CONIFERAE 
321 
C. come. Living in cold soil, as most of them do, and often with 
evergreen leaves, it is obviously a necessity to reduce transpiration 
(see p. 164). 
When we turn to the fir., we are met with great difficulties. 
There are two great rival theories about its morphology, those of 
Eichler [Bliithendiag. or Nat. Pjl.) and of Celakovsky (see Warming’s 
System. Bot . or Bot. Jahresb. 1890, p. 324, also Noll in Bot. Centr. 
60, p. 1 31). It would be inconsistent with the plan of this work to 
enter into a discussion of these ; we shall merely state both of them. 
As the order is usually classified according to the Eichlerian view, 
we have adopted his theory in the classification and in the details of 
the genera, without however intending thereby to express any judg- 
ment upon its correctness. 
The firs, of C. appear as a rule in the form of cones, and are always 
unisexual, mon- or di- oecious. They are never terminal on the main 
stem as in Cycads, but are usually borne laterally near to its apex. 
Sometimes (as in Pinus S ) the cones are massed together in spikes or 
heads. 
Both theories above mentioned agree about the male fir., which is 
usually a cone or catkin of sta. borne on a central axis. The sta. 
may be flat, but is commonly more or less peltate, and bears a num- 
ber of pollen-sacs (not more than 9 as a rule) on its lower surface 
(see Pinus, Taxus &c.). Turning now to the female, the cone (to 
avoid for the present the word flower) consists typically of an axis 
bearing leaf-like organs. The most familiar case is that of Pinus 
(q-v.), where each leaf borne on the axis is a small scale, bearing on 
its upper surface a very large scale (these latter show on the outside 
of the cone) on the upper side of which, again, are the two ovules. 
We may diagrammatically represent it thus, using 
“cover-scale” to express the lower, “ovuliferous 
scale” to express the upper, of the two scales. Turn- 
ing to Cryptomeria etc. we find a large scale borne 
directly on the axis, with a little flap on its upper side 
near the outer end, and the ovules at the base. The 
flap is, by both theorists, supposed to represent the 
ovuliferous scale and so we have what is illustrated by the second 
diagram. Then in Cupressineae etc. we find only one 
scale, and here the two theorists differ. In the other 
order, Taxaceae , still further difficulties meet us. In 
Microcachrys the ovule is borne upon a leaf of the 
cone, but in Phyllocladus it is axillary and in Taxus 
terminal (see these genera and Ginkgo). In most C. 
there is only one integument, but in Taxaceae a 
second commonly appears, forming an aril, more or less fleshy, round 
the seed as it ripens. 
Now as to the explanation of the facts. Eichler regards the whole 
W. 21 
cover-scale 
ovules 
ovulif. scale 
cover-scale 
ovules 
ovulif. sc") 
cover-scalej 
ovules 
ovulif. sc\ 
cover-scale/ 
ovules 
