392 VARIOUS PLANT GROUPS 



consisting of one or more carpels — or in other V\'ords — all that 

 have an angiospermoua ^ gynoecium. Nearly all seed-plants 

 belong to this class. 



157. The pine family (Pinaceae). Examples: juniper 

 (Fig. 154, page 158), pine (Fig. 258, page 269), larch (Fig. 259, 

 page 271), spruce (Fig. 260, page 272), red cedar (Fig. 261, 

 page 273), redwood (Fig. 262, page 273), and hemlock (Fig. 

 263, page 273). 



See formulas of Pinus, Larix, Picea, Tsuga, Sequoia, Juniperus, 

 and Pinaceae on pages 424-427. 



A considerable variety of opinion obtains among botanists 

 regarding the morphology of the floral parts of the pine 

 family. According to one view the catkin-like clusters, or at 

 least the seed-producing ones, are aments of very simple 

 flowers; while according to the other view what appears to 

 be a catkin or spike is a cluster of stamens or of carpels, and 

 thus represents a many-stamened or many-carpelled flower. 

 Without discussing the relative merits of these rival inter- 

 pretations, w^e may provisionally adopt the latter as being 

 the simpler view and as best serving our present purpose. ^ 



The carpels differ from those of the case-seed class (Angio- 

 spermae) in being flattened structures; hence the ovules are 

 exposed, or at least are not enclosed in an ovary. The gynoe- 

 cium is therefore called "naked-seeded" or gymnosperfiwus.^ 

 In fruit the gynoecium and elongated torus form a cone with 

 more or less woody scales and axis; or, as in the junipers 

 (Juniperus), these parts may become fleshy and consolidated 

 into a berry-like fruit. 



The great majority of the pine famil.y are easily recognized 

 as 7nore or less resinous, mostly evergreen trees, producing cones. 



158. The yew family (Taxaceae) is exemplified by the yew 

 (Fig. 204, page 213). 



See formulas of Taxus and Taxaceae on pages 426, 427. 



Simplification of floral parts here reaches an extreme. In 



^ An"gi-o-spcrm'ous < Gr. aggion, a vessel ; sperma, seed. 

 - In the formulas T\ indicates that the torus is here regarded as anal- 

 ogous to an anient rachis. 



^ Gym"no-sperm'ous < Gr. gyinnos, naked; sperma, seed. 



