Conifer. Shoots bearing spirally arranged bifacial leaves. Heterophylly
may occur. Shape of bracts rhomboid with acute apex. Ovuliferous dwarf-shoots
almost freely arising in bract-axils, bilaterally symmetrical, showing two
planes of symmetry, provided with a single or several sterile scales forming median
part and two laterally emerging recurved fertile scales forming the flanks.
Fertile scales bearing, basally on their abaxial surface, an inverted ovule.
Places of ovule attachment explicitly laterally situated. Fertile and sterile
scales considerably connate, basal part of dwarf-shoot stalk-like. Rarely a
third place of ovule attachment is present, centrally on the adaxial side of
the dwarf-shoot. Ovule/seed bilaterally symmetrical, in crosssection triangular,
seed axis straight. Basal part of integument extending into a flattened winglike
differentiation, perpendicular on and in direct line with the abscission area.
Micropylar area acute. Nucellus ovate, free for the greater part, perhaps to
its base; pollen/archegonial chamber present. Megaspore membrane cutinized.
Polliniferous cone simple; cone axis bearing numerous spirally arranged
microsporophylls, slightly overlapping. Proximal part of microsporophyll arising
at an angle of approximately 90 °. Distal part subtriangular, basally rounded,
apex acute, parallel to cone axis or slightly divergent.
Pollen bisaccoid, bitaeniate.
Epidermis of leaves, bracts, scales and microsporophylls amphistomatic.
Stomata arranged in more or less irregular rows. Stomatal complexes monocyclic, provided with 5-10 subsidiary
cells. Epidermal cells rather small.
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