OF LOWEB GREEXSAXD PLANTS. GO 



incompletely known fossils are more or less certainly included 

 iu the family. 



The salient feature of the living forms is the presence of a 

 variable (sometimes very large) number of seeds on the $ 

 cone-scales. The $ cone-scales are toothed, divided, etc., at 

 the tip and indicate an apparently double origin, and are 

 spirally arranged on the axis. Both male and female sporo- 

 phylls form cones which are, on the whole, considerably smaller, 

 and also contain fewer scales, than in the Arauearinea3 and 

 Abietinese. 



The leaves are generally small, often adpressed. The wood 

 is difficult to distinguish from that of some of the Abietineoe, 

 the pits on the tracheids are generally in single rows, the 

 borders round and isolated. 



Genus SEQUOIA, Endlicher. 

 [Synop. Conifer., 1847, p. 197.] 



This genus has only two living representatives, the large 

 " Redwood " trees of North America. In Tertiary times, 

 however, numerous fossil representatives occurred in various 

 parts of Europe and elsewhere. 



Endlicher's diagnosis of the genus is as follows : " Flores 

 in diversis ramulis mouoici. Staminig. Amenta axillaria globosa, 

 subspicata, perulata. Stamina plurima, axi inserta ; filamenta 

 brevissime filiformia, in connectivi squaraulain late ovatam, 

 verticalem. producta, antherae loculis duobus, connectivi basi 

 continuis, discretis, parallelis, postice longitudinaliter bival- 

 vibus. Seminif. Amenta . . . 



" Strobilus subglobosus, squamis coriaceo lignosis, subor- 

 bicularibus, ungue brevi excentrico peltatis, lamina rugosa 

 margine involuta, medio breviter mucronata, persistentibus. 

 Semina sub quavis squama, 5-7, infra ejusdem marginem superi- 

 orem libere pendula, tuberculis minutis hilo orbiculari inserta, 

 elliptica, compressa, integumento subcrustaceo utrinque in alam 

 membranaceam rigidam, latiusculam, basi ad hilum emargi- 

 natam, apice versus micropylen deorsum spectantern seusim 

 angustatam producto. Albumen carnosum. Arbores Califor- 

 nia, giganteae. Kami alterni, teretes, foliis abbreviatis anguste 



