Cone (botany)

“ The calyx consists of three sepals,—which fall off soon after the petals expand. In the centre of the flower is the receptacle, drawn up into a fleshy cone, with a great number of carpels attached to it, each of which has one cell containing two ovules, and a curved stigma. Around this cone grow the stamens, with very long anthers standing up like palisades, and very short thick filaments. The fruit is oval, with the ovaries somewhat distant from each other. The flowers appear before the leaves. ”

“ The male catkins are longer than those of the arbor vitæ, and the female ones contain more ovules. The cone is buckler-shaped, and it divides, when ripe, into eight or ten corky scales, each of which has four nuts attached; the cone being partially divided into cells, which may be seen, when the scales have been removed to show the interior. The pollen of each male224 flower is contained in four cells, attached to the lower part of the inside of the scales. The wood is remarkably hard and fragrant, and it is of a fine close grain; it is also very durable. ”

“ Fig. 259.—Female cone of Zamia integrifolia (1⁄2-1⁄3 nat. size) . The male cone is very similar externally.
The FLOWERS are without perianth. The MALE FLOWER is sometimes an enormous collection of stamens (Fig. 258) , which are flat in some (Cycas, Fig. 241) , shield-like in others (Zamia, Ceratozamia) like the sporophylls in Horsetail (Fig. 259) ; but in all, the pollen-sacs are situated in large and varying numbers on the back of the stamens, and arranged in groups of 2–5, like the sporangia in the sori of the Ferns (Fig. 241 b, c) . ”

“ When the seed is ripe, the cone opens as shown at (d) , and the seeds falling out are carried away by the wind. When the211 seed is sown and begins to germinate, the young plant sends down a root, and pushes through the ground its upright shoot, which has six cotyledons, bearing the husk of the seed upon their tip. All the species of the genus Pinus agree with the Scotch Pine in the construction of their flowers, and they differ from each other principally in their cones, and in the number of leaves which they have in a sheath. ”

“ Sigillariostrobus nobilis Zeill. [511] ) and a diameter 2–5 cm.; peduncle long and slender, sometimes bearing acicular bracts or, after leaf-fall, characterised by leaf-cushions and leaf-scars like those on vegetative shoots (fig. 201, E) . The stalked cones are borne in irregular verticils and in some species in vertical series, the fertile zones being separated by comparatively long sterile portions of the stem (fig. 199) . The cones were deciduous and, in certain cases if not in all, the individual sporophylls became detached from the cone-axis on maturity. ”

“ Each ovary has two styles, though it produces only a single seed. As the fruit ripens the styles disappear, and the scales enlarge, so as to give the head of female flowers the form of a strobile or cone (d) , the ripe fruit or nut being placed at the base of each scale, as shown at e. The surface of the scales is studded over with roundish glands, which are filled with a substance resembling pollen, called lupuline, which they give out on pressure, as shown at f ”

“ In cultivation the American species is too sparse of limb and foliage to compete with the more luxuriant European larch, yet it is often planted. Its fresh spring foliage is lightened by the pale yellow of the globular staminate flowers and warmed by the rosy tips of the cone flowers. In early autumn the plain, thin-scaled cones, erect and bright chestnut-brown, shed their small seeds while the yellow leaves are dropping, and the bare limbs carry the empty cones until the following year. ”

“ As the days get warmer these cones grow larger and larger, and one day you will find the scales opening as a fir cone does when it is ripe. Underneath each scale are hidden two seeds, and from the top [18] of each seed rise two slender horns. There are no wings to the seed, as in the Birch tree. These seed cones grow fatter and larger all summer, and by autumn their scales, instead of remaining green and soft, have become a dark reddish brown colour and are hard and woody. ”

“ Each sporophyll is supplied by a single vascular bundle which according to published statements never sends a branch to the sporangium base. The fertile tips of the foliage shoots of L. cernuum (figs. 126, A–C) afford good examples of specialised cones. The surface of the cone is covered by the broadly triangular laminae of sporophylls (fig. 126, C) which in their fimbriate margins resemble the Palaeozoic cone-scales described by Dr Kidston [109] as Lepidostrobus fimbriatus. ”

“ If possible, the inside of the cone is more beautiful than the outside; the scales, bracts, and seed wings are tinted with the loveliest rosy purple with a bright lustrous iridescence; the seeds, three fourths of an inch long, are dark brown. When the cones are ripe the scales and bracts fall off, setting the seeds free to fly to their predestined places, while the dead spike-like axes are left on the branches for many years to mark the positions of the vanished cones, excepting those cut off when green by the Douglas squirrel. ”

“ If the depressions were formed by the pressure of the bases of cones, it is clear that the size of the cavity must be an index of the diameter of the cone. The larger Ulodendron scars exceed in diameter the base of any known lepidodendroid strobilus. Another obvious difficulty, which has not been overlooked134 by Kidston who holds that the scars were produced by sessile cones, is that in Lepidodendron Veltheimianum strobili were borne at the tips of slender branches; the same difficulty is presented by Bothrodendron (Fig. 213) . ”

“ Each scale of which the cone is formed is hollow at the base and contains a seed much larger than that of any other species. When the cone is ripe, it is gathered by the owners of the forest; and when thoroughly dried on the roof or thrown for a few minutes into the fire, it separates into many compartments, from each of which drops a smooth white nut in shape like the seed of the date. ”

“ The leaf-traces arise from the bottom of each sinus; the leaf-bundles are mesarch, and consist exclusively of primary elements. The secondary xylem, x2, like that of the primary xylem, has a crenulate outer edge. The most interesting feature of the outer cortex is afforded by a tangential section which, in addition to the leaf-scars, cuts through a cone-scar showing a solid primary stele surrounded by the cortex of the cone-peduncle. ”

“ The fruit of the Abietineæ is a cone, the scales of206 which open when the seeds are ripe. That of the Cupressineæ is also called a cone by botanists, but it is rounder, and has not so many scales. The fruit of the Taxineæ is an open succulent cup, bearing the seed or nut in its centre.
Linnæus placed nearly all the hardy Abietineæ in the genus Pinus, and since his time botanists have disagreed exceedingly respecting the generic names of the different plants ”

“ The xylem is therefore centripetal in origin as in Sphenophyllum and in nearly all recent and fossil members of the Lycopodiales. In the type-specimen of Cheirostrobus the vascular cylinder of the cone consists entirely of primary xylem, but secondary xylem has been found in a more recently discovered specimen [17] . Secondary xylem occurs also in the peduncle of the cone. No appreciable remains of phloem have 8been found. The cortex consists of slightly elongated rather thick-walled tissue containing secretory sacs. ”

“ In the Spruce Fir these cones are about six inches long, with blunt tips, and when full grown they hang from the sprays. Do not forget to notice this, as in some Fir trees the full-grown cones are seated upright on the branches. Under each scale there lie two little seeds (6) , with large pale brown wings; these seeds require over a year to ripen, then the wind blows them from the loosened cone scales to many a strange resting-place, [91] where they take root, and a new tree begins to grow.
Sometimes you may see strange leafy-looking bunches (7) like soft, badly-made cones on the young sprays. ”

“ Always the flowers are borne on the shoots of the previous season. The cone fruits are cylindrical or ovoid, ripening in a single season and discharging their seeds at maturity. The stout tapering axis of the cone persists after seeds and scales have fallen.
The bark of fir trees is thin, smooth, and pale, with abundant resin vesicles, until the trees are well grown. As age advances the bark thickens and becomes deeply furrowed. The wood is generally pale, coarse-grained, and brittle. ”

“ Leaves and staminate flowers in internodal position, the primary leaves along the whole length of the internode, subtending secondary leaf-fascicles on the apical, staminate flowers on the basal part. Buds compounded of minute buds in the axils of bud-scales, becoming the bracts of the spring-shoot. Branchlets of one or more internodes, each internode in three parts—a length without leaves, a length bearing leaves and a node of buds. Cone requiring two, rarely three years to mature, displaying its annual growths by distinct areas on each scale. Seeds wingless or winged, edible and nutritious. ”

“ An examination of these pieces discovers adhesion only on a narrow ventral border under the apophysis and on a corresponding dorsal border back of the apophysis. The rest of the scale is not adherent, so that the seed is free to fall at the opening of the cone.
The serotinous cone is a gradual development, wanting in most species, rare in a few, less or more frequent in others. A similar evolution of the persistent cone, of the oblique cone and of the cone-tissues has been already discussed. ”

“ The female flowers (cones) vary considerably in size; the largest are the more or less spherical cones of Araucaria—a single cone of A. imbricata may produce as many as 300 seeds, one seed to each fertile cone-scale—and the long pendent 760 cones, 1 to 2 ft. in length, of the sugar pine of California (Pinus Lambertiana) and other species. ”

“ Fruit an ovoid-oblong acute pendulous cone maturing in one season, with rounded concave rigid scales persistent on the axis of the cone after the escape of the seeds, and becoming dark red-brown, much shorter than the 2-lobed bracts with midribs ending in rigid woody linear awns, those at the base of the cone without scales and becoming linear-lanceolate by the gradual suppression of their lobes. ”

“ Old trees may carry hundreds or even thousands of seed-filled cones. Once I counted 14,137 of these on the arms of one veteran lodge-pole. If we allow but twenty seeds to the cone, this tree alone held a good seed-reserve. Commonly a forest fire does not consume the tree it kills. With a lodge-pole it usually burns off the twigs and the foliage, leaving many of the cones unconsumed. The cones are excellent fire-resisters, and their seeds usually escape injury, even though the cones be charred. ”

“ Then it grows cones on the topmost whorl, royal purple and burnished gold, erect on the ends of the branches like Christmas candles. The sapling fir had only three in his first season of bearing, but he was very proud of them, for now he was no longer a sapling, but a tree.
When one has to devote the whole of a long season to growing cones, one has not much occasion to think of other things. By the time there were five rows of cone-bearing branches spread out broadly from the silver fir, the woodchuck made a remark to the pipsissawa which is sometimes called prince's pine. ”

“ Sometimes the Italians roast the barely ripe cone, dashing it on the ground to break it open, but the ripe seeds of the older cone when it naturally opens are better worth eating. They are soft and rich, and have a slightly resinous flavor. ”

“ A most peculiar cone is that of a variety of the Norway pine, which, among other species brought from Europe, is valued for ornament. The common jack-pine of the Middle States hillsides wears symmetrical and handsome cones with dignity. Cones are, of course, the fruits or seed-holders of the pine, but the seeds themselves are found at the base of the scales, or parts of the cones, attached in pairs. Each cone, like an apple, has in its care a number of seeds, which it guards against various dangers until a kindly soil encourages the rather slow germination characteristic of the order. ”

“ Growth Form: Medium to large tree to 150 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown pyramidal.
Bark: Reddish-brown, divided irregularly into plates.
Twigs: Stout, reddish-brown, becoming roughened.
Leaves: Needles in clusters of 2, flexible, up to 6 inches long, dark green.
Flowers: Staminate crowded into several purple spikes up to 1⁄2 inch long; pistillate crowded into fewer scarlet clusters.
Fruit: Cones ovoid, mostly straight, up to 2 inches long, each scale comprising the cone without any prickles; seeds triangular, up to 1⁄8 inch long, with a wing up to 3⁄4 inch long. ”

“ It is interesting to gather a number of different species of pine cones before they have begun to open and watch them do so. Some of them jump around like things possessed as the scales on which they rest open up; others roll this way and turn that. When the last scale is open and the last seed is out, the cone may be three times as large as it was formerly and a hundred or more seeds have been set free. ”

“ The foliage is not very unlike that of the Norway spruce, but the cones are very [342] small in comparison. They are about one inch long, though they vary considerably in size. Before they open they are oval or plum-shaped; but when mature and the scales of the cone have expanded, they are nearly globular. They are often borne in clusters, as well as singly, and persist for many years after the seeds have fallen. The position of the cones will depend upon their age. When young they point upward, but they gradually turn downward. ”