Classification of Plants 



175 



its turnip-shaped trunk. It dwells in Natal, and comes as far 

 south as Lower Albany. 



The Cycadaceae come of a very ancient lineage, for their 

 fossil forms are found in older rock formations than those of 

 any of their Gymnosperm relatives. 



Conifers. — Unlike the Cycadace^e, the Coniferge have 

 much-branched trunks and small simple leaves. 



Fodocarpis, or Yellow Wood, is the monarch of the eastern 

 forests, attaining a height of 50 to 80 feet. 



The stamen-bearing catkins 

 are about an inch in length. 

 The ovule flower is reduced to 

 a single ovule borne upon a 



IV 



Fig. 180. — PotiocarJ>us elongatiis. I. Branch (i) with 3 stamen-bearing spikes. II. Ovule- 

 bearing scale. III. Section through the latter, showing one ovule. IV. Ripe 

 pseudocarp : /', fleshy receptacle ; I', seed enclosed in green resinous scale. (From 

 Edmonds and Marloth's " Elementary Botany for South Africa.") 



scale. (There is a scale facing this one which sometimes bears 

 an ovule.) The cones are reduced to their lowest terms. 

 These fleshy scales form the receptacle for the drupe-like fruit 

 with its fleshy covering and hard inner coat. 



P. thunbergii (true Yellow Wood) has lanceolate shining leaves and 

 dark blue receptacles. 



P. elongata (Outeniqua Yellow Wood) has narrow leaves and a small 

 crimson receptacle. These uionarchs of the East attain a girth of 23 feet. 



Callitris ( Widdringtonia) is the other genus of this order. 

 It extends from Natal to the mountains of Clanwilliam, where 



