460 THE FIB-XKEE FAMII,T. 



and the new, are almost exclusively occupied by forests of the splendid 

 genera Abies and Pimis ; the traveller pursues his way among them 

 for days and weeks together, without witnessing any abatement of 

 the mighty produce. In temperate and hot countries they are less 

 abmidant, but there are few which, at least upon the mountains, do 

 not possess representatives of this superb and truly patriarchal family. 

 Their uses are not inferior to their grandeur. The timber is known 

 as deal, cedar, and larch ; the trunks serve as masts for ships ; resin, 

 turpentine, pitch, and other substances of similar nature are yielded 

 by them in the greatest plenty, while many species furnish eatable 

 seeds. 



There are two principal tribes of the Coniferce, one represented by 

 the cedar, pine, and fir ; the other by the cypress aud the juniper. In 

 both the stem is much branched, and the wood resinous : in both the 

 leaves are small, narrow, and usually evergreen; the flowers very 

 incomplete, individually minute, unisexual, and often dioecious, but 

 atti'active, in many cases, from their abundance. The technical diffe- 

 rence between the two tribes lies in the pollen and in the seed, the 

 true Conifers, or AbietinecB, having the grains of pollen oval and curved, 

 and the ovules inverted ; while the Cupressinece have spheroidal pollen 

 and erect ovules. Practically they may be distinguished by their 

 branches, foliage, and fruit. 



1.— ABIETINE.E. 



The true Conifers are nearly all of lofty statm-e and pyramidal form, 

 and furnished with regularly whorled branches that extend from near 

 the base of the stem to the summit. The leaves are generally needle- 

 shaped, and several inches long, though sometimes much less, and 

 occasionally lanceolate and flat. The male flowers generally grow in 

 dense clusters of a fine reddish orange-colour, surrounding the twigs, 

 and with tufts of leaves above them, so as to present the figure of a 

 little pine-apple ; the females lie in the axils of imbricated scales, 

 which in due course enlarge and harden, and consolidate into the well- 

 known production called the fir-cone or "fir-bob." (Fig. 204.) In 

 different species these "cones" take two or more years to ripen, so 

 that the products of several past seasons may often be found side by 

 side on the same branch. Tlic pollen is very copious, and if the 

 boughs be slightly shaken, descends in showers. The flowers appear, 

 for the most part, in May and June. 



The principal genera are distinguislicd by the following characters : 



