THE SEED-PLANT DIVISION 393 



the yew (Taxus) not only is the perianth lacking and the 

 andrcEcium reduced to a few stamens, but the gyncecium is 

 only a solitarj' ovule borne directly upon the torus and with- 

 out a carpel. This ovule ripens usually into a hard seed 

 which is surrounded l>y a fleshy envelope formed by the 

 upgrowth of a ring which at first encircles the base. Such 

 an accessory seed-covering growing from below is called an 

 aril.^ In other members of the family the staminate flowers 

 are more cone-like, and there are a few with much reduced 

 carpels each bearing a single ovule which may ripen into a 

 drupaceous seed. 



The familj' consists of mostly evergreen, woody plants, with 

 comparatively little resin or none at all; having cones much 

 reduced, or else the ovules solitary and ivithout carpels; and the 

 seed arillate or drupaceous. 



159. The pine order (Coniferales or Coniferae) comprises 

 only the two families given above. Thej' are distinguished 

 as woody plants, ivith branched stem; unbranched, usually 

 narrow, leaves; and imperfect flowers which have no perianth, 

 but are often catkin-like, and comnio7ily produce cones. 



See formula of Coniferales on pages 426, 427. 



160. The naked-seed class (Gymnospermse) , embraces 

 only a few orders besides the pine order, with onlj^ one or 

 two families in each. They all agree in being seed-plants 

 with gymnospermous gj'noecium, and are for the most part 

 destitute of perianth. 



161. The seed-plant division (Spermatophyta) is coexten- 

 sive with that branch of the Vegetable Kingdom commonly 

 known as Phanerogamia, phenogams, or flowering plants, 

 because characterized by the production of flowers contain- 

 ing at least either pollen-sacs or ovules. Since the produc- 

 tion of seed is the function of these parts, and since no other 

 plants produce true seeds containing an embryo, it is equally 

 appropriate to speak of them as seed-plants, seedworts, or 

 spermatophytes. 



The system of classification (although not always the 

 sequence of groups) adopted in the foregoing pages is sub- 

 ' Ar'il < . L. arillus, a dried grape (for no obvious reason). 



