. Plants of New Zealand. ealand, is the smallest. Chief Characters. The true Pine has a branching trunk and evergreen leaves,which are pointed and needle-Hke—sometimes set in httlebundles of two, three, or five. The plants bear pistillateand staminate flowers upon the same stem. The staminateflower is composed of a floral axis, bearing a number ofstamens, and the pistillate flowers form a catkin, each flowerbeing composed of a scale-like bract with ovules suspendedon its inner surface. When the flowers ripen, these scalesbecome hard and thickened at the top, thus forming thecollective fruit ca
. Plants of New Zealand. ealand, is the smallest. Chief Characters. The true Pine has a branching trunk and evergreen leaves,which are pointed and needle-Hke—sometimes set in httlebundles of two, three, or five. The plants bear pistillateand staminate flowers upon the same stem. The staminateflower is composed of a floral axis, bearing a number ofstamens, and the pistillate flowers form a catkin, each flowerbeing composed of a scale-like bract with ovules suspendedon its inner surface. When the flowers ripen, these scalesbecome hard and thickened at the top, thus forming thecollective fruit called a cone. The cone of the fir-tree differs from that of the pine, beingfurnished with thin scales, rounded at the apex. Its leavesalso are more scattered. The leaves of the Larchesspring from a bundle of scaly buds, and become scatteredor solitary by the lengthening of the stem. The im-brications of the cone are very loose, and the leaves *Tlie homologies of the various parts are still in dispute. THE PINE FAMILY 59. Fig. 5. A giant Kauri (Agathis). 60 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND are deciduous. The Cedars, again, differ from the Larchesin keeping their leaves for several years, and in bearing closelyimbricated cones. The stamens of the Junipers and Cypressesbear spheroidal pollen, instead of oval, as do the Pines ; and theYew is easily distinguished by its coral-like drupes or leaves of this tree are poisonous to animals, but theberries appear to be innocuous. The Yew attains to a greatage, and has been reckoned to live for three or four hundredyears. The woody tissue of the Conifers is noted for the absence ofducts or vessels, and the presence at the same time ofbordered pits. This structure can be readily perceived evenin silicified wood. There is a similar structure in some of theMagnoliaceae, such as Drimijs, etc., but the character of thiswood differs considerably in other ways. The New ZealandConiferae include the Kauri, the Kahikatea, the Totara, theKimu, the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectplants, bookyear1906
