428 GNETACE^I. 



CLASS II. GYMNOSPEK1VLE. 



Ovules naked upon the surface of a scale or bract, or 

 within a more or less open perianth. Flowers monoecious or 

 dioecious. Cotyledons two or often several in a whorl. 



ORDER 89. GNETACE.E. 



Shrubs or small trees, mostly with jointed opposite or fascicled 

 branches and foliaceous or scale-like opposite (or ternate) exstipulate 

 leaves, the flowers mostly dioecious, with decussate persistent bracts; 

 the staminate in aments, with solitary or monadelphous stamens within 

 a membranous bifid calyx-like perianth, the anther- cells dehiscent by a 

 pore or chink at the apex ; fertile flowers of an erect sessile ovule termi- 

 nated by an exserted style-like process, included within a perianth which 

 becomes hardened and often thickened in fruit. 



1. EPHEDRA, Tourn. 



Inflorescence axillary : the 3 to 8 filaments united into a clavate stamineal 

 column. Shrubs with numerous Equisetum-like branches, the leaves reduced 

 to sheathing scales, persistent or deciduous. 



1. E. Nevadensis, Watson. Erect, 2 feet high or more ; branches oppo- 

 site: scales sheathing, 2-lobed, with short blunt lobes or more or less elon- 

 gated tips : bracts opposite and evidently connate : staminate aments sessile or 

 shortly pedunculate, ovate, of 4 to 6 pairs of bracts : fertile aments pedun- 

 culate. Proc. Am. Acad. xiv. 298. E. antisyphilitica of Bot. King Exped. 

 and other reports. From California and Nevada to Utah and the Rio 

 Grande. 



2. E. trifurca, Torr. Erect, with spinosely tipped ternate branches and 

 conspicuous persistent sheathing acuminate scales becoming white and shreddy: 

 bracts in threes : staminate perianth cuneate-oblong, included : fertile aments 

 of numerous whorls of entire bracts. S. W. Colorado (Brandegee), New 

 Mexico, and Arizona. 



ORDER 90. CONIFERS. (PiNE FAMILY.) 



Resinous and mostly evergreen trees or shrubs, with awl- or needle- 

 shaped or scale-like mostly rigid leaves, and monoecious or rarely dioe- 

 cious flowers ; male flowers reduced to stamens only, which are indefinite 

 in number upon a central axis ; fertile aments of few or many scales, 

 becoming in fruit a dry cone or berry-like j ovules two or more ; at or on 

 the base of each scale. 



