103 

 Class II. CONIFERAE. 



(Plates 13, 17, 18, 19.) 



Trees or arborescent shrubs, the stems branching. 

 No spermatozoids. Seeds albuminous. 



Fam. 2. TAXACEAE. 



This family is represented in South Africa by the 

 genus Podocarpus, to which the following diagnosis applies. 



Dioecious trees. Leaves lanceolate, flat, bifacial or 

 symmetrical. The male flower resembles a catkin, each 

 scale bearing two pollen bags. The female flower 

 pedunculate, consisting of a solitary inverted ovule, 

 embedded in an enlarged, cupule-like scale, the epivnatium 

 {p.s. in Fig. 65, 2). When fully developed the globular seed is 

 completely surrounded by the green and resinous tissue 

 of the epimatium, thus forming a pseudofruit. These 

 pseudofruits are inserted singly or as a pair on the 

 podocarpium, formed by the fusion of the swollen apex of 

 the peduncle with two or more sterile bracts (st.&.). When 

 ripe the podocarpium (Plate 17, A, 4, 5) generally becomes 

 bright scarlet or purplish with a whitish bloom on it ; as 

 it contains sugar, it attracts birds (starlings etc.), which in 

 eating the pulpy body scatter the fruit or carry it awav. 

 Occasionally the podocarpium does not develop properly, 

 remaining green and of its original size. 



The embryo is embedded in the centre of the albumen 

 and possesses two cotyledons. These are not green as in 

 some other conifers, but produce their chlorophyll only 

 during germination. The roots are covered with small 

 tubercles formed by a mycorhiza (Fig. 66; Plate 17), which 

 probably assists in the nutrition of the plants, especially 

 when young. Resin-ducts occur in the bark, leaves and 

 the podocarpium, but not in the wood. 



To this family also belongs the European yew {Taxus 

 baccata), but the fruit of the yew is of a different structure. 



The only S. A. genus. Podocarpus LHerit. 



