GYMNOSPERMS: WHITE PINE. 



205 



When the pollen is mature, the moisture dries out of the scale 

 (or stamen, as it is often called here) while 

 it ripens. When a limb, bearing a cluster 

 of male cones, is jarred by the hand, or by 

 currents of air, the split suddenly opens, and 

 a cloud of pollen bursts out from the numer- 

 ous anther locules. The pollen is 

 thus borne on the wind and some of 



it falls on the 



female flowers. 



Fig. 256. 

 White pine, branch with cluster of 

 mature cones shedding the seed. A 

 few young cones four months old 

 are shown on branch at the left. 

 iJrawn from photograph. 



415. Form of the ma- 

 ture female cone. — A 



cluster of the white- 

 pine cones is shown in 

 fig. 256. These are 

 mature, and the scales 

 have spread as they do when mature and becoming dry, in 

 order that the seeds may be set at liberty. The general out- 



Fig- 257- 

 Mature cone of white pine 

 at time of scattering of the 

 seed, nearly natural size. 



