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A conifer cone, or in formal botanical usage a strobilus, pl.: strobili, is a seed-bearing organ on gymnosperm plants, especially in conifers and cycads. They are usually woody and variously conic, cylindrical, ovoid, to globular, and have scales and bracts arranged around a central axis, but can be fleshy and berry-like.
Most conifers are monoecious, but some are subdioecious or dioecious; all are wind-pollinated. Conifer seeds develop inside a protective cone called a strobilus. The cones take from four months to three years to reach maturity, and vary in size from 2 to 600 millimetres (1 ⁄ 8 to 23 + 5 ⁄ 8 in) long.
The cones of the bunya pine are some of the largest produced by the conifer family. The cones—which can grow to as much as 35 centimetres (14 in) in diameter when mature, and weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb)—can drop on unsuspecting passersby from heights of 40 metres (130 ft) or more. [ 45 ]
The male cones are small, 0.5–6 cm (1 ⁄ 4 – 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in) long, and fall soon after pollination; pollen dispersal is by wind. Seed dispersal is mostly by wind, but some species have large seeds with reduced wings, and are dispersed by birds.
The female cones (seed), which mature in autumn about 18 months after pollination, are globose, large, 18–25 cm (7–10 in) in diameter, and hold about 100–150 seeds. The cones disintegrate at maturity to release the approximately 5 cm (2 in) long nut -like seeds, which are then dispersed by animals, notably the azure jay , Cyanocorax ...
The seed cones are globose, 7–14 millimetres (9 ⁄ 32 – 9 ⁄ 16 in) in diameter, with 6–10 scales, green at first, maturing brown in early fall, 6–8 months after pollination. The male cones are 3–4 millimetres (1 ⁄ 8 – 5 ⁄ 32 in) long, dark red, turning brown after pollen release in early spring. The seeds fall quickly and can ...
The seed cones are green, 6–12 cm (2.4–4.7 in) long and 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) in diameter, and mature about 18–20 months after wind pollination. They disintegrate at maturity to release the seeds which are small and brown, thin and papery with a wing around the edge to aid wind-dispersal. [ 3 ]
The cones are 8–17 cm (3– 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) long and 4–6 cm (1 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in) broad, dark purple before maturity; [4] [5] the scale bracts are short, and hidden in the closed cone. The brownish winged seeds are 3.5 mm (1 ⁄ 8 in) long [4] and released when the cones disintegrate at maturity about 6–7 months after pollination.