Oedee 127.— CONIFEE^. 659 



Class II. GYMNOSPEEM^. 



Exogenous plants with chiefly parallel-veined leaves, always 

 diclinous, with the flowers very incomplete. Pistils none, or 

 represented by open scales. Ovules axillary or naked, fertilized 

 by the direct application of the pollen, becoming at maturity 

 naked seeds, destitute of a true pericarp. Cotyledons often 

 more than 2. This Class constitutes the 



CoHOET 4. CONOIDEiE. 



Order CXXVII. CONIFEEJj;. Conifers. 



Trees or shrubs mostly eyergreen, abounding with a resinous juice. Leaves scat- 

 tered or fascicled, aeerous, linear or lanceolate, parallel-veined. Flowers monfficious 

 or dioecious, achlamydeous, in aments or cones. $ Stamens 1, or several united. 

 S Ovary, style and stigma wanting. Oviiies 1 or several at the base of the car- 

 pellary scale. Fruit a, strobile (cone), woody with the scales distinct, or baccato 

 with the scales fleshy and coherent. Illust. in Pigs. 46, S. 87, 152, 153, 367, 449, 

 468, 579. 



Genera 20, spedea 110, natives of all climates, but most abundant in tlio temperato zones, 

 those of the southern, however, very diiferent from the pines, spruces, larches and cedars of the 

 northern. 



ProperUea, — Few orders can he named, which are of more importance to mankind, whether in 

 reference to their inv.aluable timber or their resinous secretions. Turpentine, tar, pitch and resin, 

 are the product of the pines. Burgundj^ pitch is yielded by Pinus sylvestris of Europe ; Vene- 

 tian turpentine, by the Larix ; oil of Savin by Juniperus Sabina of Europe, etc. In staturd the 

 ConiferjB are tlie loftiest of all trees. Pinus strobus, arises often 200f. Araucaria imbricata of 

 Chili 250f, and Sequoya gigautea of California 400f. 



SUBORDERS AUD GENERA. 

 I. ABIETINEjE. s Scales many, each subtended by a bract, with 1 inverted ovules 

 (their micropyle turned downwards) at the base inside. Seeds winged. (*) 



* Leaves evergreen, fasciculate in clusters of 2 to 5 Prsus. 1 



* Leaves evergreen, separate, scattered Abies. 2 



* Leaves deciduous, many in the fascicles on short lateral branchlets Laeix. 3 



II. CUPEESSINEjE. ? Scales few, bractlcss, each w-ith 2 to 8 erect ovules. (*) 



* Flowers monoecious. Fruit a woody cone opening at maturity, (a) 



a Leaves evergreen, scale-like. Cone-scales oblong, loose, flattish, 2-ovuled TiicjA. 4 



a Leaves evergreen, scale-like or subulate. Cone-scales peltate, angular Cupussus. 5 



a Leaves deciduous, Iine.ir, 2-rowed. Cone-scales peltate, angular Taxodiu.v. C 



* Flowers dioecious. Fruit a fleshy cone, the scales consolidated, berry-like. .Juniperus. T 



1. PrNUS, L. Pine. (Celtic pin or pen, a rock or crag ; from the 

 locality of many species.) Flowers monoecious. $ Aments clustered, 

 terminal ; stamens oo, \s\\h. 2 cells and a scale-like connective ; pollen 

 grains triple. ¥ Aments conical or cylindrio, the carpellary scales 

 bracted, each bearing on its base within 2 inverted ovules ; strobile com- 

 posed of the imbricated hardened scales which are often thickened or 

 awned at the tip; seeds nut-like, winged ; cotyledons 3 to 12, linear. — 

 Trees with evergreen, aeerous Ivs. in fascicles of 2 to 5, each fascicle 

 subtended and invested by a membranous scale or leaf. (Fig. 152.) 



