238 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



Division IV. GYMNOSPERMS. 



Gymnosperms are woody plants storing resin or mucilage. 

 The flowers are diclinous (male and female separate), and the 

 plants are either monoecious or dioecious. 1 



Three orders of Gymnosperms are found in South Africa 

 Cycadaceae, Coniferae, and Gnetaceae. These orders in- 

 clude five genera. 



CYCADACE.E. The two South African genera of this order 

 are often mistaken for tree ferns or palms, until the large cones 

 a foot or more long are seen among the crowns of pinnate 

 leaves. Spirals of rigid scale leaves alternating with foliage 

 leaves also serve to distinguish Cycadacese. 



FIG. 212. Encephalartos villosus, Lehm. (Photograph by P. S. Laney, Esq.) 



Encephalartos. Stem cylindrical ; pinnae of the leaves without 

 midrib, finely parallel veined. 



Santgeria. Stem short, swollen ; pinnae midribbed with forked veins. 



1 Staminate and pistillate flowers on the same plant or on different 

 plants. 



