10 CHINESE ECONOMIC TREES 



Ghekiang, Kansu, Kiangsi. 



A very handsome ornamental tree on account of its golden yellow 

 foliage in the autumn. When judiciously used it produces a charming 



cl'trct in B landscape. 



PINUS 



Evergreen and resinous trees or rarely shruhs, usually with whorled 

 branches. Winter buds covered by imbricated scales. Leaves in 

 fascicles of 2, 3 or 5, rarely single or more than 5, surrounded at the 

 base by a persistent or deciduous sheath. In the seedling stage, the 

 Leaves (called primary leaves) which succeed the cotyledons are thin, 

 flat, solitary and spirally arranged. They function as leaves for a period 

 of 1 to 3 years, gradually becoming reduced to bract-like scales from 

 whose axes spring the fascicled leaves which form the permanent foliage, 

 and persist from one to several years. Flowers monoecious. The 

 staminate (lowers in catkin-like clusters, yellow, orange or scarlet, borne 

 on the base of the shoot, composed of numerous sessile, 2 celled anthers 

 with bract-like connectives, surrounded at the base with a 3-6 lobed 

 scale-like bract. Pistillate flowers green or purplish, solitary or clustered, 

 subterminal or lateral on a shoot of the current year's growth, composed 

 of numerous spirally arranged ovuliferous scales, each in the axil of a 

 bract. Ovules 2 to each scale. The pistillate flowers are usually erect, 

 after pollination they become drooping, but fertilization does not take 

 place until the following season, so that normally, the fruit requires 2 

 years to mature. Fruit a woody cone, with numerous appressed scales, 

 each bearing 2 seeds at its base. The cone scales are variously modified. 

 The exposed portion of the conelet of the first season's growth is known 

 as the umbo, and the later and larger growth of the cone scale developed 

 during the second year is called the apophysis. Seeds wingless, im- 

 perfectly winged or winged; wings articulate or not detachable. 



About 60 species in the Northern Hemisphere; 12 species in Asia, 

 of which 4 occur in China proper. The pines are important timber 

 tr.r-, and considering their range and abundance, constitute the most 

 important arborescent genus. The wood is soft, easily worked and 

 durable. The seeds of the nut pines are edible. Propagation is generally 

 by seeds. The seed in germination, carries its seed coat like a hood on 

 the tips of the cotyledons. 



