreen, abounding with a resinous juice. Leaves scat- 

 tered or fascicled, acerous, linear or lanceolate, parallel-veined. Flowers monoecious 

 or dioecious, achlamydeous, in aments or cones. $ Stamens 1, or several united. 

 S Ovary, style and stigma wanting. Ovules 1 or several at the baso of the car- 

 pellary scale. Fruit a strobile (cone), woody with the scales distinct, or baccate 

 with the scales fleshy and coherent. Must, in Figs. 46, S. 87, 152, 153, 3C7, 449. 

 463, 579. 



Genera 20, species 110, natives of all climates, but most abundant in the temperate zones, 

 those of the southern, however, very different from tho pines, spruces, larches and cedars of the 

 northern. 



Properties. — Few orders can be named, which are of more importance to mankind, whether in 

 reference to their invaluable timber or their resinous secretions. Turpentine, tar, pitch and resin, 

 are the product of the pines. Burgundy pitch is yielded by Pinus sylvestris of Europe; Vene- 

 tian turpentine, by the Larix ; oil of Savin by Juniperus Sabina of Europe, etc. In stature the 

 Coniferre are the loftiest of all trees. Pinus strobus, arises often 20uf. Araucaria imbricata of 

 (Jhili 250f, and Sequoya gigantea of California 4U0f. 



SUBORDERS AND GENKBA. 

 I. ABIETINEJE. ? Scales many, each subtended by a bract, with 2 inverted ovules 

 (their micropyle turned downwards) at the base inside. Seeds winged. (*) 



* Leaves evergreen, fasciculate in clusters of 2 to 5 Pinus. 1 



* Leaves evergreen, separate, scattered Ames. 2 



* Leaves deciduous, many in tho fascicles on short lateral branchlets Laeix. 3 



. II. CUPHESSINE^E. ? Scales few, bractlcss, each with 2 to 8 erect ovules. (*) 



* Flowers monoecious. Fruit a woody cone opening at maturity, (a) 



a Leaves evergreen, 6cale-like. Cone-scales oblong, loose, flattisb, 2-ovnled Thuja. 4 



a Leaves evergreen, scale-like or Subulate. Cone-scales peltate, angular Ccpussus. 5 



a Leaves deciduous, linear, 2-rowed. Cone-scales peltate, angular Taxodiu.m. 6 



* Flowers dioecious. Fruit a fleshy cone, the scales consolidated, berry-like. . Junipekub. T 



1. PrWUS, L. Pine. (Celtic pin or pen, a rock or crag ; from the 

 locality of many species.) Flowers moncecious. $ Aments clustered, 

 terminal; stamens co, with 2 cells and a scale-like connective; pollen 

 grains triple. ¥ Aments conical or cylindric, the carpellary scales 

 bracted, each bearing on its base within 2 inverted ovules ; strobile com- 

 posed of the imbricated hardened scales which are often thickened or 

 awned at the tip; seeds nut-like, winged ; cotyledons 3 to 12, linear. — 

 Trees with evergreen, acerous lvs. in fascicles of 2 to 5, each fascicl© 

 subtended and invested by a membranous scale or leaf. (Fig. 152.) 



