CONSPECTUS OF THE ORDERS. XV 



whicli, however, lead normally to the development of only one perfect embryo. 

 Fruitini? " coues " usually much enlari^ed, either with the seeds more or less covered 

 by the indurated scales (or their appendaj^es) or enclosed amonir the fused aud fleshy 

 scales, the fruit tinally resembling- a berry or drupe ; or reduced to 1 or 2 (rarely 

 more) exposed seeds borne on the dry or fleshy axis of the cone ; fruiting- " florets" 

 nut- or drupe-like, according^ to the coriaceous or half-fleshy, half-bony structure of 

 the mature envelope. Seeds, if wholly covered or enclosed, with a crustaceous to 

 woody testa — if partly or wholly exposed, with an externally fleshy aud internally 

 woody testa or enveloped in a more or less fleshy aril. Embryo axile in the copious 

 fleshy or oily, rarely starchy endosperm, straight ; cotyledons 2-qo. Woody plants, 

 mostly trees, sometimes with short, tuberous stems. Leaves mostly coriaceous, 

 usually simple (ofteu linear or much reduced and squamiform), or jjiunate to bipiunate 

 [Ci/radalcs']. "Cones" terminal or axillary, solitary or clustered (rarely sjjicate or 

 paniculate), inconspicuous at the time of pollination or more or less vividly coloured ; 

 "florets" in spikes. Pollination mostly by wind; pollen deposited directly on the 

 micropyle or nucellus. 



CLASS I.— GNETALES. 



Diclinous, dioecious or monoecious. Male floret (pseudo-bisexual in Welwitschia) : 

 envelope formed of one pair or two decussating- pairs of scales, free or united ; 

 stamens 1-8 with the anthers sessile or subsessile on the summit of a stout central 

 axis or [^Welwitschin] 6 with the filaments connate at the base around a central 

 superior barren ovule. Female floret : envelope an ovary-like utricle with the ovule 

 naked, erect, orthotropous ; ovule with a single integument produced into an elongated 

 tubular micropyle which protrudes through the orifice of the utricle and with or 

 without an aril. Seed albuminous, enclosed at maturity in the hardened utricle 

 which is either differentiated into a fleshy outer, and a hard inner layer or entirely 

 coriaceous and sometimes [ Welwitschia^ produced laterally into 2 wings, Enil)ryo 

 straight with 2, rarely 3, cotyledons. Erect or scandent, virgate or leafy shrubs, 

 trees or woody climbers or [ Welwitschia^ a woody plant of unicjue form consistiug of 

 a stout tuberous hypocotyl and an early arrested depressed stem-apex, with true 

 vessels iu the secondary wood, without resin canals. Foliage -leaves two or more, 

 rarely in whorls of 3, opposite, simple. Florets (flowers) few or many, in axillary, 

 rarely terminal, unisexual or bisexual spikes ; spikes at the time of polliuation 

 greenish or yellowish, rarely vivitUy coloured [ Weluitschia']. Seeds with their 

 envelopes more or less enclosed in the dry or fleshy spikes or exposed and drupe-like 

 l^Gnetum^. 



CXXVIII. Gnetace^. Only order. 



CLASS II.— CONIFERAIiES. 



DiclinoTLS (normally), monoecious or dioecious. Male cones (male strobiles : male 

 flowers) mostly catkin-shaped, made up of verticillate or spirally arranged scales 

 (stamens: microsporophylls), bearing dorsally, or rarely around the scale-stalk, 2-15 

 pollen-sacs (microsporangia) ; pollen-sacs dehiscing variously ; i)ollen-giaius roundish, 

 with or without vesicular ai)pendages ; generative cell i)rodu(iug 2 immotile male 

 cells. Female cones (female strobiles : female flowei> : female inflorescences) 

 usually catkin-shaped, subsessile or pedunded, made up of verticillate or spirally 



