Flora Medica

PINACE^E, OR CONIFERS.Nat.syst.ed. 2. ^.313.PINUS.Flowers monoecious. $ Catkins . solitary er stalked. Stamensnumerous, inserted on an axis filaments ; very short ; anthers2-celled, terminated by a crest, or scale-like connective ;the cellsbursting longitudinally or irregularlyin a transverse direction.? Catkins . solitary or clustered. Scales imbricated, usuallysubtended by an adnate scale. Ovules 2, at the base of thescales, collateral, inverted, their points lacerated and directeddownwards. Cone consisting of hard woody truncated scales,excavated at the base for the reception of the seeds. Seeds extendedat the base into a membranous wing. Leaves evergreen,in fascicles, surrounded at the base by a membranoustubular sheath.1170. P. sylvestris Linn. sp. pi 1418. Lamb. pin.Bot. t. 24-60. Woodv. t. 207. London Arb. et Frut. 2153.t. i. E.Sandy hills and woods of Europe, north of the Alps. (ScotchFir, Red Deal.)Sheaths of the leaves spirally disposed, tubular, membranous, atlength rugged, torn at the end. Leaves in pairs from each sheath,equal, about 2 inches long, linear, narrow, obtuse with a small point,minutely serrated, evergreen, smooth their ; upper surfaces, which aredark green, and rather concave, originally clapped together, but soonseparated; the under convex, more glaucous, striated. Flowers terminal,erect; the males aggregate spiked, sulphur-coloured, soon surmountedby a protruding leafy branch, each flower having several chaffyconcave scaly bracteas at its base, which some call a 4-leaved calyx:females solitary, globular, variegated with purple and green, with severalserrated, pointed, scaly bracteas. The first year, after impregnation,the young fruit becomes lateral, stalked and reflexed, green, of an ovatefigure; and the second year ripens into ovate, pointed, hard, tessellatedbut unarmed, woody cones, whose dry scales finally gape, and allow ofthe dispersion of the winged seeds. Smith. Common turpentine isobtained from this.1171. P. Pumilio WiM. sp.iv. 495. Lamb. pin. t. 2.London Arb. et Frut. 2186. Mountains in the South Eastof Europe.Very like a Scotch Fir only not forming a tree, but always remaininga low bush. Leaves in pairs, short, straight. Cones ovate, obtuse,very small ;the younger ones sessile and erect. Crest of the anthersprojecting, slit. Hungarian balsam is spontaneously exuded by thebranches of this species.553