236 STRUCTURAL BOTANY 



parallel to the stalk (see Fig. 1 1 0, p. 2 6 6). The details 

 of the pollen-sacs and pollen will be described later. 



The female flowers or cones grow at the ends of 

 last year's twigs (see Fig. 96, A). At the end of 

 May, when these flowers open, they are from 1J to 2 

 inches in length and of a beautiful red colour. At 

 this time they are erect; later on they become 

 pendulous. The cone consists of a central axis, bear- 

 ing crowded spirally-arranged scales. Each scale is of 

 an obovate form (see Fig. 96, C), often with a blunt 

 point at the end. The scales are not themselves the 

 carpellary leaves, though they have all the appearance 

 of foliar orgnns. More careful examination, however, 

 shows that each scale stands immediately above a 

 small narrow pointed leaf. Except in the youngest 

 stages these little leaves are very inconspicuous com- 

 pared with the scales, but they are developed before 

 them, and in fact each scale arises at first as an out- 

 growth from the upper surface of the little leaf and 

 close to its base. The scales soon outgrow the leaves 

 which produce them, and by the time the flower opens 

 they alone can be seen from outside, the leaves being 

 quite buried between them. 



Each scale bears on its upper surface and near its 

 base two ovules, with their micropyles directed inwards 

 towards the axis of the cone. Each ovule is attached 

 to a flat wing, much larger than itself, which is formed 

 from the upper surface of the scale (see Fig. 96, (7). 



When the female flower becomes a ripe fruit, after 

 its ovules have been fertilised, it undergoes but little 

 change compared with an angiospermous flower. The 



