146 Postelsia 
Vancouver Island, with notes concerning their 
distribution in the forests of the southwestern 
parts of the island. Brief descriptions are given 
also of those conifers which from their general 
range will probably be found in the mountains 
of the island. For a key for the recognition of 
the genera from non-fruiting specimens see 
page 205. 
FAMILY TAXACEZ 
Trees or shrubs with dicecious or very rarely 
monececious flowers, the staminate often cone-like, 
terminal or axillary, solitary or in few-flowered 
clusters, composed of an axis bearing stamens, 
with or without sterile basal scales; pollen sacs 
commonly two on each stamen, rarely three to 
eight. Pistillate flowers usually solitary, axil- 
lary, seldom cone-lke, composed of a longer or 
shorter axis, bearing one to many one-(or rarely 
two-) ovuled carpels, sometimes with sterile 
basal scales resembling the carpels, or the whole 
flower reduced to a single ovule terminating a 
short scale-bearing axis; ovules generally naked, 
projecting, often much exceeding the carpels, 
erect or more or less inverted. Seeds usually 
