FOREST TREES. 199 
PINUS—PINE. 
Flowers monecious; sterile catkins spiked, formed 
of numerous stamens on the axis with very short 
filaments and a scale-like connective; anther cells two, 
opening lengthwise; fertile catkins solitary or clus- 
tered, terminal; fruit a cone, persistent, and formed 
of woody imbricated scales; seeds nut-like, situated 
in a hollow at the base of the scales, winged; cotyle- 
dons linear, three to twelve; leaves needle-shaped, 
evergreen, in clusters of two, three or five, with 
a sheath at the base; blossoms appear in spring, 
the cones maturing in the autumn of the second 
year. 
The genus Pinus embraces a great number of 
species, among them some of the most useful trees. 
These afford excellent material for building; and 
the greater part of the Pine lumber used in the 
United States is the product of two species, which, 
as they are the best, are also the most abundant. 
Immense quantities of tar, resin, pitch, and tur- 
pentine are produced by some species, particularly 
in the Southern States. Many species are highly 
esteemed for ornamental purposes. Some of the 
most elegant are natives of the countries west of 
the Rocky Mountains; and though many of the 
trees of that region will not succeed in corres- 
ponding latitudes further east, it is probable that 
some may be found to thrive in the greater part, 
if not all the sections for which this work is 
designed. 
