THE BEEFWOOD FAMILY. 



205 



have the appearance of flat tables lying on the ground, may 

 be presumed as not being less than five hundred years old. 

 Several specimens are to be seen in the museum at Kew. 



In connexion with Gnetacece^ I place the family Casuarineoe, 

 which consists of a dozen or more species of slender trees or 

 bushy shrubs ; in general character and aspect resembling 

 Conifers ; agreeing with Gnetacese in their branches, being- 

 jointed and leafless as in Ephedra^ but differing in the im- 

 portant character of their seeds being furnished with a true 

 skin or coat, which has hitherto separated Casuarinece^ arti- 

 ficially, from Conifercd ; but if the recent observations made 

 by a French botanist are admitted to be correct, which are 

 to the effect that the seeds of Coniferce are not naked ovules ; 

 consequently the distinction between naked and coated seeds 

 ceases to be valued, and Casuarinece thus becomes naturally 

 allied with ConifercB. 



In Lindley's "Vegetable Kingdom" CofSMarmecp is placed in 

 alliance with the birch, willow, plane, and oak families, with 

 which it agrees in its male flowers being produced in aments ; 

 but its slender pointed and naked branches impart to it an 

 aspect quite alien to these families. 



The Beefwood Family. 



(Casuarinace^.) 



Leafless trees, generally with slender cord-like, pendulous 

 branches, which are striated, with sheathing joints, having 

 much resemblance to the genus Equisetum (weedy plants 

 called Horse-tails). Flowers inconspicuous. Male flowers 

 in spikes or catkins. Female flowers in compact heads, be- 

 coming a woody cone with many cells, each containing a 

 small- winged nut-fruit, which, by ordinary observers, is 

 called the seed. On immersion in water, and viewed in 

 the microscope, it is seen to be densely covered with beautiful 

 spiral vessels. 



About twenty species constitute this family, all belonging 



