192 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



The Fir and Cypress Family. 



Shrubs, small or large trees, many with their branches 

 whorled. Leaves perennial, rarely annual, solitary, or two 

 or more in a fascicle, of firm texture and sharp-pointed, with 

 a midrib only, or with longitudinal parallel veins without a 

 midrib. In form they are acerose, subulate (needle or awl- 

 like), rusciform, lanceolate or broad elliptical, or small, 

 scale-like and imbricate, forming thyclads (p. 24). Flowers 

 monoecious or dioecious. Fruit a cone or galbulus (in Juni- 

 perus berry-like), containing naked or winged seeds. A bal- 

 samic fragrance pervades the whole family. 



Sectional view of the principal genera represented by species 

 growing in this country. 

 Seed in Cones. 



Leaves with a midrib only. 



Leaves two or more in a fascicle. 



Pinus and Larix. 

 Leaves free, distinct. 



Abies, Picea, Araucaria, Cedrus. 

 Cunninghamia. 

 Leaves destitute of a midrib. 

 Dammara. 

 Seeds in Galbules, in some cone-like. 



Leaves small subulate distinct, closely imbricated, 

 often scale-like. 



Sequoia (Wellingtonia) Cryptomeria. 

 Sciadopitys, Libocedrus, Thuja, Fitzroya. 

 Saxe Gothaea, Cupressus, Callitris. 

 Thujopsis, Arthrotaxis, Microcachrys. 

 Juniperus, Retinospora, Widdringtonia. 

 Taxodium, Glyptostrobus. The leaves of the 

 two latter genera are annual. 

 On account of numerous discoveries of late years the 

 number of species in this family probably reaches 200, about 

 100 of which belong to the genus Pinus. They are widely 



