82 CONIFERAE 
ception (the larch) they are evergreens. The leaves are either 
needle-formed or are flattened, scale-like, which overlap each 
other like little tiles (imbricate). The pollen flowers and the 
fertile flowers are in separate groups. There is no floral en- 
velope and the scale which bears the ovule, like that on which the 
pollen lies, is naked. There is neither style nor stigma. 
The class of cone bearers is, so far as we know, one of the oldest 
of all the classes of true seed bearing plants. Fossil remains of 
such trees are found in very ancient geological formations. 
In the class of cone bearers there are two families. 
Mruit aged berry ... . : . . « « TAZACEAS 
Fruit a cone of woody or ethers eis or a brown or 
ERC MENTNY eititie es. 15 Cont | Ga.) re). S) pak des PINACEAE 
Famity I.— TAXACEAE. THE Yew Famity 
The red, one seeded berry-like fruit (Fig. 5, page 81) is con- 
spicuous among the dark green, flat, needle-shaped leaves which 
are about an inch in length and arranged in opposite rows, one 
on each side of the stem. The pollen bearing cones are very small 
and inconspicuous (Fig. 6, page 81), with numerous (6 to 8) 
pollen sacs, while the disk-formed or hemispherical fruit is con- 
spicuous and attractive. The juice is not resinous. 
TAXUS, L. 
Characters of the Family. 
T. baccata, (L.) AMERICAN YEW. (T. canadensis, Willd.) <A low, 
spreading shrub with evergreen prickly leaves, which are dark shining 
green. Berries bright red. In rich shaay >:aces. 
Famity Il.— PINACEAE. Tur Pine Famity 
Trees and shrubs with resinous juice. The cones bearing pollen 
and the seed-bearing cones are on the same tree. ‘Those with pol- 
len consist of an elongated floral axis bearing stamens arranged 
spirally. he fruit bearers are the ordinary cones, more conspicu- 
ous and permanent. At the base of each scale of the fruit cone are 
two or more ovules. 
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