MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 493 



ovary ; ovule with a style-like process 

 formed from the inner covering of the 

 nucleus ; seed drupaceous -, embryo with a 

 long, spirally twisted funiculus. Inhabit 

 temperate parts of Europe, Asia, and South 

 America. 



2. Family. — Yews (Taxacese). Trees or shrubs; 



branches unarticulated ; stems continuous ; 

 leaves alternate or distichous, evergreen, 

 rigid, veinless or fork- veined ; flowers naked, 

 but surrounded by imbricated bracts ; sta- 

 mens several ; filaments monadelphous ; an- 

 thers 2-celled, dehiscence longitudinal ; ovules 

 naked, the outer skin becoming finally hard ; 

 fruit somewhat drupaceous ; embryo straight. 

 Common in mild climates generally, especially 

 in Asia, also in elevated tropical districts ; 

 often resinous. 



3. Family. — Pines (Pinacese). Trees or shrubs, 



evergreen ; resinous ; trunk continuous, 

 branched ; leaves simple, acerose or lanceo- 

 late ; flowers naked, onale flowers monan- 

 drous or monadelphous ; female flowers in 

 cones ; anthers 2- or many-lobed, dehiscence 

 longitudinal ; ovary spread open, resembling 

 a flat scale without style or stigma ; ovules 

 naked, in pairs or several ; fruit of cones 

 composed of hardened, scale-shaped ovaries ; 

 embryo albuminous. Widely dispersed, but 

 abound more in temperate climes. Among 

 the members are the Fir, Pine, Larch, Cedar, 



