592 



ARAUCARllCEJE 



size. They have 2 cotyledons, sometimes deeply divided, so as to 

 appear like many ; and in the formation of annual rings of wood 

 in the stem they resemble Dicotyledons. Resin-passages generally 

 occur in all parts of these plants. The primary branches com- 

 monly appear to be whorled ; but they generally themselves 

 branch horizontally. There are sometimes short shoots or spurs 

 of limited growth. In the genus Pinus, foliage-leaves occur only 

 on such shoots. The leaves are either needle-shaped, linear, or 

 scale-like, the only exception being the interesting Maiden-hair 

 Tree of Japan (Ginkgo biloba). The flowers are generally in the 

 form of cones, that is, with an elongated floral axis, whence the 

 name of the Class ; and they are always imperfect ; nor is there 

 any perianth. The staminate flower consists of a cone of stamens, 

 each of which is a flat or peltate scale bearing from 2 — 9 pollen- 

 sacs on its lower surface. The seed-bearing or ft fertile " flower 

 differs widely in the two Orders. 



Ord. XCII. Araucariace^e. — The Pine Family. 



Leaves spirally arranged or whorled, needle-shaped or scale-like ; 

 fertile flower, generally described as a "cone" or axis, bearing a 

 number of scale-like carpels, which either bear the ovules directly, 

 or have in their axils other scales, the placentas, which bear them ; 

 ovules inverted or erect ; cone becoming woody or fleshy as the 

 seed ripens ; seed with a woody or leathery testa, sometimes winged. 

 The Arucaridcece form extensive belts of forest in many regions, 

 especially north of 40 N. lat. and on mountains, large areas 

 being sometimes occupied by a small number of species, such as 

 the Larches (Ldrix europcea and L. sibirica), the Northern Pine 

 (Pinus sylvesiris), the Spruce (Picea excelsa), &c. Japan and 

 China, with the genera Ginkgo, Cryptomeria, &c, the Himalayas, 

 with the Deodar Cedar (Cedrus Deoddra) and various species of 

 Pine and Spruce, and the Pacific slope of North America, 

 with the Mammoth Tree and Redwood (Sequoia gigdntea and 

 S. sempervirens), the Oregon or Douglas Spruce (Pseudotsuga 

 Dougldsii), Cupressus Lawsonidna, &c, form other great centres 

 of the Order v in the Northern Hemisphere; whilst Araucdria, the 

 " Monkey-Puzzles," and other genera are confined to the Southern 

 Hemisphere. 



The Order is one of the highest utility to man. Among 

 timbers, the Northern Pine (Pinus sylvesiris), the Pitch Pine of 

 the Southern United States (P. ausirdlis) and others, the Larch 

 (Ldrix europcea) and the Douglas Spruce may be mentioned as 

 pre-eminent. The turpentine of the Northern Pine, the Pitch 



