12 THE BOOK OF EVERGREENS. 



present century, devoted much labor to the investigation 

 and proper classification of this important order. Promi- 

 nently, we may mention the names of L'Heritier, Smith, 

 Link, Persoon, Barrelier, Salisbury, Ventenant, Desfon- 

 taines, Tazzetti, Schubert, Richard, Mirbel, Tristan, La- 

 marck, R. Brown, Michaux, Rafinesque, Don, Lindley, 

 Loudon, Douglas, Menzies, Endlicher, Siebold, Hooker, 

 Knight, Xuttall, and others, with the more recent authors, 

 Carriere, Gordon, Veitch, Murray, Engelmann, Gray, Par- 

 ry, etc. 



The great natural order Coniferse very appropriately 

 derives its name from its peculiar mode of fructification, 

 which signifies, literally, a Cone-bearing tree ; and, as a 

 considerable number of distinct characteristics mark its 

 every stage of growth from the embryo to the mature 

 tree or shrub, it should claim, in no small degree, our pa- 

 tient investigation and research. 



Having commenced, therefore, with the first evidences 

 of its formation, we will follow its history through the 

 changes that mark its growth. 



The Coniferre is the only well-known order belonging to 

 the sub-class Gymnospermcea ; i. e. naked-seeded. Their 

 peculiar, yet simple, mode of fructification is exceedingly 

 interesting to the botanist, and furnishes the most reliable 



j * 



and distinctive characters by which the different genera 

 and species are distinguished. The several members of 

 this important family are all trees and shrubs, abounding 

 throughout their entire structure with resinous juice. Ex- 

 amined by the microscope, the walls of their wood-cells 

 are marked by curious circular disks and glands, but the 

 wood is entirely destitute of ducts. The leaves are linear 

 or lanceolate, diverging into needle-shaped, awl-shaped, 

 or scale-shaped, with all their intermediate and combined 

 forms ; excepting in the Salisburia, which has a very cu- 

 rious fan-shaped or wedge-shaped leaf, on a long petiole. 

 The Larix, (Pseudolarix?), Taxodium, Glyptostrobus, 



