LIFE HISTORY OF A GYMNOSPERM 
47 
reached, giving to the crown or upper part of the tree the appearance 
of a pyramid. These branches give rise to other branches which 
agree with the lateral branches in bearing, commonly, only scale like 
leaves as well as in ending in terminal buds. Another kind of 
branch, however, is found which is always shorter than the scaly 
branches. This type of branch is called a “spur shoot” and arises 
Fig. 21.—Staminate cones of the Austrian pine (Pinus austriaca). Below, before 
shedding pollen; above, after shedding. {Gager ) 
from the former branches. The spur shoots bear the needles or 
foliage leaves which are light-green, when young, and bluish-green, 
soft, flexible, 2% to 5 inches long, when mature. The “needles” 
occur in tufts ( fascicles ) of five, are triangular in cross-section, have 
finely serrate (. saw-toothed ) edges and are surrounded at the base by a 
deciduous sheath. These foliage leaves persist until the end of their 
second year, when they are shed with the spur shoot which bears 
them. 
The white pine, like most of its allies among the Coniferae, bears 
cones. These structures are of two kinds, viz.: staminate and car- 
pellate. Both kinds are produced on the same tree. 
