26 



A MANUAL OF ME CONItfERA 



nothing from the ordinary foliage-leaves of the species. This 

 peculiarity is most common in Cryptomeria, and is not infrequent 

 in Sciadopitys. 



The cones of the different genera and species differ as much in 

 size and colour as they do in form 1 ; the berries of some of the 

 Savin Junipers are smaller than the smallest garden peas, while the 

 cone of the Moreton Bay Pine (Araucaria Bidioilli) is almost as large 

 as a man's head; the small cone or strobile of Betinospora pisifera 

 is less than half an inch long; the cone of the Californian Sugar 

 • Pine (P. Lambertiana) is nearly two feet in length. It takes several 

 cones of the common Hemlock Spruce to weigh an ounce ; a single 

 cone of Pinus macrocarpa weighs from four to five pounds. Although 

 the cones of the great majority of the species are of a dull and 

 unattractive colour, there are some remarkable exceptions ; the cones 

 of Abies Webbiana during the period of growth are of a deep 

 blackish violet-purple, and are strikingly beautiful ; those of A. nobilis 

 are of a bright pea-green during their progress towards maturity, which, 

 with the symmetrical arrangement of the scales and protruding bracts 

 and their large size, render them very beautiful objects. The ripe 

 berries of the Yew are bright red, and in one variety orange-yellow, 

 which, when produced in profusion, give the trees by their contrast 

 to the dark sombre foliage, a very ornamental appearance. 



Seeds. — The Seeds are produced singly,* in pairs,f or in greater 

 number,+ according to the ovules in each scale, but sometimes 



fewer by abortion. They are con- 

 tained in a bony, leathery, or 

 membranous tegument, often pro- 

 longed into one or two membran- 

 ous wings. The embryo is enclosed 

 in a farinaceous or fleshy albumen, 

 more or less impregnated with 

 resin. The cotyledons vary in 

 number from three to fifteen, but 

 according to Parlatore there are 



Fig. 8.-Sc'ale of Pinus pinea, natural L. 1. Inner ^ tW °> tHeSe bein g S0 dee V l J 



S^i^A-^^t^SjVSiSSS divided as t0 appear numerous 



protuberance. t n i 1 n n * 



{UotyLeaones profunde parhtce unde 

 videntur, III.— XV.). The seeds vary much in size and shape in 



* Araucaria, Yew. t Abies, Pinus, &c. J Cypress, Taxoditim, &d. 



