PINE FAMILY. CONIFERS. 49 



Subkingdom SPERMATOPHYTA. 



SEED-BEARING PLANTS. 





Plants producing seeds which contain an embryo formed of one or more 



rudimentary leaves (cotyledons), a stem (hypocotyl, nulicK 



bud (plumule), or these parts sometimes undifferentiated U-fore Ki-rininatioa. 



Microspores (pollen-grains) are borne in microsporan^-s amlR-r^us ,, n tin- 



apex or side of a modified leaf (filament). The macros] xn -.,- 



borne on the face of a flat or inrolled much modified leaf carpel ami 001 



one macrospore (embryo-sac); this develops the minute female jimthnllium. 



an archegone of which is fertilized by means of a tube < jxdlen -tuU- , a portion 



of the male prothallium sprouting from the pollen-grain. 



The Seed-bearing plants form the most numerous group in existence, not less than i*v 

 ooo species being known. The subkingdom was formerly known as Phanerogamia, or I'hae- 

 nogamia and more recently as Anthophyta, this term signifying the presence of flower*, 

 which characterizes most of the group. But the consideration that the spore-bearing organs 

 of the Pine Family cannot well be regarded as flowers, and the fact that the production of 

 seeds is the most characteristic difference between these plants and the Ptendophyta, are 

 reasons which have led to the acceptance of the term here adopted. 



There are two classes in the subkingdom, which differ from each other as follow*: 

 Ovules and seeds borne on the face of a scale; stigmas none. Class i. (>YMN<ISPKRMAK. 



^Ovules and seeds contained in a closed cavity (ovary). Class ? 



Class i. GYMNOSP1SRMAE. 



Ovules (macrosporanges) naked, not enclosed in an ovary, this represented 

 t>y a scale or apparently wanting. Pollen-grains ( microspores dividi: 

 maturity into two or more cells, one of which gives rise to the pollen-tube < male 

 prothallium), which directly fertilizes an archegone of the nutritive endosperm 

 (female prothallium) in the ovule. 



The Gymnosperms are an ancient group, first known in Silurian time. They became molt 

 numerous in the Triassic age. They are now represented by not more than 450 specie* of tree* 

 and shrubs. 



There are three orders, Coniferales, Cycadales and Gnetales, the first of which is represented in 



our area by the Pine and Yew Families. 



Family i. PINACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2, 313. 1836. 



PINE FAMILY. CONIFERS. 



Resinous trees or shrubs, mostly with evergreen narrow entire or scale-like 

 leaves, the wood uniform in texture, without tracheae, the trachei<l> marked by 

 large depressed disks, the pollen-sacs and ovules borne in M 

 ( aments). Perianth none. Stamens several together, subtended by a scale: 

 ments more or less united ; pollen-sacs (anthers) 2-severai -celled 

 hiscent ; pollen-grains often provided with two lateral inflated sacs. 

 with two integuments, orthotropous or amphitropous, bonu 

 together on the surface of a scale, which is subtended by a bract in most gi 

 era. Fruit a cone with numerous, several or few, woody, papery or 

 scales; sometimes berry-like. Seeds wingless or winged. Kndosperi 

 starchy, copious. Embryo straight, slender. Cotyledons 2 . 



About 25 genera and 240 species of wide distribution, most abundant in temperate - 

 Scales of the cone numerous (except in Lari.i-); leaf-bud- -uly 

 Cone-scales woody; leaves needle-shaped, 2-5 in a sheath 

 Cone-scales thin; leaves linear-filiform, scattered or fascicled, not i 

 Leaves fascicled on very short branchlets, deciduous. 



Leaves scattered, persistent. 



Cones pendulous; leaves jointed to short persistent stengraj a. . 



Leaves tetragonal, sessile. 

 Leaves flat, short-petioled. 

 Cones erect; sterigmata inconspicuous or none. 



Scales of the cone few (3-12); leaf -buds naked. Tavadimm 



Cone-scales spiral, thick: leaves deciduous. 



Cone-scales opposite ; leaves persistent. _ Tkuja 



Cone oblong, its scales not peltate. 

 Cone globose, its scales peltate. 

 Fruit fleshy, berry-like, a modified cone. 



4 



