Gymnosperms : Coniferae Pinoideae Taxodineae. X. 



TAXOD I N E A E : An empirical series of vestigial types (8), largely monotypic, 

 left in isolated regions of the Pacific area, distinguished by special characters of the 

 cone-construction, in which a secondary extension below the primary pollen-collecting 

 ' bract-scale ' and secondary rudimentary ' cone-scale ' takes up both to form the 

 massive scale of the adult cone. The cone-facets thus present a composite aspect 

 (' half and half cones), each presenting the lower half bract-scale and upper half cone- 

 scale of the Abietineae. 



In other respects the types are interesting as (i) affording a glimpse of an older 

 phase of the Conifer alliance ; the shoot-construction is spiral, but the pollen-sacs and 

 ovules are rarely reduced to the minimum of 2 per scale ; the latter are normally 

 erected for pollination, and may be inverted later. (2) On the other hand, pro- 

 gression may follow higher phases of shoot and floral organization ; the largest trees 

 of the world occur in this series. Sciadopitys (1), Cunninghamia (1), Glyptostrobus (2), 

 Cryplomeria (1), are monotypes of China and Japan; Arthrotaxis (3), alone in the 

 southern hemisphere, is confined to Tasmania : Sequoia (2) and Taxodium (2) are 

 locally restricted in N. America. Fossil relics occur in the Cretaceous. 



I. Sequoia gigantea (Wellingtonia, Big Tree), 275-320 ft., and 20-35 ft- 

 diam., to over 4,000 yrs. old ; few surviving ; pyramidal when young, to 100150 ft. 

 bare of branches; adult in 500-600 yrs. Laterals drooping and ends erecting, no 

 dorsiventrality ; leaves \ in., acicular, ascending. No bud-scales, annual increments 

 vague; leaves functional for 3 yrs., and relics on bark for 10. Leader laterals arise 

 without rule (or more numerous at ends of shoots). Wood light and soft, annual 

 rings I in., duramen in 10th year, red; bark soft, 1-2 ft. thick : few standing over 

 300 ft. ; cf. ' Father of the Forest ', prostrate, 365 ft. 



Staminate flower, 4-8 mm., spiral, of few stamens, each 2-4 pollen-sacs : pollen 

 not winged, output enormous, ground coloured yellow. 



Ovulate flower, small, fewer, of 40 scales, spiral, acuminate, with long bract- 

 scales as pollen-collecting brush, and rudiment of cone-scale ; ovules several (10) per 

 scale, half-inverted. Pollination Feb., enlarged cones (2 in.) bright green, matured 

 in second season. 



Adult cone, 2-3 in. ovoid, smaller in cultivation, of compact transversely 

 extended scales (20 mm.) with radiating wrinkled folds ; bract-scale with brown 

 membranous edge across transverse diagonal of cone-facet, and slender mucro ; 

 (3 : 5) seriate. Seeds 5-6 mm., with broad lateral wings, 3-8 per scale, fully inverted 

 from small point of insertion. Cots. 3-6. 



S. sempervirens, Red Wood (Oregon, California), a very distinct form : 

 foliage-leaves as -fin. needles, dorsiventral, pectinated in 2 series; shoots dimorphic. 

 Characteristic Pacific Slope forest-type, 200-340 ft., and 10-28 ft. diam., full-grown 

 in 500 years. Cones small, -|-i in., matured in one season ; seeds 3-5 per scale, 

 with lateral wing-extensions. The roots send up suckers, and old stools coppice- 

 shoots (rare in Conifers) ; vegetative regeneration usual. 



II. Cryptomeria japonica, 150 ft., 6-7 diam., pyramidal, Japanese. Foliage 

 and habit much as 6". gigantea; end-laterals erect, no dorsiventrality; leaves acicular, 

 spirally arranged, ascending, persisting 4-5 years ; no bud-scales. 



Staminate flowers clustered in axils of reduced leaves at ends of shoots, 5 mm. 

 long ; exposed over winter, functional March ; of few stamens each with 5 pollen-sacs ; 

 pollen not winged. 



Ovulate flowers terminal on short shoots, 5 mm. ; of spirally arranged 

 acuminate bract-scales (20-30), divergent, exposing erect ovules, axillary, with con- 

 spicuous integument and first trace of cone-scale growth. 



Cone nearly spherical, over 1 in., with characteristic scale-ends; bract-scale as 

 a pointed reflexed ' mucro ', cone-scale portion crested, of 1-5 tooth-like processes. 

 Seeds 2-6 per scale, erect, angular, 6 mm., narrowly winged ; matured in one season. 



III. Taxodium distichum, Virginian Swamp-cypress (N. Amer., Eastern 

 States) ; 100 ft., 4-5 diam., pyramidal when young, flat-topped ultimately; deciduous. 

 Winter-buds minute, leaders few ; T-bud small, conoidal ; abundant spur-system of 

 short shoots, 3-4 in., with leaves (50 or more), 10 mm., spirally arranged and 

 pectinated in 2 rows (much as in Taxus) ; produced on first year's growth, and 



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