46 



FRUCTIFICATION. 



coloured. But in Phyllocladus, a remarkable Australian genus (Tasmania 

 and New Zealand) with an outlying representative in Borneo, the scales 

 of the young cones which are, at first fleshy become hard and ligneous 

 in the mature fruit. 



CONIFER/E. The Abietinese claim the first notice on account of the 

 large size and handsome appearance of the cones of many of the 

 included species, and also as affording a simple type of structure by 

 which that of the other tribes will be easily understood ; this structure 

 is shown in the accompanying figures. The seed-bearing scales are hard 

 and ligneous in texture, imbricated) closely appressed and spirally 

 arranged around a common axis; they are nearly of the same thickness 

 throughout except in the species of Finns in which the leaves are in 

 fascicles of less than five, and in which the scales of the cone are 

 thickened at the apex on the dorsal side (the side away from the 



Fig. 30. 1, Branchlet of Yew (Taxus baci'ataj with ripe fruits. 2, Tip of ovule projecting from between the 

 scales of the female flower of Yew. 3, Longitudinal section of the same. 4, Young seed of Yew partly enclosed 

 in an aril. ">, Longitudinal section of ripe seed. 6, Branchlet of Arbor Vita- (Thniu occidentrt.lisj with ripe 

 fruits. 7, Fertile branchlet of common Juniper (Juniperus commutiisj. 8, Longitudinal section of ripe fruit. 

 9, Ovuliferous flower of Juniperus communis. 1, 6 and 7, Natural size ; the others enlarged. 



This and Figs. 30 and 31 from Kerner's "Natural History of Plants," by permission of Messrs. Blackie and 

 Son, Ltd., and the Bibliographisches Institut of Leipzig. 



* 



near 



the 



base of the scale on the ventral side, the side 

 towards the axis, the seeds are seated. At the base of the. scale 

 on the dorsal side in those genera coming under the general denomi- 

 nation of Firs and in the Larches is attached the bract which is 

 developed into a separable organ. 



The fruits of the Abietiness are generally of conical form modified more 

 or less in different genera, being nearly cylindric in Abies, globose in 

 Cedrus, ovoid in many of the Pines and greatly elongated in others. 



The fruits or strobiles of the Cupressinese are constructed on the same 

 plan but consist of fewer scales often bearing more than two seeds each ; 



* This thickening is sometimes called the apophysis, a term borrowed from Oyptogamic 

 Botany. 



