490 CONIFERS. (PINE FAMILY.) 



SUBORDER II. Taxacese. (EW FAMILY.) Flowers dioecious, 

 axillary and solitary, the fertile consisting of a naked erect ovule which 

 becomes a bony-coated seed more or less surrounded or enclosed by 

 the enlarged fleshy disk (or scale). 

 10. Taxus. Leaves linear, scattered. Seed surrounded by a red berry-like cup. 



1. PIN US, Tourn. PINE. 



Sterile flower at the base of the shoot of the same spring, involucrate by a 

 nearly definite number of scales, consisting of numerous stamens spirally in- 

 serted on the axis, with very short filaments and a scale-like connective; 

 anther-cells 2, opening lengthwise. Pollen of 3 united cells, the 2 lateral 

 ones empty. Fertile catkins solitary or aggregated immediately below the 

 terminal bud, or lateral on the young shoot, consisting of imbricated carpel- 

 lary scales, each in the axil of a persistent bract, bearing a pair of inverted 

 ovules at the base. Fruit a cone formed of the imbricated woody carpellary 

 scales, which are thickened at the apex (except in White Pines), persistent, 

 spreading when ripe and dry ; the 2 nut-like seeds partly sunk in excavations 

 at the base of the scale ; in separating carrying away a part of its lining as a 

 thin fragile wing. Cotyledons 3-12, linear. Primary leaves thin and chaff- 

 like, merely bud-scales; from their axils immediately proceed the secondary 

 needle-shaped evergreen leaves, in fascicles of 2 to 5, from slender buds, some 

 thin scarious Imd-scales sheathing the base of the cluster. Leaves when in 

 pairs semicylmdrical, becoming channelled ; when more than 2 triangular ; 

 their edges in our species serrulate. Blossoms developed in spring; the cones 

 maturing in the second autumn. (The classical Latin name.) 

 1. L'/ires 5, each with a single Jibro-vascular bundle ; s/iealh loose, deciduous ; 



cones subterminal, their scales but slirjhtly thickened at the end and without 



prickle or point ; bark smooth except on old trunks. 



1. P. Strobus, L. (WHITE PINE.) Tree 75-160 high; leaves very 

 slender, glaucous ; sterile flowers oval (4 - 5" long), with 6-8 involucral scales 

 at base ; fertile catkins long-stalked, cylindrical ; cones narrow, cylindrical, 

 nodding, often curved (4 -6' long); seed smooth; cotyledons 8-10. Newf. 

 to Penn., along the mountains to Ga., west to Minn, and E. Iowa. Invaluable 

 for its soft, light, white or yellowish wood, in large trees nearly free from resin. 

 2. Leaves in twos or threes, each with two fibro-vascular bundles ; sheath close ; 



woody scales of the cones thickened at the end and usually spiny-tipped. 



* Cones lateral; their scales much thickened at the end ; leaves rigid. 



-- Leaves in threes (rarely in twos in n. 2). 



2. P. Tseda, L. (LOBLOLLY or OLD-FIELD PINE.) Leaves long (6-10') 

 u-ith elongated sheaths, light green ; cones elongated-oblong (3 - 5' long) and 

 tapering; scales tipped with a stout incurved spine. Wet clav or drv sandv 

 soil, Del. to Fla. near the coast, thence to Tex. and Ark. A tree 50-150 

 high ; staminate flowers slender, 2' long, with usually 10-13 involucral scales ; 

 seeds with 3 strong rough ridges on the under side. 



3. P. rigida, Mill. (PITCH PINE.) Leaves (3-5' long) dark green, from 

 short sheaths; cones ovoid-conical or ovate (1-3^-' long), often in clusters; 

 scales with a short stout recurved prickle. Sandy or barren soil, N. Brunswick 



