CHAPTER XIV 
THE GYMNOSPERMS 
THE pine (Pinus) as a type. Any of the ordinary spe- 
cies of pine will answer for this work. 
LESSONS LV, LVI, AND LVII 
The Spermatophytes are divided into two great divisions, 
the Gymnosperms and the Angiosperms. The name “ gym- 
nosperm ” refers to the fact that the seeds are naked or 
exposed on the outside of the structure that bears them. 
This group includes nearly all of the evergreen trees, and 
one of the most common of these is selected to represent it. 
General study.—Points to be observed are the promi- 
nent nutritive body, composed of roots, stem, branches, and 
leaves; general form of the tree, and the length and posi- 
tion of the branches as they contribute toward making up 
this form; general characteristics and appearance of the 
foliage. 
The vegetative structures.—Remove a small branch. 
Study it carefully to see how much it has grown each year. 
Is it a rapid grower? Do branches near the ends of limbs 
grow as rapidly as those farther back? 
At the cut end of the branch note the woody core, 
around which is the resinous, green region, the latter being 
surrounded by the dead bark. Sketch as seen with the 
hand lens. 
The leaves.—The pointed leaves are called the needle 
leaves. Is there any regularity in the way they are borne? 
92 
