Cone with red seeds. Dendrology (Bogdanov P.L.)

Coniferous order - Coniferae

Most of the genera and species of conifers belong to this order. Their main characteristic feature is that their ovules are formed on seed flakes arranged spirally, oppositely or whorled on shortened axes that look like spikelets or cones - female "flowers". In addition to the seed scales, which are metamorphosed outgrowths of the stem, some families also have cover scales, which are reduced leaves. Therefore, the female "flower" of conifers will be homologous not to the angiosperm flower, but to the inflorescence. When the seeds ripen, the female "flower" of conifers turns into a cone, the seed scales of which become leathery or woody. In the future, the cone opens or breaks up into scales, or the scales become juicy, grow together, and then the cone looks like a fruit - a berry (cone berry). The covering scales do not grow at all or grow along with the seed scales in the form of their appendages attached from below. The cone of conifers is homologous to the seed of angiosperms. This order contains four families: Araucariaceae, Taxodiaceae, Pine, and Cypress.

Araucariaceae family - Araucariaceae

Heat-loving trees of the southern hemisphere with hard wide or tetrahedral needle-shaped needles. Branching is whorled. The stamens with many anthers are arranged, like the seed scales, spirally. There is one ovule on the seed scale, this brings Araucariaceae closer to yew. The cones are large, disintegrate when ripe, the embryo has 2-4 cotyledons.

This family includes two genera: araucaria - in which the ovules are immersed in the tissue of the seed scale, fused with the covering; agatis - Agathis, in which the ovule is free, there is no covering scale. They grow in tropical forests southern hemisphere. Cultivated as ornamental in subtropical climates.

Taxodiaceae family - Taxodiaceae

Trees with scaly or needle-shaped needles, stamens with 2-9 anthers, female spikelets with spirally arranged seed scales, on which there are from 2 to 9 ovules. There are no covering scales or they adhere to the seed scales. Cones are small, 2 - 8 cm, spherical or ovoid, with woody scales, they open when ripe.

Nine genera of this family have small areas in East Asia and North America and do not play a large role in the formation of forests. Let's get acquainted with the five genera of this family.

Genus sequoiadendron- Sequoiadendron. It has one species - giant sequoia - S. giganteum. This is a huge tree, in some cases up to 100 m high and up to 10 m in diameter, reaching an age of 2000 years. The bark is thick, up to 50 cm, reddish-brown. The needles are scaly-needle-shaped, 0.5 - 1.2 cm, running down the shoot at the base, concave from above, and convex from below, grayish-green. After the needles fall off, rhombic scars remain on the stem. Stamens with 2 - 5 anthers. Seed scales carry from 3 to 12 ovules. Cones are ovoid, 5 - 8 cm, their scales at the top are shield-like expanded, scutes are narrowly rhombic, elongated across, strongly wrinkled (Fig. 8). Seeds are small, about 5 mm, elliptical, flattened, surrounded by a wing. Shoots with 3 - 5 cotyledons. It grows in the western mountainous regions of North America, where it has survived in small numbers. In the USSR, it is cultivated in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

Sequoia genus- Sequoia. Represented by one species - evergreen sequoia - S. sempervirens. In a systematic sense, it is close to the sequoiadendron, also reaches enormous sizes and grows in the same mountainous regions of North America. The needles are linear, soft, located in two rows, the cones are small, 2.0 - 2.5 hedgehogs long.

Genus cryptomeria- Cryptomeria. The representative is Japanese cryptomeria - Cryptomeria japonica. Large trees with reddish-brown bark peeling off in long narrow strips. The needles are awl-shaped, laterally flattened, with a keel, yellowish-green in summer, dark green in winter, lasts up to 7 years. Male spikelets are located at the ends of the shoots in the axils of the needles, stamens with 3 - 5 anthers. Female spikelets - at the ends of the shoots. Seed scales with 2 - 5 ovules, covering scales adhere to the seed scales. Cones ovoid-spherical, about 2 cm, their scales with 4-5 teeth. Seeds are oval, somewhat angular, with 2-3 narrow wings. Distributed in Southeast Asia. Differs in fast growth. In the USSR, it is bred on the Black Sea coast.

Genus cunningamia- Ctmninghamia. Large trees, needles uz-kolantsentnaya, pointed at the top, from 2 to 7 cm, hard, down-running along the stem. Male spikelets are arranged in groups on a growing shoot, stamens with three anthers. Seed scales fused with coverts, pointed at the top, with three ovules. Cones are ovoid, 2-4 cm long, their scales are thin-skinned, triangular, pointed at the top. Seeds ovoid, surrounded by a narrow wing. Seedlings with two cotyledons. Species of this genus grow in Southeast Asia. In the Caucasus and in the Crimea, lanceolate cunningamia is bred - C. lanceolata.

Genus taxodia, or swamp cypress- Taxodium. Large trees with needles that fall annually in the winter. Shorter shoots fall along with the needles. After the fall of the needles, the trees have a very rare crown. The needles are linear, soft, light green, up to 2 cm long, comb-shaped. Male spikelets in panicles, up to 15 cm. Each spikelet has 3-8 stamens. Female spherical spikelets are located singly at the ends of the shoots. There are two ovules on the seed scales. Blooms until the needles open. The cones are small, about 3 cm, spherical or elongated, on woody scales, only one trihedral large wingless seed with a thick woody peel. Species of this genus are common in the subtropical climate of North America. The most common taxodia is ordinary - T. distichum, it is cultivated in the Caucasus, Crimea and Central Asia.

Pine family - Pinaceae

This is one of the most important families in the forestry of the USSR Other countries of the temperate, subtropical and cold temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. Such genera of this family as spruce, pine, larch, fir, are forest-forming coniferous forests USSR and give the largest amount of wood. With a few exceptions, they are all trees of the first magnitude, reaching a height of 30 and even 60 m. The needles are needle-shaped, various shapes and size, located spirally on elongated or elongated and shortened, or only on shortened shoots. AT last case- in a certain number, 2 - 3 - 5 needles. Trees are monoecious. Male spikelets "flowers" have numerous stamens with two anthers. Female spikelets "flowers" with numerous seed scales arranged spirally. There are two ovules at the base of the upper side of the scale, and there is always a covering scale on the lower side. As the cones mature, the seed flakes become hard-skinned or woody. Mature cones open and seeds fall out of them, or they break up into separate scales. Cover scales grow along with the seed scales and are clearly visible in the cones or remain as small as they were in spikelets, dry out and become barely visible at the base of the lower part of the seed scale. Seeds with a sail-shaped wing, but sometimes the wing is reduced. Seedlings have 4 to 12 cotyledons. Representatives of the pine family are heterogeneous in morphological, biological and ecological properties, and they can be divided into two subfamilies - spruce and pine. The basis for the allocation of subfamilies is the structure, method of attachment and arrangement of needles: in pine singly and in bunches or only in bunches. The family ties of the genera of the pine family are shown in fig. 9.

The spruce subfamily includes genera: spruce, fir, hemlock, pseudo-hemlock. Trees with conical narrow dense dark green crowns, with thin fissured or smooth bark, with only elongated shoots, with single needles, which remain on the shoots for a long time, up to 10 years. Female spikelets and cones are located in the upper part of the crown. All genera of this subfamily are shade-tolerant and form dark coniferous forests.

Spruce genus - Picea. All types of spruces are trees with a cone-shaped crown and slightly whorled branching. The bark is thin, fissured, exfoliates in scales. The needles are hard, prickly, 1–4 cm long, rhombic in cross section, with rows of stomata on all sides or flat with stomata in the form of two white stripes on the upper side of the needles, sometimes turned down as a result of twisting the petiole. The needles are attached to the stem on special outgrowths of the bark - leaf pads, which are clearly visible after the fall of the needles. The foliation is dense, the needles do not fall off for 6-9 years. The kidneys are pointed, not covered with resin from the outside. Cones by the time of ripening do not stand upright, but hang down, their scales open and the seeds fall out. The length of the cones is from 4 to 15 cm; their scales are hard or soft-skinned, rhombic or rounded. Covering scales are poorly developed (Fig. 10).

The seeds are small, up to 0.5 cm, with a pointed end, with an obovate wing, the lower part of which covers the seed in the form of a spoon and does not grow together with it, so the wing is easily separated from the seed. Seedlings have from 6 to 12 trihedral cotyledons. The spruce genus is divided into two subgenera, well separated morphologically and by ranges. The subgenus of spruces proper - Eupicea has needles rhombic in cross section with stomata on all faces; the cones are larger, from 4 to 15 cm. This subgenus includes species: European spruce - P. excelsa, Siberian spruce - P. obovata, Caucasian spruce-P. orientalis, Tien Shan spruce-P. schrenkiana, prickly spruce -P. pungens, Canadian spruce -P. canadensis.

Omorica subgenus - Omorica has flat needles, with stomata on only one morphologically upper side, so the needles are dark green, shiny on one side, and whitish, matte on the other. On lateral shoots, the upper side of the needles, as a result of twisting of the petiole, is turned downwards. Cones are smaller, 4 - 6 cm. This subgenus includes species: Ayan spruce - P. jezoensis, Sitka spruce - P. sitchensis, Serbian spruce - P. omorica.

The genus of spruces contains only 45 species. Some of them are not much different and have a small area. Five species grow in the forests of the USSR: European spruce and Siberian spruce - in the forest zone; Caucasian spruce - in the western half of the Caucasus; Tien Shan spruce - in the mountains of the eastern part of Central Asia and Ayan spruce - in the forests of the southern part Far East. Often cultivated as an ornamental tree, prickly spruce, less often - Canadian spruce and Sitka spruce from North America and Serbian spruce from the Balkan Peninsula.

Genus fir -Abies. Trees with a crown similar to spruce or narrower. The bark is thin, smooth or fissured. The needles in cross section are flat or narrowly elliptical, soft, blunt or dissected at the top, only in whole-leaved fir are hard, pointed, with stomata in the form of two light stripes on the underside of the needles. It is attached to the stem without leaf pads on the bark, which differs sharply from spruce. The needles are dense, the needles stay on the shoots for 7-10 years. The buds are rounded, covered with resin on top, or pointed and not covered with resin. Cones are cylindrical, from 5 to 12 cm, when ripe, they do not hang down, like spruce, but remain upright, like female spikelets. Fully mature cones do not open, but break up into scales, which scatter at the same time as the seeds. The woody rods of the cones remain in the crown for a long time. The covering scales of firs are longer than the seed scales; they are usually visible both on female "flowers" and in mature cones and fall off with seed scales (Fig. 11).

The seeds are larger than those of spruce, up to 1.5 cm, triangular; with soft, highly resinous skin. The wing is triangular, in the lower part it covers the seed and adheres tightly to it. Shoots have 4 - 5 flat cotyledons.

The genus fir contains about 40 species. Six naturally grow in the forests of the USSR: Siberian fir - A. sibirica in a significant part of the forest zone; European fir - A. alba in the Carpathians; Caucasian fir - A. nordmanniana in the western half of the Caucasus; fir Semenov - A. Semenovii in the mountains of the eastern part of Central Asia; white fir - A. nephrolepis and whole-leaved fir - A. holophylla in the forests of the Far East.

Cultivated as decorative balsam fir - A. balsamea and plain fir - A. concolor, naturally growing in North America.

The genus Tsuga - Tsuga. Trees with thin hanging shoots. The needles are flat, 1–2 cm long, linear-lanceolate, with two stripes of stomata on the underside, narrowed at the base into a petiole, pressed against the shoot and attached to the leaf cushion. Cones are ovoid, small, up to 2.5 cm. Seed scales are thin, rounded, covering scales are shorter than seed ones. The seeds are small with a relatively long wing. Species of this genus are thermophilic and grow in North America and East Asia. The most common is Canadian hemlock - T. canadensis. It grows in the forests of eastern North America.

The genus of pseudo-hemlock, or Douglas - Pseudotsuga. Trees with crowns resembling spruce. The bark is thin, with rare cracks. The needles are soft, somewhat reminiscent of fir needles, but in cross section they are not flat, but elliptical, attached to the stem on outgrowths of the bark - leaf pads, like in spruce. The kidneys are pointed, not covered with resin from above. The cones are oblong-ovate, hanging down when ripe, the seed scales are rounded, covering three-lobed, longer than the seed ones. Fully mature cones open, seeds fall out of them, and the cones remain hanging on the tree for some time. The seeds are small, with a harder skin and with a tightly adherent wing, reminiscent of larch seeds. Several species of this genus are distributed in North America, in the mountains of its western part. Douglas yew - P. taxifolia is often cultivated in Western Europe and the Baltics. Its more cold-resistant form - douglas gray - P. glauca grows well in Leningrad.

Subfamily Pine- Pinaceae contains the following genera: cedar, larch, pine. Representatives of this subfamily differ significantly in the structure of the needles and the way it is located. Needles of various shapes are arranged spirally on elongated shoots and in large numbers on short shoots, or single needles are reduced to scales, and assimilating needles are located in bunches, 2-3-5 needles each on a complex shortened shoot. Needles live from 1 to 6 years, rarely more. The crowns of mature trees are wide and transparent. All species of this subfamily are photophilous or relatively shade-tolerant. In the northern hemisphere, they mainly form light coniferous forests.

Cedar genus - Cedrus. Large trees with a wide spreading crown. The bark is dark gray, smooth at the beginning of the life of the tree, then cracks with rare cracks and peels off in large scales. The needles on elongated shoots are located singly, w. shortened - in bunches, up to 40 needles. The needles are needle-shaped, from 1 to 5 cm, three- or four-sided, rigid, prickly, with stomata on all sides, light, bluish-green, lasts 2-3 years. In terms of needles, cedar resembles larch. Male and female spikelets are located throughout the crown, singly - on shortened shoots. Blooms in autumn. Cones are upright, spherical or broadly ovate, 5-10 cm long, ripen in the second or third year, after ripening they break up on a tree and fall off in scales. The scales are wide, up to 5 cm, tightly overlap each other. Covering scales are poorly developed. Seeds are large, resinous, triangular, with a thin skin. The rounded wing adheres tightly to the top of the seed. Seedlings have 8 - 10 cotyledons.

Cedars grow naturally in the mountains of the Mediterranean; in Asia Minor and the Western Himalayas. Three species of this genus used to create extensive forests within their range, but at present these forests have been largely exterminated. As decorative and fast-growing trees, cedars are cultivated in the Crimea, the Caucasus and in the southern part of Central Asia.

Himalayan cedar - C. deodara - a tree up to 50 m high, long needles, up to 5 cm, cones 7 - 10 cm.

Atlas cedar - C. atlantica - a tree up to 40 m high, needles up to 2.5 cm, cones 5 - 7 cm. It grows in the mountain forests of North Africa and on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea.

Lebanese cedar - C. libani - a tree up to 40 m high, in adult trees the crown is umbrella-shaped, the needles are bluish-green, from 1.5 to 3.0 cm, cones up to 10 cm. It grows in the mountain forests of Asia Minor.

Genus larch- Larix. Large trees with wide transparent crowns. Thick reddish-brown bark with deep longitudinal fissures. The needles are soft, light green, elliptical in cross section, attached on leaf pads singly on elongated annual shoots and in large bunches on short ones, which sometimes grow into elongated ones. In autumn, the needles turn yellow and fall off. The kidneys are small, rounded. Female and male spikelets and cones are located throughout the crown on shortened shoots. Pollen unlike other genera of the family without air sacs. Cones are small, 1 - 4 cm, covering scales are developed, sometimes they are longer than seed ones. Seeds are ovoid in shape, with a hard skin and a densely adherent small wing. Seedlings have 5-10 cotyledons (Fig. 12).

In forests Soviet Union grow: in the Carpathians - European larch - L. decidua; in the forest zone of the European part of the USSR - Sukachev larch - L. Sukaczewii; in Western Siberia and in Altai - Siberian larch - L. sibirica; in Eastern Siberia and the Far East - Dahurian larch - L. dahurica; on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands - Kuril larch - L. kurilensis.

In the Far East, there is a center of larch form diversity, so several species close to Dahurian larch have been identified there. On the Japanese islands in the mountains grows Japanese larch - L. leptolepis; in North America - American larch - L. americana. Almost all types of larches are quite cold-resistant, relatively fast-growing, they are used in forest plantations and in landscaping.

Pine genus -Pinus. Large or small trees with a characteristic whorled arrangement of branches and the arrangement of needles only on shortened shoots in a certain number, 2 - 3 - 5 pcs. According to these morphological features, pines are well distinguished from other genera. coniferous trees. The crowns of mature trees are ovate-rounded with a blunt top. The bark forms a thick layer of fissured crust or is relatively thin, and in young trees it is even smooth (Fig. 13).

Pine has elongated and shortened shoots. Elongated shoots bear reduced, hardly noticeable leaves, in the axil of which there are shortened shoots of a complex structure with certain number needles. Shortened shoots consist of a short stem 0.5 - 3 mm long, a sheath of scaly reduced leaves that fall off early, a bunch (2 - 5 pieces) of normal needles and a rudimentary bud located between the needles. On well-developed shortened shoots, such a bud becomes dormant. At the same time, the needles, the stem and the dormant bud die off, so the needles of the pine fall not singly, but in shortened shoots. If an elongated shoot, large buds resting on top of it, or needles are damaged, then on living shortened shoots, small dormant buds start to grow and give elongated shoots, sometimes with needles located singly. Shortened shoots with a bunch of needles appear from their bosom in the same or another year, just as it happens with annual shoots of pine. At the top of the elongated shoot there is a large apical bud and somewhat whorled below are lateral axillary large resting buds, often covered with resin. The following year, the apical bud, blooming, continues the growth of the main shoot in length, and the lateral buds give a whorl of lateral branches. Here, at the top, several small buds are laid, which do not bloom in the first year, but pass into a dormant state. They start growing when large buds or the upstream part of the shoot are damaged.

Pine needles are hard, prickly, narrow, of various lengths. different types, from 2 to 25 cm. A bunch of needles of a shortened shoot in the kidney and during blooming is a cylinder, which after blooming diverges into separate needles. Therefore, in cross section, the needles have a flat-convex shape in biconiferous pines, triangular or segmented in three- and five-needle pines. Live needles are stored for a relatively short time, from 3 to 6 years. The stomata are located on all sides of the needles, but there are more of them on the sides facing the inside of the bundle.

Male spikelets are in large numbers at the base of young shoots, in the axils of scaly leaves; each spikelet consists of spirally arranged scaly stamens with two anthers. Female spikelets look like small cones, located at the top of young shoots, one or two or three. Seed scales are wide, thickened at the ends, coverts are membranous, much smaller than seed scales, they do not grow and are already invisible on cones (Fig. 14).

Cones and seeds ripen in the second or third year after flowering. The sizes of cones vary greatly in different species, from 2 to 30 cm. depression, tubercle, or even thorn.

In some species of pines, cones open when ripe and seeds fall out of them; in other species, the cones do not open, they become loose and fall off the tree after ripening as a whole. Seeds with a hard skin, with a wing tightly attached to the seed and slightly covering the seed. The wing easily breaks off at the point of attachment to the seed, so its lower part, separated from the seed, looks like a fork. The peel of the seed is matte, but the side where the wing has grown is glossy. In some species of pines, the wing is reduced to varying degrees or completely, but that part of it that adheres to the seed is preserved and always shiny, as, for example, in the seeds of the cedar pine - "pine nuts". Scotch pine seeds are well distinguished from spruce seeds by a shiny one side. Seed size from 0.5 to 2.5 cm.

Shoots have from 4 to 12 cotyledons, they are trihedral in cross section, slightly curved and have small teeth along the edges. The shoot of seedlings of the first year carries needles not in bunches, but single. In the axils of the needles on the shoot of an annual seedling, resting buds are laid. The lower ones are the beginnings of elongated shoots, but, as a rule, remain dormant. When seedlings are damaged, these buds form replacement shoots and repair the damage. In the axils of the upper needles, buds are formed, which in the second, and in some species only in the third year, give shortened shoots.

Such a pattern in the foliation of pine seedlings indicates that the genus of pines originated from coniferous trees with single needles and the formation of shortened shoots is a secondary sign.

The genus of pines, having a more complex morphological structure, is very significantly different from other genera of the pine subfamily.

Of all the genera of the class of conifers, the genus of pines has the largest number of species, about 70. Some of its species, which have a large range and wide ecological amplitude, contain subspecies and other smaller intraspecific forms, for example, Scots pine and Siberian pine.

Unlike other genera of the pine family, the evolution of the pine genus proceeded in different directions. This led to the emergence of species that differ significantly morphological features and ecological properties, there are species of pines that are very thermophilic, growing in warm natural areas, and the species are quite cold-resistant, growing in cold zones, very xerophytic and mesophytic

Having a wide variety of species that differ quite significantly morphologically, the genus of pines is divided into two sub-genera, each of which, in turn, is divided into two sections. Subgenera and sections are separate branches of evolution (Fig. 15).

Subgenus haploxylon, or softwood pines- Haploxylon has a relatively soft wood. The bark does not form a thick layer and remains smooth for a long time. The needles are located in five pieces on a shortened shoot, in cross section it is triangular or sectorial, with one vascular bundle, thin, 7–20 cm long, its inner faces are lighter than the outer ones. The membranous scales of the sheath of a shortened shoot fall off early. The umbilicus of the scales of the cone is located at the top of the apophysis.

Section strobe- Strobus. Cones are cylindrical, from 15 to 40 cm, hanging, their scales are densely leathery, they open when ripe, the seeds are large with a large wing.

In the forests of the Soviet Union, the pines of this section do not naturally grow. Of the types of temperate climate, Rumeli pine is sometimes cultivated - R. flight, its range is in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula; Weymouth pine - P. strobus, its range in North America.

Heat-loving species of this section: sugar pine, or Lambert - P. Lambertiana from North America and Himalayan pine - P. excelsa, its range in the Himalayas; both species are bred as ornamentals in the Caucasus and Crimea.

timbre section, cedar pines - Cembrae. These pines differ in the structure of cones and seeds. Their cones with woody scales, from 4 to 15 cm, do not open after maturation, but become loose and completely fall off the tree. Seeds "pine nuts" without a wing, with a hard woody skin, from 0.7 to 1.7 cm. One- and two-year shoots of pines of this section are covered with short velvety brown pubescence.

Siberian cedar pine- P. sibirica has a large range covering the northeastern regions of the European part of the USSR, the Urals, Western Siberia, Altai, Transbaikalia.

Korean cedar pine- P. koraiensis grows in the forests of the southern part of the Far East.

Cedar elfin- P. pumila - a tree with a trunk branched from the base, with creeping branches, looking like a creeping shrub, or a small highly branched tree up to 5 m high, distributed in the mountains of Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

In the mountain forests of Western Europe and in the Carpathians, European pine grows - P. cembra.

Subgenus hardwood pines- It has solid wood. The bark on the trunks is thick, deeply fissured. Shortened shoots have 2-3 needles, in their central cylinder there are two vascular bundles. The membranous scales at the base of shortened shoots are preserved and look like a tube. The scales of the cones are woody, their apophyses are rhombic, with a navel in the middle. Seed with wings.

This subgenus has a large number of species and is divided into two sections: three-coniferous and two-coniferous pines.

Section of pine three-coniferous- Taeda. Needles, three on short shoots, long, 10-30 cm, triangular in cross section. Cones are large, 10-30 cm. All species of this section are thermophilic, their ranges are located in the southern part of North America. For example, the following species can be cited: hard pine - T. rigida, yellow pine - P. ponderosa, sabin pine - P. sabiniana.

Pine section- Pinaster. Needles, two on shortened shoots, 4-10 cm long, semicircular in cross section. Cone 3 - 10 cm. The species of this section, having a wide ecological amplitude, play an important role as forest-forming plants in Europe, Asia and North America.

In the USSR, the largest areas in the forest and forest-steppe zones are occupied by Scotch pine - P. silvestris. In the Caucasus and Crimea grow: Crimean pine - P. palasiana, seaside pine - P. pinaster, hooked pine - P. hamata, Pitsunda pine - P. pithyusa, Eldar pine - P. eldarica; in the mountains of Western Europe - black pine - P. nigra, mountain pine - P. montana; in North America - Banks' pine - P. Banksiana, Murray's pine - P. Murrayana. The last two species are sometimes cultivated in the Soviet Union.

Cypress family - Cupressaceae

These are trees and shrubs. The needles of various genera and species differ sharply in shape and location on the shoots. In some species, it is hard, needle-shaped, 1-3 cm long, with stomata on the upper side, located on the shoots whorled, three needles per whorl. In most species, the needles are small, scaly, located on the shoots oppositely across. Seedlings and 1 - 2-year-old seedlings, as well as shoots that appeared from adventitious buds in species with scaly needles, have needle-shaped needles arranged in whorls. Such heterophilia - the formation of acicular needles at a young age - indicates that scaly needles are of secondary origin and species with scaly needles arose later than species with acicular needles.

In some genera of this family, there is a transition to dioecy. "Flowers", or spore-bearing spikelets, are very small. Stamens with 3 - 6 anthers, seed flakes, as well as needles, are opposite or whorled. The pollen is very small, without air sacs. There are no covering scales. After pollination, seed scales coalesce and open after seed ripening, which occurs in the year of flowering or the next year, or the scales do not open at all, become juicy and form a cone. Cones are small, from 1 to 3 cm, with soft-skinned, woody or juicy scales. Seeds with a narrow wing on both sides of the seed or nutlets without a wing. Seedlings have two cotyledons.

Sixteen genera of this family are widely distributed in all parts of both the northern and southern hemispheres. They do not play a particularly significant role in the formation of woody vegetation. However, some species of this family, showing strong variability, morphological and ecological, are able to tolerate very unfavorable conditions of habitat both in terms of heat and water, and also put up with sharp temperature fluctuations.

The cypress family is divided into three completely separate subfamilies: thuja, cypress and juniper.

Subfamily thuja- Thujoideae. The needles are scaly, located oppositely. Cones are elongated, small, consist of a small number of soft-skinned opposite scales. Seeds with two narrow wings in the form of an edging around the seed or without a wing are nutlet-shaped. Species of this subfamily grow in various parts of the world, mainly in tropical and subtropical zones.

Species of the genus Callitris- Callitris common in Australia; tetraclinis - Tetraclinis and widdringtonia - Widdringtonia - in Africa; fitzroiya - Fitzroya, libocedrus - Libocedrus and thuja - Thuja - in America; biota - Biota and microbiota - Microbiota - in East Asia. There are no representatives of this subfamily in Europe. In the Soviet Union, only a small microbiota shrub grows in the mountains of the Far East.

Western thuja is widely cultivated for decorative purposes - T. occidentalis. Usually it is a small tree or shrub with a very large variety of forms. Its branches are horizontal. The cones are small, their scales are soft. Seeds oblong with two narrow wings. It is a cold hardy tree that tolerates shearing and urban conditions well. Biota - Biota orientalis - is also often cultivated. It is similar in shoots to thuja, but its lateral branches are not located horizontally, but vertically. It has small cones with hard woody scales. Seeds are wingless, nut-shaped. Unlike thuja, it is thermophilic and grows well only in more southern regions.

Subfamily cypress- Cupressoideae contains two genera: cypress and cypress. Cypress- Cupressus - a tree with thin tetrahedral shoots. The needles are scaly, rhombic, very small, up to 2 mm. Cones are spherical, up to 3 cm, their woody scales are corymbose, 4 - 6-coal, on legs, located oppositely. Seeds are small, with a narrow wing. Different kinds cypress trees grow in Asia Minor and Central Asia, in North America. In the USSR, two forms of evergreen cypress are cultivated in large quantities in the Caucasus, in the Crimea and in Central Asia - C. sempervirens, pyramidal cypress and horizontal cypress.

genus cypress- Chamaecyparis. Tree with hanging branches. Shoots are flat. The needles are triangular-scale-shaped, opposite. Cones are small, spherical, up to 1 cm, woody scales are arranged oppositely. Cypress species grow in North America and Japan. In the USSR, they are sometimes cultivated as ornamentals.

Subfamily junipers- Juniperoideae. It has one genus and a large number of species, some of them are very polymorphic.

Genus juniper- Juniperus. Small tree or shrub. The needles are scaly, opposite or needle-shaped, whorled. Dioecious or monoecious plants. Stamens and seed flakes are arranged oppositely or whorled in threes. The scales of the cone become juicy and grow together, forming a cone berry, which ripens in the second year. Seeds hard-skinned, nut-like. There are many species of juniper, all of them are distributed only in the northern hemisphere and, with the exception of common juniper, have small areas (Fig. 16).

Of all woody plants, junipers tolerate adverse environmental conditions better: lack of heat, dryness, and sharp temperature fluctuations. This enables them to grow in sphagnum bogs, dry sandy and rocky soils, even in the tundra and high mountains where other woody plants no longer grow.

In the USSR, common juniper - J. communis - grows in the forest zone and in the forest-tundra, forming the second tier, undergrowth and shrub thickets; in the Crimea and the Caucasus - red juniper - J. oxycedrus. These species have needle-like needles, while other species have scaly needles.

In the steppe zone, in the foothills of the European part and in Siberia, Cossack juniper grows - J. sabina, low wide bushes. In the forests of the Crimea and the Caucasus grows high juniper - J. excelsa and smelly juniper - J. foetidissima.

In the mountains of North Asia, several types of junipers are common ( local name- archa). They sometimes form dense thickets in the mountains of the forest zone and above it, up to 3000 m a.s.l. y. m. In favorable growth conditions, species such as Turkestan juniper - J. turkestanica and Talas - J. talassica, reach a height of 15 f.

Conifer class - gnetinae

This class is represented in our country by one family of conifers - Ephedraceae and one genus of conifers - Ephedra. It is a small shrub with whorled branching. In appearance it resembles horsetail. Its stems are jointed, longitudinally ribbed, green, only they assimilate. The leaves are reduced, have the appearance of membranous opposite scales. Male and female flowers have a special cover of bracts, resembling angiosperm perianth, in female flowers they become juicy and acquire a bright color, resembling a berry. Various types of conifer are common in the dry steppe, semi-desert and desert, in the mountains of Central Asia and Western Siberia. Ephedra is of phylogenetic interest, as it occupies an intermediate position between gymnosperms and angiosperms (Fig. 17).

Coniferous cones are modified shoots that play an important role in the life of a tree. They provide cross-pollination, fertilization, and then - the development of seeds. The cone is arranged quite simply. There is a central spine, there are scales extending from it. Under the scales of male cones, pollen ripens in special "bags". The scales of the female cones cover the ovules, and later the seeds.

I have already written about the “flowering” of spruce in more detail. Those interested can get acquainted with this very spectacular process by clicking on.

After pollination, male cones that have fulfilled their function become unnecessary and fall off. A number of metamorphoses take place with female spruce cones.

Metamorphoses of female spruce cones

Female spruce cones appear on the branches (legs) of spruce around mid-May. They develop at the ends of those shoots that are two years old.

Most of the cones grow in the upper part of the crown of the tree, even if this crown drops almost to the ground. This is understandable - at the top, the chance to "catch" the pollen carried by the wind is much higher.

Female cones ate, just emerged from the kidneys, about the size of a thimble. At this time, they stick up on the branches of a tree, like New Year's candles. The color of the cones is raspberry or bright red.

Spruce cones in bloom

After pollination, rapid and noticeable changes occur. The pollinated cone closes its scales. Highlighting the resin, it tightly clogs the passages between them. Changes color. The pinkish shade is still preserved for some time, but already in early June the buds turn green.

From the moment of emergence and until the middle of summer, the cones grow rapidly. As they grow, their position on the branch also changes. From vertical, they become drooping, turning their tops to the ground.

Young fir cones. The end of May. You can already collect.

The green color will change to close to purple, then turning into light brown. And now, in August, "classic" fir cones - brown ones - hang on the tree. Their scales are still tightly closed.

Seeds ripen in cones in autumn. If you don’t need to, how, stretch this process for two years. Everything happens in one season. But even at the beginning of winter, the cones on the spruce are still closed. Only in February - March, in dry sunny weather, they open, scattering seeds.

After the seeds have fallen out, the old cones hang on the tree for a long time with open scales. Gradually they fall off.

Useful properties of spruce cones

What are these substances? Like, the cones contain essential oil, they release a huge amount of phytoncides. The content of vitamins is also significant, especially C and D. There are many resinous substances that make up spruce resin. And it is similar, and contains turpentine.

A good song in a beautiful performance - in honor of the anniversary of the Great Victory. Moreover, in the song performed by Vladimir Bunchikov and Vladimir Nechaev, there are also words about our beautiful flowering spruce.

Sincerely,

Pine (lat. Pinus) is an evergreen coniferous tree, shrub or dwarf, belongs to the coniferous class, pine order, pine family, pine genus. The life expectancy of a pine tree ranges from 100 to 600 years. Today there are single trees whose age is approaching 5 centuries.

Until now, it is not exactly established which word formed the basis Latin name Pinus pines. According to some sources, this is the Celtic pin (rock or mountain), according to others - the Latin picis (resin).

Pine - description and characteristics of a tree.

The pine tree grows very quickly, especially in the first 100 years. The height of the pine trunk varies from 35 meters to 75 meters, and the diameter of the trunk can reach 4 meters. On waterlogged soils and under unfavorable growing conditions, the height of century-old trees does not exceed 100 cm.

Pine is a photophilous plant. Flowering time comes at the end of spring, but the process occurs without the appearance of flowers. As a result, pine cones are formed, which are distinguished by a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Male cones of most pine species have an elongated, cylindrical-ellipsoid shape and up to 15 cm long. Female pine cones are mostly round, broadly ovate or slightly flattened, 4 to 8 cm long. The color of the cones, depending on the species, may be yellow , brown, brick red, purple and almost black.

Pine seeds have a hard shell and are both winged and wingless. In some species of pines (cedar pines), the seeds are edible.

Pine is a tree whose crown has a conical shape, turning into a kind of huge umbrella in old age. The structure of the cortex also depends on age. If at the beginning life cycle it is smooth and almost without cracks, then by the age of one hundred it acquires a fair thickness, cracks and acquires a dark gray color.

The appearance of the tree is formed by long, woody shoots with time, on which needles and needles grow. Pine needles are smooth, hard and sharp, collected in bunches and have a lifespan of up to 3 years. The shape of the pine needles are trihedral or sector. Their length ranges from 4 to 20 cm. Depending on the number of leaves (needles) in a bunch of pines, there are:

• two-coniferous (for example, Scots pine, seaside pine),
• three-coniferous (for example, Bunge pine),
• five-coniferous (for example, Siberian pine, Weymouth pine, Japanese white pine).

Depending on the species, a pine trunk can be straight or curved. Shrub varieties of pines have a multi-top crown of a creeping type, formed by several trunks.

The shape of the pine crown depends on the species and can be

• rounded
• conical,
• pin-shaped,
• creeping.

In most species, the crown is located quite high, but in some varieties, for example, in the Macedonian pine (lat. Pinus peuce), the crown begins almost at the very ground.

The plant is unpretentious to the quality of the soil. The root system of pine is plastic and depends on growing conditions. In sufficiently moistened soils, the roots of the tree spread parallel to the surface to a distance of up to 10 meters and go down shallowly. In dry soils, the tap root of the tree goes 6-8 m deep. Pine does not react well to urban, polluted and gassed air. At the same time, almost all representatives of the genus tolerate well low temperatures.

Where does pine grow?

Basically, pines grow in temperate zone northern hemisphere, the boundaries of growth extend from northern Africa to areas beyond the Arctic Circle, including Russia, European countries, North America, Asia. Pine forms both pine forests and mixed forests along with firs and other trees. Currently, thanks to artificial cultivation, such a type of pine as a radiant pine can be found in Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar and even South Africa.

On the territory of Russia, 16 wild-growing species of pines are widespread, among which ordinary pine occupies a leading position. Siberian cedar is widespread in Siberia. Korean cedar is often found in the Amur region. AT mountainous areas mountain pines grow from the Pyrenees to the Caucasus. Crimean pines are found in the mountains of the Crimea and the Caucasus.

Types of pines, photos and names.

• Scotch pine(lat. Pinus sylvestris) grows in Europe and Asia. The tallest pines can be found on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea: some specimens are up to 40-50 m high. Other pines grow up to 25-40 m and have a trunk diameter of 0.5 to 1.2 m. Scotch pine has a straight trunk with a thick gray-brown bark, cut with deep cracks. Top part the trunk and branches are covered with thin scaly orange-red bark. Young pines are distinguished by a cone-shaped crown, with age the branches take on a horizontal arrangement, and the crown becomes wide and rounded. Scotch pine wood is a valuable building material due to its resinousness and high strength. Ethanol is obtained from pine sawdust, and resin is used to produce essential oils and rosin. Varieties Scotch pine: Alba Picta, Albyns, Aurea, Beuvronensis, Bonna, Candlelight, Chantry Blue, Compressa, Frensham, Glauca, Globosa Viridis, Hillside Creeper, Jeremy, Moseri, Norske Typ, Repanda, Viridid ​​Compacta, Fastigiata, Watereri and others.

• Siberian cedar pine, she is (lat. Pinus sibirica)- the closest relative of Scotch pine, and not real cedars, as many mistakenly believe. A tree up to 40 m high (usually up to 20-25 m) is distinguished by thick branches and a dense crown with many tops. The straight, even trunk of a pine has a gray-brown color. The needles are soft, long (up to 14 cm), dark green, with a bluish bloom. Siberian cedar comes into fruiting at about 60 years of age. It produces large egg-shaped cones that grow up to 13 cm in length and up to 5-8 cm in diameter. At the beginning of growth, they are purple in color, mature they turn brown. The term of maturation of cones is 14-15 months, falling off begins in September of the next year. One Siberian cedar pine yields up to 12 kg of nuts per season. The Siberian cedar is a typical inhabitant of the dark coniferous taiga in Western and Eastern Siberia.

• Pine marsh (long-coniferous) (lat. Pinus palustris)- a massive tree that grows up to 47 m in height and has a trunk diameter of up to 1.2 m. Distinctive features species is yellow-green needles, the length of which can reach 45 cm, and exceptional fire resistance of wood. Longleaf pine grows in southeastern North America, from Virginia and North Carolina to Louisiana and Texas.

• Montezuma Pine (White Pine)(lat. Pinus montezumae) grows up to 30 m in height and has long (up to 30 cm) grayish-green needles, collected in bunches of 5 pieces. The tree got its name in honor of the last leader of the Aztecs - Montezuma, who decorated his headdress with the needles of this pine. The white pine grows in western North America and in Guatemala. In many countries with a temperate climate, it is grown as an ornamental plant, as well as for the collection of edible nuts.

• elfin pine, she is cedar elfin(lat. Pinus pumila)- a species of low bushy trees with widely spread branches, characterized by a variety of crown shapes, which can be tree-like, creeping or bowl-shaped. Tree-like specimens grow up to 4-5 m, rarely up to 7 m in height. The branches of creeping pines are pressed to the ground, and their tips are raised by 30-50 cm. The needles of the dwarf pine are gray-green in color, from 4 to 8 cm long. Pine cones are medium-sized, ovoid or elongated. Nuts are small, up to 9 mm long and 4-6 mm wide. In a harvest year, up to 2 centners of nuts can be harvested from 1 ha. Cedar elfin is an unpretentious plant adapted to the harsh northern climate. Widespread from Primorye to Kamchatka, in the north of the range it goes beyond the Arctic Circle. Elfin pine varieties: Blue Dwarf, Glauca, Globe, Chlorocarpa, Draijer's Dwarf, Jeddeloh, Jermyns, Nana, Saentis.

• , she is Pallas pine(lat. Pinus nigra subsp. Pallasiana, Pinus pallasiana)- a tall tree (up to 45 m), with a wide, pyramidal, in old age - an umbrella-shaped crown. Pine needles are dense, prickly, up to 12 cm long, cones are shiny, brown, oblong, up to 10 cm long. Crimean pine is listed in the Red Book, but is used as a valuable building material, in particular for shipbuilding, and also as an ornamental tree for park landscaping and creating a protective forest belt. Crimean pine grows in the Crimea (mainly on the southern slopes of Yalta) and in the Caucasus.

• mountain pine, she is European elfin pine or zherep (lat. Pinus mugo)- a tree-like shrub with a pin-shaped or creeping multi-stemmed crown. The needles are twisted or curved, dark green in color, up to 4 cm long. Wood with a red-brown core is widely used in carpentry and turning. Young shoots and pine cones are used in the cosmetic industry and medicine. Zherep is a typical representative of the alpine and subalpine climatic zone of Southern and Central Europe. Mountain pine and its varieties are very often used in landscape design. The most famous varieties are Gnome, Pug, Chao-chao, Winter Gold, Mugus, Pumilio, Varella, Carstens and others.

• White pine, she is white-trunk pine(lat. Pinus albicaulis) has a smooth light gray bark. A straight or winding pine trunk grows up to 21 m in height and looks almost white from afar. In young trees, the crown has the shape of a cone, becoming rounded with age. The needles are curved, short (up to 3-7 cm in length), of intense yellow-green color. Male cones are elongated, bright red, female cones are distinguished by a spherical or flattened shape. The edible seeds of the white-barreled pine are an important food source for many animals: the American nut, the red squirrel, the grizzly bear and the baribal. Golden woodpecker and blue sialia often nest in treetops. White-barreled pines grow in the mountainous regions of the subalpine belt of North America (Cascade Mountains, Rocky Mountains). Popular pine varieties: Duckpass, Falling Rock, Glenn Lake, Mini, Tioga Lake, Nr1 Dwarf.

• Himalayan pine, she is Bhutanese pine or wallich pine(lat. Pinus wallichiana)- a tall, beautiful tree, widely cultivated throughout the world as an ornamental. The average height of a pine is 30-50 m. The Himalayan pine grows in the mountains from Afghanistan to the Chinese province of Yunnan. Himalayan pine varieties: Densa Hill, Nana, Glauca, Vernisson, Zebrina.

• (Italian pine) (lat. Pinus pinea)- a very beautiful tree 20-30 meters high with a dark green, compact crown, with age taking the shape of an umbrella due to outstretched branches. Pine needles are long (up to 15 cm), graceful, dense, with a slight bluish bloom. Pine trees have almost round large cones up to 15 cm long. Pine seeds are 4 times larger than cedar seeds, up to 8 tons of nuts are obtained from 1 ha. Crushed pine seeds, known in Italy as pinoli, are used to make the famous pesto sauce. Due to the exceptionally beautiful shape of the crown, the pine pine is a valuable ornamental plant actively used in the art of bonsai. AT natural environment pine grows along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, from the Iberian Peninsula to Asia Minor. Cultivated in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

• Black pine, she is Austrian black pine (lat. Pinus nigra) grows in the northern part of the Mediterranean, less common in parts of Morocco and Algeria. The tree, from 20 to 55 meters high, prefers to grow in mountains or on rocks of igneous origin and often grows at an altitude of 1300-1500 meters above sea level. The crown of young trees is pyramidal, becoming umbrella-shaped with age. The needles are long, 9-14 cm, a very dark shade of green, depending on the variety, they are both shiny and matte. The species is quite decorative and is often used by lovers of coniferous trees for landscape plantings. Popular varieties of black pine are Pierik Bregon, Piramidalis, Austriaca, Bambino.

• , she is oriental white pine (lat. Pinus strobus). Under natural conditions, the species grows in the northeast of North America and in the southeastern provinces of Canada. Less common in Mexico, Guatemala. A tree with a perfectly straight trunk, reaching a girth of 130-180 cm, can grow up to 67 meters in height. The crown of young pines is cone-shaped, becoming rounded with age, and more often irregular in shape. The color of the bark is slightly purple, the needles are straight or slightly curved, 6.5-10 cm long. Weymouth pine is widely used in construction, as well as in forestry due to numerous varieties. The most popular pine varieties are Aurea, Blue Shag, Brevifolia, Сontorta, Densa.

• is an ecotype of the common pine (lat. Pinus sylvestris). The species is widespread in Siberia, in the area of ​​the Angara river basin, and occupies fairly large areas in the forests of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as well as the Irkutsk Region. Angarsk pine can grow up to 50 m in height, while the girth of the trunk often reaches 2 meters. The crown of the pines is pyramidal, with a sharp top, the bark has an amazing ash-silver shade.

Cones are called modified shortened shoots with lignified seed scales, on which seeds are formed.

The cone consists of a central axis on which cover scales sit. In the axils of the covering scales are the seed scales. Seeds are formed from ovules, or ovules, which are located on the upper side of the seed scales. In the evolution of conifers, a parallel process of gradual fusion of covering and seed scales (more precisely, scaly megastrobilus) is observed, which ultimately leads to the formation of "simple and continuous" scales, which is often called the "fertile complex". As the cones mature, the degree of woodiness increases. In some conifers, peculiar thickenings form at the ends of the seed scales. In pines, this thickening is called a shield, in the center of which or at the end is a tubercle, called the navel. In junipers, the seed scales of mature cones remain fleshy, and the cones are called cone berries, since it is not the ovary that takes part in their formation, as in the formation of a berry in angiosperms, but the seed scales of a shortened shoot, i.e., cones.

In terms of structure, shape and size of cones, conifers (see:) differ significantly from each other. These features are called systematic, by which it is possible to determine not only groups of species according to generic complexes, but also individual species.

12.1. The key to identifying conifers by cones

1. Seed flakes of the cone are spirally arranged 1

Seed flakes arranged oppositely 11

2. Cones crumble after ripening 3

Cones open after ripening 5

3. Cones ripen in the autumn of the first year and crumble 4

Cones ripen in the 2nd or 3rd year, crumble during autumn and winter. Numerous seed scales are spirally arranged, imbricately appressed, with 2 seed pits at the base, cover scales are very small, invisible from the outside. Cones solitary, erect, barrel-shaped or ovoid-elongated.

Himalayan cedar - Gedrus deodara L.

Cones are round-ovate, 30 - 40 mm long, 40 - 50 mm wide, reddish-brown; seed scales 2-3 cm long, loosely set on the axis, cordate-lanceolate, with a detached blunt or bipartite apex; cover scales rounded-lanceolate, pointed, finely serrated along the edge, much shorter than the seed scales, protruding at the base of the cones.

Chinese false larch, or Kempfera, -Pseudolarix Kaempferi Gord.

5. Seed scales with thickenings at the ends 6

Seed scales without thickening at the ends 8

6. Scutellum smooth, diamond-shaped or triangular in shape, with a tubercle or umbilicus, in the center or at the end.

Pine - Pinus L.

Wrinkled shield 7

7. Seed flakes have a keeled base, thyroid-widened at the top, scutes elongated transversely outside, narrowly rhombic, up to 2 cm wide and 0.8 cm high, strongly wrinkled with a weak transverse keel, depressed in the middle and bearing a point. Cones ripen in the second year, ovoid, 5 - 8 cm long and 3 - 4.5 cm in diameter, remain green until the seeds ripen, then brown, strong, woody, with slightly spreading scales when fully ripe.

Sequoiadendron giant -Sequoiadendron giganteum Lindl.

Cones are spherical or oval, reddish-brown, 2-3 cm long and 1.5 - 2 cm wide. They ripen in the first year, open when ripe and stay on the tree for a long time. Scutes rhombic, 0.8 cm wide, strongly wrinkled on surface, short. The tip in the deepening of the shield falls off early.

Sequoia evergreen - Sequoia sempervirens Endl.

8. Cones are oblong-ovate, hanging obliquely on elongated shoots of the last year with rounded seed scales, with a three-lobed, strongly protruding middle lobe of the covering scale, which is longer than the seed ones both during flowering and in mature cones.

Liesuga - Pseudotsuga Menziesii Mirb.

Covering scales entire, less than seed scales 9

9. Cones are round-ovate, located obliquely on shortened shoots, after scattering of seeds they remain hanging on a tree for 2-3 years. In mature cones, the seed scales are larger than the coverts.

Cones are located throughout the crown, 2 - 2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide. At the ends of last year's shoots, small, more or less hanging, ripen in the first year, do not fall apart when ripe and remain on the tree for a long time. Seed scales are thin, rounded, covering scales are much narrower, entire, finely dentate, slightly notched.

Canadian hemlock - Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.

10. Covering scales are visible only at the base of the cone and look like light tongues. Cones hanging from ovoid to elongated cylindrical, opening when seeds are dispersed in winter or autumn, falling entirely much later, ripen in autumn in the first year of flowering.

Spruce - Picea Dietr.

Seed flakes are thin, without thickenings.

11. Seed scales in mature cones do not become lignified, but remain juicy, bluish-black cones of ovoid-spherical shape 6-9 mm in diameter with a brownish-green resinous sweetish liquid inside, surrounding 1-3 seeds.

Common juniper - Juniperus communis L.

Seed flakes leathery or woody 12

12. Seed flakes are woody, have petiolate bases, corymbose-widened outwards, many-sided, with a short point in the center, tightly adjacent to each other 13

Seed flakes slightly woody, leathery 14

13. Cones are round-spherical, ripen in the second year, at this time the scales of the cones move apart and release the seeds in August - September in the second or third year. The buds are green at first, then shiny brown and grey. Cones 2 - 3 cm in diameter, from 8 - 12 irregularly 5 - 6-coal scales.

Cypress evergreen - Cupressus sempervirens L.

Cones are small, spherical, hard with thyroid scales, convex in the central part. They ripen in the first year.

Pea-bearing cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera Sieb.

14. Cones are oblong-oval, erect, sometimes recurved, 10-15 cm long, from 3-4 pairs of brownish-brown, leathery-woody, narrow-oval and at the top of unevenly toothed seed scales, of which only 2 pairs carry 2 seeds each. They ripen in autumn in the year of flowering and open in October - December, after which they fall off.

Thuja western - Thuja occidentalis L.

Cones on short shoots, directed upwards, 10-15 mm long, obovate-wedge-shaped, fleshy before maturity, bluish-green, later dry reddish-brown, with 6-8 opposite, ovoid at the apex, hook-shaped seed flakes, of which the upper barren, the middle ones bear 1 seed each and the lower ones 2.

Thuja, or eastern biota, - Biota orientalis Endl. = Thuja orientalis L.

12.2. Key to identifying some species of the genus Abies by buds

1. The covering scales are longer or equal in length to the seed scales, therefore, in a closed mature cone, 2

Covering scales are not visible in a mature cone, as they are shorter than seed scales 7

2. Covering scales are much longer than seed scales 3

Cover scales slightly longer or equal in length to seed scales 5

3. Cylindrical cones 10-20 (25) cm long and 3 - 6 (8) cm wide. The covering scales are bent down, the central lobe is subulate.

Noble fir - Abies nobilis Sindl. Cones are much larger, covering scales with a recurved tip 4

4. Cones large, obtusely cylindrical, 10-16 (20) cm long, 3-5 cm wide; brown, seed flakes broadly reniform, pubescent on the outside; covering scales with a long protruding and backward bent point.

European white fir, or comb, - Abies alba Mill.

Cones are very large, 12-20 cm long, 4-5 cm wide, first green, then dark brown, mostly covered with resin. The covering scales are linear-camate with a rounded, finely serrated apex and a long downwardly bent central filiform lobe. Seed flakes reniform or semilunar, sharply narrowed at the base into a wedge-shaped stalk, velvety on the outside. Cones break up in September in the year of flowering.

Caucasian fir, Nordmann -Abies Nordmanniana Spach.

5. Cones 5 - 6 cm long, 2 - 2.5 cm wide, reddish, then dark purple. Seed flakes are hairy, kidney-shaped with a notched base, having ears, sharply elongated into a narrow wedge-shaped stalk. The covering scales are thin (membranous), rounded, with a serrated edge and a long subulate, bent down equal seed scale, with a middle lobe protruding somewhat from under the seed scales. The cones fall apart in October.

White fir, or kidney scale, - A. nephrolepis Maxim.

Covering scales of the same length with seed 6

6. Cones are cylindrical, 5 - 7 cm long, 2 - 2.8 cm wide, purple-purple before ripening. Seed scales broadly reniform, wider than long, covering scales recurved.

Korean fir - A. koreana Wils.

Cones are cylindrical, 6 - 7 cm long, 3 cm wide, violet-purple at first, rarely green, brown when mature. Seed flakes semilunar, entire, ear-shaped curved on the sides of the stem. Covering scales of the same length with seed scales or with a barely protruding tip.

Vicha Fir - A. Veitchii Lindl.

7. Covering scales are short, no longer than 0.5 seed scales. Seed scales are wedge-heart-shaped with an entire or slightly serrated edge and a long stalk. Cones are cylindrical, 7.5-12 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, light brown.

Whole-leaved fir - A. holophylla Maxim.

Covering scales shorter than seed scales by half 8

8. Cones are oval-cylindrical, 8-10 (14) cm long and 3-5 cm wide, olive green to purple before maturation. Covering scales are much shorter than seed scales.

Single color fir - A. concolor Lindl.

Cones up to 10 cm long 9

9. Cones are light brown, cylindrical, with a blunt top, 6-10 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. The scales of the cones are broadly wedge-shaped, rounded at the apex, with small teeth and a matte outer side, on which the covering scales are clearly visible. In September - October, the cones ripen, become loose, the scales are separated from the rod that carries them and fall off along with the seeds, and the woody vertical rods remain on the shoots.

Siberian fir - A. sibirica Ldb.

Cones oval-cylindrical, 5 - 10 cm long and 2 - 2.5 cm wide; young dark purple, mature gray-brown, strongly resinous. They ripen and fall apart in October.

Balsam fir - A. balsamea Mill.

12.3. The key to identifying some species of the genus Picea by cones

1. The ends of the seed scales are wedge-shaped 2

The ends of the seed scales are rounded and have a hoof shape 4

2. Cones are fusiform-cylindrical, large, hard, 10-15 cm long and 3-4 cm wide, initially light green or dark purple, in the mature state light brown or reddish-brown, glossy, with a woody-skinny obovate convex, notched along the edge, serrated upper edge, with truncated seed scales. They ripen in the year of flowering in October.

Norway spruce or European spruce, -Picea abies Karst = P. excelsa Link.

Seed flakes are leathery, cones are soft, light, smaller in size 3

3. Cones 5 - 10 cm long and 2 - 3 cm wide; cylindrical, greenish-yellow before maturation, with thin flexible oblong-rhombic scales directed parallel to the axis of the cone; scales are grooved, wavy-toothed along the edge. They ripen in the year of flowering and remain on the trees until the autumn of the next year.

Prickly spruce - Picea pungens Engelm.

Cones 3 - 8.5 cm long, 1.5 - 3 cm wide, young greenish-yellow or purple, mature light brown; scales loosely overlapping each other, leathery, thin, elliptical with a wavy-toothed or notched upper edge, as if chopped off.

Ayan spruce - Picea jezoensis Carr.

4. Cones are long, fusiform-cylindrical, 5 - 10 cm long, 1.5 - 2 cm wide, light brown in color, seed scales are obovate, with a wide rounded upper edge, streaked along the back, shiny.

Eastern spruce - Picea orientalis L.

Cones cylindrical or ovate-oblong 5

5. Cones are cylindrical, 7-10 (12) cm long, 2.5 - 3 cm wide, with convex, shiny, brown scales, irregularly finely toothed, the edges of which are rounded or truncated.

Spruce Shrenka, or Tien Shan, - Picea Schrenkiana F.

Cones ovoid-cylindrical 6

6. Cones 4 - 8 cm long, 2 - 3 cm wide, with convex wide seed scales, with rounded and entire upper ends.

Siberian spruce - Picea obovata Ldb.

Cones small 7

7. Cones ovate-oblong 8

Cones oblong-cylindrical 9

8. Cones horizontally spaced or hanging, ovate-oblong, 4 - 6 cm long, 1.5 - 2 cm wide, bluish-black at first, then brown in maturity, shiny, with rounded on upper edge and longitudinally finely striated scales, fluffy towards the base. Cones open in August.

Serbian spruce - Picea omorica Purk.

Cones ovate-oval, 3 - 4 cm long and 1.5 - 2 cm wide, resinous, purple and green before maturation, reddish-brown when mature, with rounded entire scales. They ripen in September, fall off in the 2nd year.

Spruce red - Picea rubra Link.

9. Cones are cylindrical, 3.5 - 5 cm long and 1.5 - 2.0 cm wide, light green before maturation, light brown when mature; scales obovate-wedge-shaped, entire thin and elastic; cones ripen in September, fall off in autumn or winter.

Canadian spruce, or white, - Picea canadensis Britt.

Cones are cylindrical, 4.5 - 6 cm long, 2 - 2.5 cm wide; immature dark purple-red, purple or green, mature gray-brown with obovate-rounded scales.

12.4. Key to identifying some species of the genus Larix by cones

1. Covering scales longer than seed 2

Covering scales shorter than seed scales or visible only in the lower part of the cone 4

2. Cones 7 - 10 cm long and 3 - 4 cm wide, bluish-green or purple before maturation, orange-brown when mature; seed scales slightly notched above, fluffy outside; cover scales wide, gradually pointed towards apex, strongly protruding and recurved.

Griffith larch - Larix Griffithii Hook - planting material.

The covering scales are slightly longer than the seed scales and protrude above the seed scales with an awl-shaped outgrowth 3

3. Cones 2 - 4 cm long, 1.5 - 2.5 cm wide, ovate-conical, brownish, weakly open. Seed scales slightly convex outwards, with longitudinal stripes on the back, with an entire wavy edge narrowly bent outwards, glabrous or with sparse pubescence; cover scales are oval with a long awl-shaped lobe protruding from behind the seed scales. They ripen in the first year in September, open in the spring of the next year and fall off after 3-5-10 years, along with the death of the shoots. Cones often germinate as shoots.

Falling larch, or European, -Larix decidua Mill - planting material.

Cones are ovate-oblong, 2.5 - 3.5 (5) cm long and 1.8 -2.5 cm wide; seed flakes rounded or truncated, often recurved, finely hairy on the outside in the lower half; cover scales with long lanceolate tips, significantly protruding above the seed scales. They ripen in September and soon fall off.

Western larch, or American, -Larix occidentalis Nutt = L. americana Can.

4. Cones are relatively large, 3 - 5 cm long 5

Cones less than 3 cm long, small 8

5. Seed scales dense, leathery-woody 6

Seed flakes are thin, cones are soft 7

6. Cones 2.5 - 3 cm long, ovoid and oblong-oval, densely closed before maturation, mature wide open, light brown or light yellow, consist of 22 - 38 scales, arranged in 5-7 rows, seed scales broadly ovoid, entire , leg-shaped, covered with reddish pubescence, dense at the base of the scales; covering scales are hidden between the seed scales and are visible at the base of the cone.

Siberian larch - Larix sibirica Ldb.

Cones 2.5 - 4.0 cm long, ovoid, and with open scales rounded-spherical, seed scales strongly convex, spoon-shaped outside, densely covered with reddish pubescence in the lower part; the number of seed scales in a cone is 28-36 (70), the covering scales are shorter than the seed scales and are invisible in a mature cone.

Larch Sukachevi - L. Sukaczewii Djil.

7. Cones are round-oval, 2 - 2.5 cm long, consist of 45 - 50 (70) scales in 6 rows; seed scales are thin, fragile, with an edge bent outwards, reddish-light brown outside, short hairs. Covering scales are half shorter than seed scales, lanceolate-acuminate, brown-red. Ripens at the end of September.

Japanese larch, or fine-scaly, - L. leptolepis Gord - planting material.

Cones are ovate-oblong or oval, 1.5 - 3.0 cm long, seed flakes are flat, glabrous with a barely noticeable notch, tops in 6 - 7 rows; covering scales equal or slightly shorter than seed scales.

Seaside larch - L. maritima Suk.

8. Cones 1.5 - 2.5 cm long, spherical-oval, obtuse, with 10-25 scales in 3 - 4 rows; seed flakes glabrous, shiny, notched, cut off from above, wide open in a mature cone; covering scales are visible at the base of the cone and in the lower rows of scales in the open cone.

Dahurian larch - L. dahurica Turcz.

Larch with intermediate hybrid traits in cone structure 9

9. Cone-shaped cones with clearly protruding seed flakes bent outward sit on yellow legs. A hybrid of European larch with Japanese larch. Broad-scaled larch - L. eurolepis Henry.

Seed flakes are strongly bent down along the edge. Cones are characterized by mixed features of the original species of Dahurian larch and Siberian larch.

Chekanowsky larch - L. Czekanowskii Szaf.

12.5. The key to identifying some species of the genus Pinus by cones

1. Seed flakes with a rhombic or pyramidal shield with an umbilicus in the middle 2

Seed scales with a triangular shield, the umbilicus is placed at the end of the scale 11

2. Cones lateral, 1 - 3, erect or deviated 3

Cones are apical, perpendicular to the branch or deviated 4

3. Shields are flat, elongated-conical. Cones are mostly curved, 3 - 5 cm long and 2 - 3 cm wide, usually remaining closed for many years. The scutes are flat, with a small navel, rounded at the end, light yellow, shiny, the scales of the opened cones are brown on the inside, blackish on the outside.

Banks pine - Pinus banksiana Lamb.

The scutes are convex, the umbilicus is small with a thin curved spine. Cones sessile, oblong-ovate, very oblique and asymmetrical, light yellow-brown, 2-6 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, remaining closed on the tree for a very long time. Seed scales are thin.

Twisted pine - Pinus contorta Dougl.

4. Seed flakes no wider than 10 mm 5

Scales more than 10 mm wide 6

5. Cones solitary or 2 - 3 on legs bent down, ripen in the second year, mature gray, matte, oblong-ovate, 2.5 - 7 cm long and 2 - 3 cm wide. Scutes almost rhombic, umbilicus small, slightly convex, light brown, shining. Opened cones soon fall off.

Scotch pine - Pinus sylvestris L.

Cones 2 - 6 cm long and 1.5 - 2 cm wide, ripening in the spring of the 3rd year. The scutes are rhombic, flat or convex, acute-angled in front, the navel is surrounded by a black border. The base of the cone is flat.

Mountain pine - Pinus mugo Turra = P. montana Mill.

6. Cones solitary, spherical, 10 - 15 cm long and 10 cm wide, brilliant brown, ripen in the 3rd year. As the cone matures, the scales gradually fall off from the base and release dense woody seeds. Shields large, 5-6-angular, spherical inflated, with radially radiating fissures; umbilicus large, gray, almost 4-coal, flat, strongly lignified.

Italian pine, pine - Pinus pinea L.

Buds medium and slightly lignified 7

7. Cones solitary 8 - Cones in whorls of 2 - 4 pieces, rarely single 9

8. Cones sessile, ovate-conical, light brown, shiny, 5 - 10 cm long and 4.5 - 6 cm wide; scutes yellowish-gray, shining, broadly rounded in front, convex with meat-red or grayish umbilicus.

Crimean pine (Pallas) - Pinus pallasiana Lamb.

Cones on short petioles, directed perpendicular to the shoot, ovate-conical, 6-10 cm long, 3.5-5 cm wide, reddish-brown, shiny. Scutes almost rhombic, flat, with radially diverging cracks. The transverse carina is slightly raised, sharp, with a transversely concave and elongated umbilicus.

Pitsunda pine - Pinus pityusa Stev.

9. Cones on short petioles, deviated downwards, ovate-conical, tapering sharply from above, 9 - 18 cm long and 5 - 8 cm wide at the base, shiny yellow-brown; scutes rhombic, transversely elongated, with a sharp transverse keel; the umbilicus is large, elliptical, strongly protruding, with a straight or curved spine.

Maritime pine - Pinus pinaster Sol.

Cones sessile or on very short petioles 10

10. Cones oblong-ovate, straight or slightly curved, 5 - 8 cm long, 3 - 5 cm wide, light brown. Scutes irregularly rhombic, shining, red-brown, with convex transverse keel; umbilicus depressed, small, elliptical, whitish-gray. When ripe, the cones do not open for a long time.

Eldar pine - Pinus eldarika Medw.

Cones ovoid, 5 - 7.5 cm long and 2 - 3.5 cm wide, brilliant gray-brown. They open in the 3rd year and soon fall off. Seed flakes inside black-brown, scutes in front rounded, swollen with a sharp transverse keel, turning into a short spine of the umbilicus.

Austrian black pine - Pinus nigra Am.

11. Cones non-opening, non-hanging 12

Buds opening, hanging down 16

12. Cones are small, oblong-ovate, 3.5 - 4.5 cm long and 2.2 - 3 cm wide, first red-violet, then green, mature light brown, shiny, 3.5 - 4.5 cm long and 2.2 - 3 cm wide. The scutes are large, ending in a retracted and recurved umbilicus.

Siberian dwarf pine - P. pumila Rgl.

Buds are large, ovoid or cylindrical 13

13. Cones spherical-ovoid 14

Cones cylindrical, large 15

14. Cones erect, light brown, 6 - 13 cm long and 5 - 8 cm wide, seed flakes dense, appressed, covered with short hard hairs on the surface. Scutes thickened, large, up to 2 cm with a small white umbilicus.

Siberian cedar pine - P. sibirica Maur.

15. Cones at first reddish, then purple, mature - brown, in the autumn of the second year they fall off together with seeds, 10 - 15 cm long and 5 - 10 cm wide; seed scales are thinly woody, longitudinally wrinkled; scutes with a sharp wavy edge, large, triangular, at the end with a recurved apex.

Korean pine, or Manchurian, cedar - R. koraiensis Sieb.

Cones sessile, at first erect, then turned down; 7 - 15 cm long and 4 - 6 cm wide, yellowish or light brown, shiny. Scales are thick, woody, strongly deflexed on mature cones, rounded at the end, with a dark blunt umbilicus.

Pine flexible, or with. California cedar, - P. flexilis James.

16. Large cones on long petioles, 15 - 25 cm long and 5 - 7 cm wide, curved or straight cylindrical, initially green with a bluish bloom, then light brown, resinous. Seed scales are thin, flexible. Scutes slightly thickened, longitudinally striated, with obtuse dark umbilicus.

Himalayan weymouth pine - P. excelsa Wall

Cones are 1.5-2 times smaller 17

17. Cones are narrow-cylindrical, 1-3 on petioles up to 1.5 cm long, curved, light brown or grayish; 8 -15 cm long and 4 cm wide. Seed flakes are thin woody; the scutellum is large, twisted at the end, with a blunt umbilicus.

Weymouth pine - P. strobus L. See:.

Cones on short petioles, hanging, single or in several pieces, cylindrical, 8-10 cm long and 3-4 cm wide, light yellow, brown. Scutes yellow above, vaulted-convex, thickened at the apex, with a small blunt umbilicus. Opened scales depart from the kidney at a right angle, as a result of which the open cone reaches 8 cm in width.

Rumelian pine - R. reuse Gris

Everyone has probably seen what a pine cone looks like. Brown, woody, larger than a walnut. Under the old pines you can see a lot of dry, loose cones with protruding scales.

There are no flowers - it never blooms. But she has strobiles: male - microstrobils and female - megastrobils. Cones are called infructescences with seeds collected in them.

The life of a pine cone begins with the formation of a small, millet-sized, red ball. This is what a pine germ looks like when it is only a few days old. Such an embryo appears at the end of spring, when young shoots begin to form on the tree from the buds. At first, these shoots do not yet have pine needles (needles). Instead of them, one can see peculiar short stumps, which are whitish processes pointed at the ends. At the top of this shoot is a small bump. In some cases there are 2 of them. Finding such a bump is extremely difficult - it is barely noticeable. But even if they notice it, they hardly guess what it is. It never occurs to anyone that this little germ is the big bump in the future.

How young pine cones develop

During the summer, the Scotch pine cone grows and by autumn it already becomes green, reaches the size of a pea. In this stage, it remains throughout the winter. With the onset of spring, its development continues further. Fertility becomes much larger. The size of a pine cone at this time is 2.5-7 cm. And at the end of summer it reaches its adult size (8-10 cm in length and 3-4 cm in width). By next winter she becomes Brown color, quite mature, but not disclosed. Her scales are also tightly pressed, so the seeds cannot yet get enough sleep. They can do this only on their third spring, the snow has already melted, and the days have become dry and sunny. The seedlings begin to dry out, as a result of which their scales protrude and the winged seeds fly out into the wild.

Scotch pine cones

The tree begins to bear fruit by the age of 15-30. You can notice this by the appearance of small reddish bumps. These are the female cones of Scotch pine. Such a bump consists of a rod (axis) with scales located on it. On them lie unprotected, one might say, naked (hence the name "gymnosperms") ovules in which eggs are formed.

Male and female pine cones

If the female cones are at the top of the young shoot, then the male ones are at the base. Unlike female, male pine cones are smaller, oval, yellow in color and concentrated in close groups.

The structure of male pine cones: the main axis with scales located on it. The underside of each scale has 2 pollen sacs. Pollen matures in these sacs, where sperm are later formed - male germ cells. After fertilization, the male seed soon dies off.

As you know, fertilization occurs only a year after the pollen from the male cone falls on the female. During all this time, the pollen that fell on the ovules was at rest. And only a year later, it germinates, forming a pollen tube that carries sperm to the archegonia. As a result, one merges with the egg. The embryo then develops from the zygote. And the ovules turn into seeds. The embryo itself is located in the tissue of the female gametophyte, where many nutrients have been accumulated by this time. This tissue is also called the primary endosperm. The seed is covered with a hard peel, under which there is a thin film. The film and peel are formed from the tissue of the ovule. They are diploid. The endosperm, as the vegetative component of the gametophyte, is haploid, and the embryo is diploid. At the end of the next winter, a mature female cone will turn brown and reach 4-6 cm.

A mature pine cone is ovoid-conical in shape. It has a ripened seed with a transparent wing. With the spreading of the scales of the female cone, it becomes clear that the seeds are located in pairs on top of the scales. Thickenings of gray color are clearly visible on the scales - a kind of rhomboid-shaped shields with 4-6 faces that are bent down. Each seed has a wing that is needed to be carried by the wind.

Size, structure, density of pine cones and their difference from spruce, larch

It turns out that not every person will be able to distinguish cones from different ones. It would seem that they should be the same, but in fact, all the seedlings of coniferous trees differ from each other.

Pine seedlings hanging, located on a short handle, one or more pieces. Their shape is cylindrical. 8-10 cm long, 3-4 cm wide. The scales are hard, woody. Apophyses have a vaulted-convex shape. At the top is a convex blunt navel.

The spruce cone is formed by covering scales, which are arranged spirally, in their axils there are 2 ovules. The shape is oblong-cylindrical, pointed. A mature cone is hanging, dry, woody or leathery. Length - up to 15 cm, width 3-4 cm.

The infructescence of larch is round, ovoid, it can be almost cylindrical. Unlike pine, its seed is firmly attached to the wing.

In addition to the shape and structure, the difference between pine cones and, as well as larch, lies in their maturation. If pine cones are “ready” only in the second year, then spruce and larches ripen in the year of flowering.

They also differ in density. Pine is heavier than spruce. So, a bucket of spruce cones weighs about 5 kg, then pine cones 5-7 kg. On average, the density of a pine cone is about 600 kg/m3.

When to collect pine cones?

When to collect pine cones depends on the purpose of the collection. In the spring, after fertilization, the male cone dies, as well as the female "copies" of the second year of life, which released the seeds. Such "spread" can be collected throughout the summer. However, except for children's crafts and for decorative purposes, they can not be used anywhere else. Although in recent times quite often there are ads with sales of pine cones ... bags. It turns out that they are used in landscape gardening for mulching trees, all of the same coniferous forms. By the way, in the old days samovars were heated with pine cones.

But there is another, more useful use of cones. In folk medicine, young pine cones have been used for a long time. The resin contained in them makes the cones effective for the treatment colds, bronchitis, joint diseases and even a stroke. For these purposes, they cook honey, jam, tinctures, balms.

For medical purposes, small, resinous, green cones are used. For jam, you need to take those bumps that are easily pierced with a fingernail or cut with a knife. As a rule, their length reaches 1-4 cm. You can start collecting them from mid-May and the entire first decade of June. From such young green cones, honey turns out to be a surprisingly beautiful raspberry color. It has almost the same consistency as natural. If the spring is cold and late, with prolonged frosts and long snowmelt, then the collection of cones can be slightly extended. Conversely, with a warm spring, it is better to finish it in early June.

Application of pine cones: ideas and photos

As you know, mulching is necessary to restore the unprotected soil surface, as well as to hide its defects. Recently, pine cones can be seen very often under the trees in the garden. The advantage of such mulching is not only the naturalness of the material, but also high decorative and aesthetic characteristics. In addition, natural natural material increases the physico-chemical parameters of the upper soil layer, and also activates the development of microorganisms that are useful for trees. Due to its porous structure, this mulch maintains an optimal level of humidity even during dry periods. Pine cones, as a natural material, provide the necessary temperature regime: in winter they protect the soil from hypothermia, and in summer - from negative solar exposure and overheating. Mulching with pine material evens out daily temperature fluctuations in autumn and spring period and also retards the growth of weeds. The soil under such material breathes, passes

water and air. Natural mulch regulates the acidity of the soil, enriches it with oxygen.

In general, cone mulch conifers Trees have a lot of useful properties:

• Aesthetically beautiful appearance site;
• Resistant to decay and mold formation;
• Since pines do not contain allergens, the mulching material is also hypoallergenic;
• Mulch has antibacterial properties: woodworms do not live in it. Therefore, there is no need to chemically treat the mulching material, as it is necessary to do when mulching with materials of other tree species;
• Contains antioxidants - substances that contribute to the body's fight against aging and the occurrence of various kinds of diseases, which is especially characteristic in conditions of radiation, stress and polluted environment;
• Contains natural flavonoids. Getting into Airways, these substances prevent the occurrence of colds and viral diseases.

In addition to mulching and medicinal uses, pine cones can serve as an amazing material for room design, crafts, and more.

A photo of pine cones clearly demonstrates their singularity and beauty. It is necessary to use only a little imagination and pine "spread" will take its rightful place in the house, garden, in the country. You can use them in a variety of ways. You can even divide into separate small petals and make some kind of composition. And you can use the cones as a whole. At the same time, it is not at all necessary that it should be a New Year's composition. There are many options, the possibilities can only be limited by the imagination.

They can decorate candlesticks, mirrors, paintings, make panels and other compositions. It is better to attach cone specimens with reliable glue, since the material is quite specific. You can simply cover the bumps with paint or "silver". This makes for wonderful Christmas decorations. The same specimens look great in the garden as decorations. And sometimes they simply heat fireplaces in country houses.