78 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



and peals off in thick scales. Its trunk reaches a diameter of three 

 or four feet, and it often grows to a height of over one hundred 

 feet. The leaves are long, slender, rigid, grooved above, and 

 always arranged in pairs. When young they are of a bright green 

 colour, but turn to a dark green later, and remain on the tree for 

 two years or more. The male and female flowers grow on the same 

 tree, and are mature in May or Jxme. Tlie male catkins are only 



The Scots Pin^e with the Coxes op Two Seasons. 



about a quarter of an inch in diameter, but are collected into 

 conspicuous spikes, and shed an abundance of pale yellow pollen. 

 The female catkins are in the form of egg-shaped cones, tapering to 

 a point. The carpels of the flowers do not enclose the seeds, but 

 arc thick scales beneath which the seeds lie. The cone is two or 

 three inches in length, and takes about eighteen months to ripen, 

 so that the cones of two successive years will generally be found on 

 the tree at the same time. When ripe, the scales arc woody and 

 very hard, and as they separate, the winged, naked seeds are set 

 free and dispersed by the wind. The tree has usually a very 



