CONE-BEARING TREES 



275 



colour and very conspicuous ; and they transpire freely. 

 In the autumn they darken, turn brown, and fall off. 



The Larch, being the only 

 European Conifer with deci- 

 duous leaves, is enabled to 

 grow in situations fatal to 

 other Conifers, and it ex- 

 tends farther northward and 

 attains a greater height than 

 any other tree. The small 

 leaves offer little protection 

 to the slender shoots, and 

 dead twigs are common on 

 the Larch. The ' flowers ' 

 are in cones, similar to those 

 of the Pine, and both male 

 and female occur on the 

 same tree. The male cone 

 (Fig. 184, 1 m.c), however, 

 is simpler than in the Pine ; 

 it consists merely of a cen- 

 tral axis bearing numerous 

 stamens and no needle- 

 leaves. Each stamen (2) has 

 a green limb at the tip. The 

 pollen-grains are numerous, 

 dry, and carried by the 

 wind. The female cone (1 f.c) 

 has a tuft of green leaves at 

 the base ; it is bright red 

 when young, and the scales 

 are lax and flexible. The 



Fig. 184. Larch. 1, branch 

 bearing dwarf shoots with fas- 

 cicled leaves ; 2, stamen ; 3, 

 cone-scale bearing on its upper 

 surface an ovuliferous scale ; 4, 

 mature female cone ; 5, winged 

 seed ; c.s, cone-scale ; d.s, dwarf 

 shoots ; f.c, female cone ; I, limb ; 

 m.c, male cone ; o, ovule ; o.s, 

 ovule-bearing scale ; p.s, pollen- 

 sac. 



barren scales (3 c.s) are 



longer than in the Pine, and may be seen projecting 



beyond the tips of the ovule-bearing scales (o.s), the 



s 2 



