CHAPTER I. 



N T R O D U C T O K Y 



In writing a work upon a particular family of plants, 

 the author is at loss to know how fhr he can presume up- 

 on the knowledge of the reader with respect to plants in 

 general. Believing that there are many who would con- 

 sult this work to learn some points about Coniferce, or 

 Cone-bearing plants, who are not familiar with plant 

 structure and the systems of classification, the writer has 

 preferred to be elementary and explain many terms that, 

 to the botanical student, would need no definition. No 

 one who has not attempted to write a work that shall be 

 equally useful to the experienced man and the novice, is 

 aware of the difficulties attending the task. We are 

 obliged to assume that the reader is aware or if not ad- 



O 



vised, we have to state that all plants are divided into 

 two great series, the Flowerless and the Flowering Plants. 

 The former are called Cryptogamous, meaning plants with 

 hidden fructification; and the latter Phcenogamous, or 

 those in which the parts concerned in fructification are 

 readily observable. Flowering (Phcenogamous) plants, 

 those with which we are most familiar, are subdivided into 

 two classes : Dicotyledonous plants, having two seed-leaves 

 to the young plant, or embryo, and their stems showing a 

 distinct pith, wood and bark ; and the Monocotyledonous 

 plants, that have but one seed-leaf to the embryo and no 

 distinct wood, pith, and bark in the stem. Besides this, 

 7 



