CONIFEEJE. 255 



Class 2. Coniferae (Pine-trees). 



The stem branches freely. The leaves are entire, relatively 

 small, linear or reduced to scales. The flowers are without peri- 

 anth. The ovules naked. It is seldom that the female flower is 

 reduced to only one carpel. 



Whilst the Cycadese principally resemble the Ferns, the Conifers 

 partly resemble the Lycopods, and partly the Equisetums the 

 former especially in the needle- or scale-like, leathery, simple, and 

 often perennial leaves (" evergreen plants "), which never possess 

 stipules (Figs. 263, 270, 272). Ginkgo deviates from this, being 

 no doubt the oldest, and the Conifer which stands nearest to the 

 Cycadea3 (Fig. 260). The resemblance to the Equisetums is 

 especially owing to the fact that the stem ramifies abundantly, and 

 often very regularly, forming a pyramid with verticillate branches. 

 In addition- to the foliage-leaves, scale-leaves (bud-scales) are 

 present in the majority of species. 



-The FLOWERS are monoecious or more rarely dioecious. Perianth 

 is wanting. The stamens of the catkin-like male flowers (Fig. 267, 

 J) are of different forms, but as a rule more or less shield-like. 

 As in the Cycadese, the pollen-sacs are in all cases situated on the 

 underside. There are, as a rule, two pollen-sacs (the Abietacea3, 

 Fig. 267), or 3-5, (the Cupressacese and Taxaceae, Fig. 243) ; a 

 few have more, e.g. Araucaria (Fig. 242) ; they dehisce by clefts. 



If, in commencing our consideration of the female /lower, we 

 begin with that of Ginkgo, we shall observe in the corner of a scale- 

 or foliage-leaf a small flower, which consists of two carpels, each 

 bearing one ovule, and reduced almost to the ovule itself (Fig. 260 

 C, D). The flower in Podocarpus is still further reduced, viz. to a 

 single carpel with one ovule, which is anatropous and has two in- 

 teguments. This ovule is situated in the axil of a cover-scale (c, in 

 Fig. 262 D), and several female flowers of this description are col- 

 lected in a small cone, the stalk and bracts of which become fleshy 

 (Fig. 262 C). The external integument also becomes fleshy (an aril). 

 Dacrydium, which is clearly related to Podocarpus, has an external 

 integument which developes more independently as a fleshy aril 

 (Fig. 262 B, J5 1 ). Microcachrys also is clearly allied to these : 

 the bracts are more fleshy, and the ovule (i.e. the female flower) 

 is protruded beyond the bract (Fig. 262 A, A 1 ). Taxus stands 

 in a more isolated position : a flower which has been reduced to 



an ovule is situated, in this instance, on the apex of a secondary 

 W.B. S 



