44 



ACADEMIC BOTANY. 



at its base {d, e); this is a thickening of the torus, or 

 the end of the flower-stalk, the ovules growing singly, 

 or sometimes in pairs, at the end of the flower-stalks. 

 There is but one seed-coat (testa). This becomes fleshy, as 

 in the Cycas, and is edible. The embryo has two coty- 

 ledons, separate throughout. The leaves are fork-veined, 

 and so like those of the Maidenhair Fern (compare with 

 Fig. 34) that the specific name adiantifoUa is given to the 

 tree. 



The Berried Yew (Taxus baccata) has leaves like the Pine; the 

 ovule has small soales at base, prefiguring the Pine cone; it develops 

 a fleshy aril (321), which turns red at maturitj', simulating a berry, 

 but not entirely enclosing the seed. 



75. The Cypresses (Fig. 45) are mo- 

 noecious or dioecious. The male flowers 

 are in catkins ; the females in a 

 short cone called a Galbule (L. galbu- 

 lus, old name of the same fruit) ; this 

 consists of several scales closely con- 

 nected and sometimes fleshy, each 

 bearing a number of erect 

 naked ovules at the base of 

 its inner (upper) face. Here 

 we see that the floral leaf, 

 instead of being suppressed 

 entirely, as in the Cycas and 

 Ginkgo, is transformed into 

 a scale. The leaves re- 

 semble those of the Mosses 

 (Fig. 30). The embryo has 

 two separate cotyledons ; these are often deeply parted, re- 

 sembling many cotyledons. Among the cypresses are the 

 Big Trees of California (Fig. 95), 300 feet high and 30 

 feet in diameter. They are the oldest living monarchs 

 of our world. They sprouted before King Solomon 

 was born, and have outlived all the empires known in 

 history. 



76. The Pines stand at the head of the Cone-bearers. 

 They are monoecious. The male flowers are in catkins ; the 

 females on the inner bases of scales which form the true 



Fio, 45. — Cypress {Capressws semper- 

 virens) ; br. with ripe galbules. 



