Wikipedia:Today's second feature/November 19, 2005

Today's featured picture

Monterey Pine cone on forest floor

Pines are mostly monoecious, having the male and female cones on the same tree, though a few species are sub-dioecious with individuals predominantly, but not wholly, single-sex. The male cones are small, typically 1-5 cm long, falling as soon as they have shed their pollen. The larger female cones, such as this Monterey Pine cone, are typically 3-60 cm long, having numerous spirally arranged scales with two seeds on each fertile scale.

Photo credit: Fir0002