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A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEM.

»*

•'

l^ • I '

A MANUAL

OF

THE CONIFERS,

CONTAINING

A GENERAL REVIEW OF THE ORDER ; A SYNOPSIS OF THE HARDY KINDS

CULTIVATED IN GREAT BRITAIN ) THEIR PLACE AND USE

IN HORTICULTURE, ETC., ETC.

WITH NUMEROUS TFOODCUTS AND ILLUSTIiATIONS.

JAMES VEITCH & SONS,

Royal Exotic Kursery, 544, King's Road, Chelsea, S. W

18 8 1
All rights reserved.

H. M. rOLLETT k Co.,

HOKTICI'LTUKAL AND GENERAL StEAM PRINTERS,

Fann Street,
Aldersgate Street, London.

INTRODUCTION.

The present Manual is founded upon a useful little book prepared
many years ago by our predecessors, Messrs. Knight & Perry, of
these Nurseries, but which has long since been out of print. It
has been compiled to supply the demand for practical information
respecting Coniferge which we are constantly receiving from corres-
pondents, and which is not contained in scientific works on the
subject, or is but cursorily touched upon in them.

Messrs. Knight & Perry's book contained a synopsis of all the
Coniferous plants grown in Great Britain at the time of its publi-
cation, and of which they had formed a collection. We have
adhered to the general plan of their work, but the progi'ess that
has been made in every department of horticulture since that period,
in which the culture of Coniferous plants has, in a great measure,
participated, and notably the numerous acquisitions of new species
and varieties, many of which we ourselves have been instrumental
in introducing, have necessitated the re-writing of the whole, not
only for the purpose of embodying the most important facts since
accumulated fi'om many sources, but also for revising the descriptions
of the species and varieties which were then but imperfectly known.

Our endeavour has been to treat the subject in a manner as pojmlar
as possible, so as to render the Manual acceptable to every class.
While avoiding technical terms, as far as it could be done, consistent

2 INTRODUCTION.

with a clear explanation of tlie subject, we have omitted no important
matter of which we have any cognisance, whether of a practical
bearing or of scientific interest.

The plan adopted in the following pages may be thus stated: —

Part I. is a General Keview of the Coniferous Order. It contains a
Ijrief description of the structure of Coniferous wood, the organs of vege-
tation and fructification, the secretions, economic properties, diseases, and
accidents ; the distribution of the Coniferse over the globe ; and lastly,
the scientific an-angement and nomenclature, as given by the most eminent
botanists, who have studied the Order.

Part II. contains a Sjaiopsis of Genera, species and varieties suitable
for cultivation in Great Britain. It corresponds in form to the original
Synopsis of Knight and Perry.

Part III. contains lists of the species and varieties suitable for the
difierent purposes for which Coniferse are planted, with some hints as
to their treatment, &c.

The arrangement adopted in Part II. has been especially framed
with regard to practical convenience rather than in strict conformity
with the scientific Divisions and Sub-divisions of the Order given in
Part I., altliough these have been kept constantly in view throughout.
Genera and species, whose habitat is tropical or sub-tropical, and which
will not therefore stand the severity of our winters without protection,
and others unsuitable for ornamental or landscape planting, or of no
economic value, are but very briefly noticed. The former are omitted
altogether from the Synoptic tables of the Genera that precede the
descriptions of their contained species and varieties.

The firet colunm in these tables contains the scientific names under
which the trees are described ; these names are, in all cases, those
which appear to us to be sanctioned l)y the greatest weight of authority,
and they are also, in most instances, those generally adopted in this
country. In the second column are inserted the synonyms still in use,
witli the names of their authors ; obsolete synonpns are purposely
omitted. The third column contains the popular name of each tree
or slirub, where a recognised one exists; in other cases, the scientific
name is expressed in its equivalent English. The habitat given in the
next colunm is referred to the most important or best known country
or locality of which the tree or slu-ub is native ; in the popular descrip-
tions following, the habitat is more precisely stated. The height in
feet ill the last column is approximately that attained by the tree in

INTEODUCTION. 3

its native home. TIic order is alphabetical for greater convenience of
reference.

There exists much diversity of opinion as to the precise limits of
the Coniferous genera, some authorities raising to the rank of genus,
kinds which others regard as species of some more widely defined
type.* Specific charactei^s are in many cases still more vngufly framed,
so that the species of some authors are hy others considered to be
varieties of some more common form.f Into any discussion of con-
troverted subjects like these it is not our province to enter. It is
sufficient, therefore, to state once for all, that the names given as
specific, anil under which the trees and shrubs in Part II. are
described, are the names of kinds which, for Arboricultural and
Horticidtural purposes, are sufficiently distinct to require special notice,
and without in any way indicating our belief or disbelief that they
are species, in the ordinary acceptation of the tenn, or not. We
have jiot, however, hesitated to quote authorities, whose opinions are
entitled to respect, on a few controverted points which have arisen,
and which coidd not be passed over in silence.

In the descriptions of the trees and shnibs, many botanical details
are omitted; for these the reader must consult the more elaborate
works especially devoted to the suljject ; but, we trast, enough is "iven
to convey a clear idea of the plants described, and even sufficient in
most cases to enable them to be identified. To the description of each
of the most important trees is added the date of its introduction into
Britain, where it can be ascertained ; also infonnation respecting the
economic properties and the purposes for which it is cmi)loyed.

We have derived much valuable information from existing Pineta.
Foremost among these we may mention tliat of the Right Hon.
Lady Rolle, whose magnificent collection at Bicton stands unrivalled
in this country. We must also name those of the Eight Hon.
Earl Ducie, at Tortworth ; the Right Hon. Viscount Holmesdale, at

* Abies, Cedrus, and Larix are brouj^ht Ly ;.:om'j authorities under Pinus ; Wellingtoiiia
under Sequoia ; Cham:ecyi)aris and lietinos^iora under Cupressus ; Biota and ThuiopsLs
under Thuia, &c.

+ Cedrus dcodara, C. cdlantica, and C. Lihani are regarded hy eminent authorities as
only forms of mie species. Pinus austriaca and P. PallasUina are described by Parlatore
as varieties of P. JMriclo. Abies C'ephalr/nica is considered by the same botanist to be
only a variety of A. pedinata; and many other instances miglit be cited. It must,
however, be admitted that the difficulty of framing specific characters is often very
great, and that a divergence of opinion among botanists as to the relative specific
value of any character, or combination of characters, would seem to be almost inevitable.

4 INTRODUCTION.

Linton Park ; T. Gambler Parry, Esq., at Higlmam Court, Gloucester;
W. Parker Hamond, Esq., at Pampesford Hall, Cambridge ; His
Grace tlio Duke of Devonshire, at Ckatsworth ; the Right Hon. the
Earl of Harrington, at Elvaston Castle ; the Eight Hon. Lord
Windsor, at Hewcll Grange, Bromsgrove ; J. D. Bassett, Esq., at
Leighton Buzzard ; Robert Barclay, Esq., at Berry Hill, Dorking ;
C. J. Freake, Esq., at Bank Grove, Kingston Hill; and C. D.
Fortescue, Esq., at Dropmore.

PART 1.

GENERAL REVIEW

OP

CONIFEROUS PLANTS,

CoNiFEPv.Kj or Cone beai-iug, is tlio name given to a Natural Order
of Plants consisting of trees and shrubs represented in nearly all
parts of the world where arborescent vegetation exists,* and distin-
guished from every other Order of Plants by certain characters or
properties, by the presence of any of which Coniferous plants may
be readily recognised. The most noteworthy of these characters are
to be found in the internal structure of their wood or stems, the
resinous nature of their secretions, the extreme simplicity of their
flowers, and their fruit. Tlie foHage and fruit, together with the
physical aspect of the plant or tree, or its general appearance as
presented to the eye, are the most easily observed ; they are
therefore, except by the Botanist, almost the only characters by
which Horticulturists and others recognise Coniferous plants.

Tlie Fniit of tlic Fir and Pine tribe, which sliglitly resembles
a cone, (loul)tless sugyested the name Coniferse as a suitable desig-
nation for the Order, but the name has not been universally accepted.

• Hindostan is an exception. Sir J. D. Hooker observes, that "It is a very remark-
able fact that no Gymnospennous tree inhabits the peninsula of India, not even the
genus Podocaqnis, which includes most of the tropical (lymnospermiu, and technically
Coniferous, and ha-s glandular woody fibre, though, like the Yew, it bears berries."—
Himalayan Journc.lst vol. ii., p. 282. Central Africa is also a probable 2xcei)tiou, but
even there the curious and anomalous JVelwitschia miralilis has its home.

6 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER^'.

Following the rule observed in designating other Natural Orders, the
selecting of one of the contained genera as a type to which tlic others
may be referred, the name Pinacese has been used by some authors
in preference to Coniferae.* It may be observed, however, that if
the name Conifer£e as applied to the Order, on account of the form of
the fruit borne by some of the most important species belonging to it,
is open to some objection, the mode of growth of by far the greater
nxmiber of the species, especially in their young state, is strictly that
of a Cone in outline. The German name, Nadelhoker, is expressive
as regartls the Fir and Pine tribe and some others, but is scarcely
applicable to the whole Order.

Sti-udure of Coniferous ] FoocZ.— Microscopic investigations of the
tissues and minute ' parts of plants by men of science sHoav, that
while the anatomical structure of Coniferous wood resembles tbat
of the broad-leaved (dicotyledonous) trees and shrubs in all essential
particulars, there are revealed in its organisation peculiarities not
found in the wood of trees belonging to any non-Gymnospermous
Order, and by which Coniferous wood may be distinguished from
every other kind. These peculiarities in structure also afford data
for the identification of Coniferous wood in the fossil state, and its
presence in that state in the coal strata proves, not only that it
enters into the composition ol that important mineral, but also the
existence of a Coniferous vegetation at an early period in the
Earth's History.^ Tliey will be best understood fi*om an exami-
nation of the general structure of the stem of any one of our
native trees not Coniferous and comparing it with that of one that
belongs to the Order.

A small branch, the structure of which is identical with that of
the main stem or trunk, may be taken for examination, and one that
has completed at least three years' growth will be the best for the
puq)ose. A cross section of this should be made with a sharp knife,
so that the surface made by the cut may be sufficiently smooth for
the markings that will be found on it to be distinctly seen. A very

* Linaiey, Vegetable Khujdom, \\ 226. Pimcecv, being a Handbook of the Firs and
Pines, by "Senilis." 1866.

t\.^ "That Coal is little else than mineralised vegetable matter is a point on which
there has been for a long time but small doubt. The more minute investigations of
recent years have not only placed this completely beyond question^ but have also
enaoled men of science to say what the plants ucre which contributed to the formation
01 Loal, and m some cases even to decide what portions of the plants enter into
the composition. "Coal," by the Professors of the Yorkshire College, p. 16.

STRUCTURE OF CONIFEROUS WOOD. 7

cursory examination of the section shows tlio following arrangement of the
parts: 1st — A central pith, which is larger or smaller
according to the kind of tree or shrub to which the
branch Ijclongs, large in tlie Elder, smaller in the
Sycamore, a mere point in tlic Oak ; and also
according to the age of the stem; it is always
enveloped in a delicate network of vessels termed
the medullary sheath. 2nd — Around the pith will
be seen a series of rings or concentric circles, the
number of such rings corresponding precisely with
the age in years of the stem examined. 3rd — These
rings are crossed by lines generally of a lighter
colour, all radiating from the central pith, anil knoAvn
Fig. 1. Transverse and by tlic nauic of medullary rays. 4th — The whole
thre^ws^iTitcm. "^ " is surrounded 1)y, and enclosed in, a cuticle or
covering familiarly called the bark.
This fiirm of structure is the result of the mode of growth of the
tree or shrub. The pith is the remains of the cellular or soft tissue
of the tender stem first produced from the seed in the primary shoot
and its prolongation during its successive annual growths, or from a
leaf bud in a lateral one. The concentric rings arc the woody fibrous
tissues with the spiral and other vessels which lie next the centre, and
are the parts first formed by the growth of each succeeding year ;
the medullary rays are, as it were, the channels of communication
during the circulation of the sap ; first, between the central pith and
the bark surrounding the first rmg of woody fibre during its formation,
next between the first ring and the bark during the fomiation of the
second ring, and so on, the central portion becoming hardened, and
the channels obliterated by the gradual deposition of the inorganic
matter which is ahvays contained in the fluid absorbed or sucked up
by the roots. As such a stem increases in size by successive layers
from Avithout, the bark being as it were pressed outwards to admit
of the successive yearly addition of rings, it is teclmicaily called an
Exogen.

The stem or branch of a Coniferous tree shows tlie same general
structure as that we have just described. The medullary rays arc,
however, generally much fainter, and often quite inconspicuous, T)ut they
are nevertheless present ; there are also difi'erences and modifications in
the minute parts, which we will liow point out.

The woody fibrous tissues contained in the rings that .surround the
central pith in the stems and branches of the broad-leaved and deciduous
trees, and in fact in nearly all Exogenous stems, when first formed, are
usually minute elongated tubes joined together into a continuous threads
Examined by means of the microscope, tliesc minute fibres are found
to be elongated transparent cells, with mcuibranous walls, tapering to »

A MANUAL OF THE C0NI1"ERJ!:.

point at each end. Tlie spiral vessels iimcli resemble the woody fibrous
cells, but vnth. their membranous walls much thinner, and "enclosing a
spiral fibre coiling more or less regularly within its thin tube from one
extremity to the other."* These spiral coils are now known to contain
air, and play an important part in the functions of the plant, especially
in connection with the transmission of the sap ; they are found in the
leaf-stalks of most of our large trees, as the Lime, Maple, &c.

Xow the minute parts of the stem of a Coniferous tree, as the
Pme or Fir, are found to differ from those of other trees in the
folloAviiig particulars —

1. The tubes have a diameter much greater than that of the
wood cells of any other class of Exogenous trees.

2. They alone transmit the sap upwards,! which is
very abundant.

3. There are in general no true vessels ; rows of
vascular cells, which occur only in the medullary
sheath, taking their place. |

4. There are marked on the sides of the tapering
y-.! Avood cells, towards the medullary rays, a peculiar set
,\?y of dots or circular disks.

These dots were supposed to be
minute glands between the adjacent
tubes or cells, and the woody fibre
in which they were found was called
the glandular form of that fibre. But
recent investigations have shown that
r(S}) II 9 ' ^ their presence is owing to the want

Fig. 3. Transverse section of unifomiitv in the iucrease in the

of two wood cells of Scotch ,, . , j,*^,. ,, ,, i xi t

Fir, each with a pore, "3" tliickness 01 the ccll walls, and that

widened at the base. By the . , • , -i, 1 n

(Usappcarance of the original ^^ Certain SpotS, pitted or Cell porCS

have unit'e.1 to form Uie*"" w! ^"^^ formed, the membrane between
Fi 2 Wood '^'-^y^'^'"''^^'^^T.l the cells disappearing, and the cells
ceii'^'of' Scotch ''''"'""'• becoming actually perforated. In

d'ired pii"! mZ ^''^^ii^^i'<J^i'^ wood these pore cells are widened at their base,
tZ'^irof'^'lh! rcndering them comparatively easy to be detected under the
>voo<i «-ith tho.e microscope. They are called "bordered pits." iiee Figs. 2

of (he njcduUary i o rpi

S^5i'- „>^. ,'''^"' ''^'^'^ ^- "The characteristic position of the pits Avhich, in

250. Copiedfrom ^i n p ,1 , „ , .

Thorn*. me cells oi the stems, are usually arranged m one ; m

those of the roots, often in several rows, as Well as that
of the resin passages, form an excellent diagnosis to distinguish the
different kinds of wood."§

* Dr. Carpenter, VerjetaUc Physiology ^ § &3, t Idem, § 01.

; Thome's SlriKlicral Botany, p. 37L § Idemt p. 372.

Roots OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 9

Wc now proceed to note tlic most evident cliaracteristics of
Coniferous plants in tlieir external aspect, including the parts buried
in the soil.

Roots. — The Roots of Coniferous plants are produced freely fi'om the
very first starting of the germ into active growth; they do not descend
straight down into the soil like a tap root, but soon begin to spread
horizontally near the sm-face,* At first but slender fibrous threads,
ramif}'ing at very short intervals and sub-dividing repeatedly, they
form a network spread over a cu'cular area, which in all the kinds
cultivated in this country is generally greater than the spread of
branches of the stem. As the plant increases in age the primary
roots increase in diameter '^'simultaneously with the stem, and under
the influence of exactly the same causes," t and spreading, as they
do under all ordinary circumstances, on all sides of the tree, they not
only form a broad base for the support of the superincumbent mass
of stem and branches, but they are also exceedingly tough in texture,
and cling tenaciously to the soil thi'ough which they penetrate and to
the rocks over which they creep. Hence it is that Coniferous trees
are so well enabled to withstand the force of high winds without
being blown down. The rootlets are exceedingly numerous, so that
their terminal spougelets must possess an enormous absorbent power,
a power evidently necessary to the well-being of the tree on account
of the comparatively large diameter of the tubes through which the
sap flows, and which, while the tree is in active growth, are not
only always full, but the sap is also in motion. Like other Exogenous
trees, the roots of Conifera) have, at least in temperate climates, a
period of comparative if not absolute repose, during which, except in
frosty weather, the plant may be taken out of the ground and
removed to another spot, even after it has attained a considerable
size. J The vitality of the roots of Coniferous plants is remarkable,
especially in the Fir and Pine tribe. Many instances have been
observed of which the roots not only live but continue to gi'ow for
many years after the trunk has been cut do^vn.

The foregoing characters arc, gcncrolly speaking, common throughout

* The primary radicle is, of course, an exception ; bnt this is too minute to afl'uct llie
general statement.

t Dr. Lindley, Theory aiul Practice of Horticulture, ji. 21.

+ It is not, however, advisable to remove large trees, especially of the Fir and I'lnc
tribe, whose roots extend far from the trunk, and which cannot even with the greatest
care be removed without destroying and injuring a large proportion of the rootlets.

10 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER^.

the ( )i(Ut, but a few peculiarities that arc met with in the ditiercnt
tribes re»|uire separate notice.

Ill many of the species belonging to the Cypress tribe (Cupressinese),
and -which are mostly of fastigiate or strict habit, the primary roots
lengthen but slowly, although they increase in tliickness consideraljly
during the first years of the life of the tree ; but the rootlets form a
dense plexus, occuppng a circular area not much greater than the
spread of the branches above. It is not till the tree has acquired some
age, and the soil in immediate proximity to it has become quite
exhausted, that the roots lengthen to any considerable extent in search
of nutriment, ■\vliich they do in conformity with a law universal
throughout the Vegetable Kingdom. Tlie fibrous rootlets then become
more spreading ; those formed during the earlier life of the tree having
fulfilled their functions, die.

In the Yew the plexus of fibrous rootlets is always very great even
at an advanced age of the tree, so that the absorbent power of the
roots of a large Yew must be enormous. There can be no doubt that
this is one of the causes that contribute to the longevity of the Ye^v ;
and it is probable, too, that these rootlets have a limited power of
selection in the substances taken up by them, since the Yew will live
and thrive in soils of the most opposite description and maintain a
tolerably constant habit and colour of foliage everywhere.

In the Sequoia tribe (Taxodiae) aU the principal members of whicli
arc not only among the largest of Conifers, Init also among the largest
of trees, the roots lengthen very rapidly from early life, and spread over
a large area always near the surface. A striking peculiarity is seen in
the roots of the deciduous Cypress {Taxoclmm disticlnim) when this
tree attains its maturity and is growing in swampy places, as it most
commonly does in its native forests in North America, or in close
proximity to water in England; they form holloAv conical or beehive-
shaped protuberances that rise several inches above the surface of the
ground, and which have never been noticed to produce buds from which
shoots proceed; these protuberances arc popularly called "knees."* The
deciduous Cypress will also send its roots deep down through water and
fix them into the soil beneath.

Although under ordinary circumstances the roots of Coniferous plants
spread equaUy from all sides of the stem, they will, as in other plants,
develop in one direction more than in another Avhen the nutriment
suitable for the support of the tree is present only on one side, or is
more abundant on one side than on others, or if ihey are prevented
by obstacles from extending equally on all sides;! they will also grow
do^vnwards to a considerable depth under similar influences.

• ,S'cc the article on Taxodium distichum in Part II, with the engraving of the tree
^■ith "knees,' at Syon House. '

i Sec some remarkable instances of the rooting of the SprUce Fir in London. Arh. ct
rTtii,, p. ZZvo.

STEMS OP CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 11

The power of forming roots by pieces detached from tlie parent plant,
or by " cuttings," is very considerable, but differs much in the different
tribes. It appears to exist nearly in the same ratio as that of producing
leaf buds ; thus in the Cypress tribe, in which the branchlets ramify
repeatedly and produce lateral shoots very freely Avhen the leaders are,
in garden phraseology, " headed back," cuttings take root very readily
when placed in circumstances favourable for their development. In the
Secpioia and Yew tribes the power of rooting from cuttings is almost as
great as in the Cypress and its allies. It is much weaker in the Fir
and Pine tribe ; some of the Araucarias possess it in a high degree ;
the Spruce and Hendock Firs less so ; it is feeble in the Silver Firs,
and wanting, or nearly so, altogether in the true Pines.

Stems. — The Stems of Coniferous plants, the internal structure of

which we have just described, are Exogenous and ligneous or woody

in texture; they attain generally a timber-like size, and consist of a

heart-wood, the older growth^ which in many species is very

durable, and affords valuable wood for economic purposes ; and a

sap-wood, the later gi'owth, which soon decays on exposure to the

weather ; the whole being enclosed in a tegument or bark similar

in structure in all its essential parts to that of other Exogenous

trees, but showing in some of the species some peculiarities. With

very few excepti'^ns the stems or trunks of Coniferous trees are

cylindrical and tapering, growing perfectly erect, and attaining

dimensions varying from a few inches* to upwards of 300 feet

in height,t and with diameters generally small in proportion to

the height, but in this respect the Yew, the Cedar of Lebanon, and

the deciduous Cypress are well known exceptions. The size attained

by stems of the same species is far from being uniform except under

like conditions, the growth being greatly influenced by soil, situation,

or climate, or by a combination of these causes. Some species of

Pinus and Abies, for example, having the slopes of mountains for

their habitat, near the base grow from 60 to 100 feet high, or even

more; but this height is found to diminish in proportion to the

elevation at which they grow, so that at the highest point, often at

the limits of perpetual snow, they ure dwarfed to a more scrubby

bush over which a man may step. A similar change is observed in

species whose habitat extends over many degrees of latitude; thus,

the Cembra Pine on the Swiss Alps, and under cultivation in our

* Junipcrus communia comprcssu, native of tlio Pyrenees,
t lydliivjlonia 'jigantea, the Mammoth tree of California.

1'2 A MANUAL OF THE CONlPEEJ;.

own conntiyj grows from 50 to 70 feet high; at its northern hmit,
in the Siberian Plains and Kamtschatka, it is dwarfed to a low bush
wliose height ranges between 50 and 70 inches. The American
White Spruce {Abies alba), which in Canada and the adjoining
States, at about lat. 45° N., attains a height of 50 feet ; at its
northern limit, approaching the shores of the Arctic Ocean, at 65°,
its height is less than 60 inches. Finns Banltsiona, wliich is scarcely
botanically distinct from the Scotch Pine of our own country often
seen upwards of 100 feet high, is a stragghng shrub of fi'om three to
five feet high among the rocks in the dreary wastes of Labrador.

The chief cause of the great difference just noticed is the diminished
amount of solar heat which the dwarfed forms receive, and by v\'hich
their growth is constantly retarded. At high elevations, this diminution
is owing to the rarity of the atmosphere, which permits a rapid
radiation of heat into space without affording any siich checks as
are present in the denser strata of lower altitudes and at the sea
level, where the atmosphere is always more or less surcharged with
vapour. In liigh latitudes, the diminution of solar heat is due to
the slanting direction in Avhich the sun's rays strike the earth, owing
to the convexity of its surface, and whence their power is greatly
weakened; also the short period the sun is daily above the horizon
during nearly half the year, owing to the obliquity of the earth's axis.

Tlie size and height attained by the trunks or stems of Coniferous
trees, and more especially of the same or allied species, are also greatly
influenced by the amount of moisture of the cHmate in Avhich the
trees are growing, or Avhich amounts to iiearly the same thing, the
annual rainfall of the region or district. It is observed, in reference
to the distribution of the Coniferge, that their abundance and rate of
growth follow pretty nearly the general laws relative to the distribution
of rain: — thus (1). — In the mountainous regions of the temperate zones
more rain falls than in the level districts, l^ecause mountains arrest the
clouds, and a condensatior. of vapour ensues from collision with their cold
summits, and there are found the densest forests and most luxuriant
growth, (2). — The precipitation of rain decreases in proceeding from the
Tropic of Cancer to the Arctic Circle; in like manner it may be roughly
stated that, except in maritime districts, the size attained by Coniferous
trees and their rate of growth diminish in a like ratio. (3).— The rainfall
also decreases in passing from maritime to inland countries; it is also
found that the growth of Coniferous plants is influenced by the same
law. Tlie sauKj general facts are observable in England : thus in
Cornwall and Devonshire the average annual rainfall exceeds 30 inches,
while in the Eastern Counties it is often below 20 inches. The
numerous reports published in the horticultural journals durin" the

STEMS 0¥ CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 13

past twenty-five years, show tlmt tlie rate of growth of Conifers in the
south-west and west of England is much greater than in the Eastern
Counties And so in Scotland. On the west coast, the annual rainfall
reaches 40 inclies, in particular spots very nnich more, while on the east
side of the country, it is not more than 25 inches.* The finest Coniferse
in Scotland are found Avhere the temperature and rainfall are highest.

In further illustration of these laws, the following are well-attested
instances. The mountain ranges in the North American Continent in
the neighbourhood of the Pacific Ocean, extending through California,
Oregon, and British Columbia, are covered with the densest coating
of Coniferous vegetation kno'sm, and there the temperature during
the summer is high and the rainfall copious. In the eastern parts
of the Continent, where it is mucli drier and colder, the 'Weymouth
Pine {Pi nils Sfivhus) attains a height of 100 feet; in nearly the
same latitude, near the Pacific Coast, its close ally, the Sugar Pine
(Pinus Lamhertiana), toAvers to nearly three times that height. The
Balsam Firs of Canada and CaroHna {Abies halsamea and A. Fraseri),
are low short-lived trees, not often more tlian 40 feet high ; their
congeners, the "Western Balsam Firs of California and Oregon {A.
ijrandis and A. concolor) are giants 200 feet high, and live for
centuries. In the humid climate of the Himalayas, the Deodar
Cedar, Hemlock Fir {Ahies Brunoniana), and some of the Junipers
attain dimensions far exceeding those of their nearest allies in other
parts of the Eastern Continent. In Europe, all the principal moun-
tain ranges abound in Coniferous forests, affording valuable timber;
while in the plams, where the rainfall is much less, many kinds are
dwarfed, and others cannot be made to thrive even under cultivation.
Under the tropical rains of Mexico, the deciduous Cypress rivals in
size its great Californian cousins, while further north in the United
States, it is a moderate sized tree, 120 feet high or tliereabouts.
The stems or trunks of the larger Coniferous trees increase in
height and diameter very rapidly after the first years of their
" infancy," when the plant has become established. Thus the
Wellingtonia in this country grows at the rate of from 24 to 30
inches in one year, and Tltuia fji(jantea and Ciipressus macrocarpa have
been knoAvn to make an addition of nearly four feet to their hei"ht
in one season. Ahies Nordnumniana and A. nohilis, which commence
their gro^vth late in the season, will add to their leaders from 15 to
18 inches in the short space of six or eight weeks. Ahies Doixjlasli
makes an average growth of from 21 to 27 inches annually,
and Piiuis msifjnis] even more. The rate of growth vai'ies in eacli
* See Physical Geographj of Great Britain, by Dr. Kamsay, Fourtli Ed., p. 197-200.
t The growth of Pinus insignis in the warm and more e*iuable climate of New Zealand
!s very rapid. A correspondent in the Canterbury district recently inforni';(l us that he
had measured shoots of the preceding year's growth 9 feet long ; the average growth of
a number of trees in a plantation was ijuite 6 feet.

l-i A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

kind aecortling to tlie soil and situation, it is also influenced by tiie
state of the season, being greater or less according as the temperature
is liiglier or lower than the average mean.

Tlic following known physiological couLlitions go a great way towards
explaining the cause of this rapid increase in the stems of Coniferous
trees. The tubes and channels through Avhich the sap circulates have,
comparatively, a greater diameter than those of most other trees ; they
therefore admit of and even require an abundant supply of fluid to
lill them ; they ol)tain this supply by means of the roots, whicli
possess an enormous absorbent power. These roots, it must be
remembered, are generally near the surface, so that as soon as the
warm days of spring and summer begin to put the sap in motion
in the terminal brancldets and parts most exposed to the sun's
influence, and also to raise the temperature of the soil sufficiently
to excite the rootlets into action, which in most of the species is
very energetic, and produces a corresponding rapidity in the circulation
of the sap and the formation of new tissues,* the growth of the
tree proceeds apace, the stem not only increases in height but also
in diameter. The deposition of the insoluble matters taken up by
the roots, soon choke up the older channels of circulation, and
the successive annual layers or rings pressing closely around those
previously formed, the trunk becomes consolidated. Some of the
members of the Fir and Pine tribe, and notably the gigantic Sequoias
of California and the Common Yew continue to grow for centuries,
adding yearly ring after ring to the circumference of their stems,
building up vast pillars of wood tliat are the Avonder of all who
behold them.

Theoretically, tlie trunks of Coniferous trees, like other Exogenous
stems, might increase in size and height iiulefinitely, were there no
counteracting causes at work to check and finally to arrest the
progress ; but such sooner or later are sure to arise, and among the,
principal is undoubtedly the gradual exhaustion of the soil in which
the tree is growing. The functions of the various organs become
enfeebled by age, as they do in the animal frame, although the
.period of the life of the one is in most instances immensely prolonged
compared with that of the other, so that the cause of decay is so
much the slower in its action. The vigour with which Coniferous
trees increase in size during the earlier period of their existence is
sensibly diminLslied in process of time, till at length the counteracting
causes l)alance the growing power; the tree lias tlien reached its full
maturity ; the period of decay sots in Avhicli is nevin- permanently

^ • Every one wlio li.xs maile an in<;isioii tliroiigh the bark of the Common Larch, the
Spruce in, or the Scotch Pine, especially at any time during the growing season, is aware
of the very rapid How of sap from the wound. Advantage is taken of this rapid How, to
l.roeure the turpentine of commerce from the species tliat yield it by making incisioii in
the bark, and keeping the wound open,

AGE OP CONIFEROUS TREES. 15

arrested till the death of the individual and the subsequent de-
composition of its tissixes is complete,

A cross section of the trunk of a large coniferous tree shows tliat
the annual rings nearest the central pith are the broadest, and tliat their
width diminishes as they recede from tlie centre to tlu; bark.* The
dimmution is not symmetrical, a ring of a certain width in any part
of the section is not precisely so much narrower than the one within
it, or so much broader than tlie one immediately without it. On the
contrary, the irregularity in this respect is very considerable, so that a
ring is often found which is broader than one nearer the centre, f Tliis
irrogidarity is believed to be due to climatal changes. During a lou"
and Avarm summer a Coniferous tree will make much more gro-\vth than
during a wet and comparatively cold one, and it is not improbable that
the fluctuations in the seasons are represented by the different widths of
the rmgs. The general principle is, however, never departed from; the
rings more remote from the centre diminish in width as they approach
the bark. In very aged trees the rings near tlie outside are so close
together that they can only be counted with difficulty, \ipwards of one
hundred of them scarcely occupying a breadth of more than from one
to two inches.

The AGE attained by Coniferous trees varies very much in the
different famihes. Some members of the Cypress tribe complete their
evolution in a few years; the gigantic Sequoias of California have
been living, during the greater part of the time that separates us from
the conmiencement of the Christian Era. Between these extreme cases
are numerous examples of greater or less longevity ; thus the Yew is
known to live over a thousand years, Avhile the American Balsam Fir
rarely attains the " appointed age of man."

The following estimate, given by various authorities, of the ages
attained by some of the largest Coniferous trees must be accepted oidy
with a degTce of reservation corresponding to the difficulty experienced
in ascertauiing anjiiliing like an approximation to tlie truth.

The Calif omian Big Tree (WelUnfjtonia

(pfjantea)
The Red "Wood (Sequoia semporvirens)
The Yew (Taxus haccata) .
Deciduous Cypress (Taxodium dhtlahnrn )
Himalayan Cedar (Cedrns Deodura)
Cedar of Lebanon (C'-drns Lihfini )
Douglas Fir (Ahies DoiKjlaxH)

* The cross section of a large Wellin;,'tonia felled in California for the luiqKJse of ascor-
t:iiiiing its age, showed the width of one hundred rings nearest the centre to be Hi inches,
and that of one hundred rings nearest the bark to be 3 inches only.

t " The separate annual rings are not alway.s of uniform tliiekness, but are often more
strongly develo|,v;d on one side than the other." — Thome's Slrticlural Botany, j). 3G5.

from

1,500 to 2,000 years.

1,300 „ 1,750 „

1,100 „ 1,2.^)0 „

750 „ 1,000 „

750 „ 900 „

000 „ 800 „

150 „ GOO „

16 A MANUAL or THE CONIFERS.

Silver Fir (Abies pedhiafaj . . from 450 to GOO years.

Roman Cypress (Cupressus semim-virens) . „ 350 „ 500 „

Sugar Pine (Finns Lamhertiana ) . . „ 350 ,, 500 „

^Foreton Bay Pine (Amucarin Bidvilli ) . „ 300 „ 400 „

Coniferous Timber. — The timber pelcled by the stems of Coniferous
trees is of universal importance. It possesses qualities that render
it exceedingly serviceable for building and other constructive
purposes, as durability, strength, lightness, elasticity, fineness in
grain, &c. It also abounds in quantity immensely in excess of that
of any other Order of Trees, so that it is also the cheapest and
most easily obtained. In the northern hemisphere, the timber used
in building may be said to be almost exclusively Coniferous, obtained
from the Fir and Pine tribe, and in populous countries as Great
Britain, Holland, Belgium, &c., where it does not exist, or cannot
be grown in quantity sufficient for the supply, and where natural
forests have long since almost disappeared, it forms an important
article of commerce.

The qualities of Coniferous timl^er vary much in the different tribes,
and also among members of the same tribe. Thus the wood of the
Roman Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is almost imperishable by the
ordinary agents of decay except fire ; that of the Canadian Hemlock
Spruce decays rapidly on exposure to the weather; the wood of
the Yew is among the hardest and most elastic known ; that of the
Californian ^lammoth (Wellingtonia) is one of the softest and most
brittle; the timber of the "Weymouth Pine (Pinus Strohus) and Black
Spruce (Abies nigra) is among the most valuable obtained from American
trees, Avhile their near allies, the XeAv Jersey Pine (Finns inops) and
tlie Balsam Fir (Ahies baJsarnea), growing in the same region, are
scarcely worth felling for fuel.

Some remarkable instances of the durability of tlic wood of some of
the Coniferous trees have been recorded.

The gates of Constantinople, which were destroyed by the Turks in
1553, after having lasted eleven hundred years, were made of the
wood of the European or Roman Cypress.

Mr. Moorcroft Avrites in his Journal (about fifty years ago), "A short
time since a buiMing, erected l)y the order of the Emperor Akbar
(a.d. 1542 — 1G05), was taken down, and its timber, which was that
of the Deodar Cedar, was found so little impaired as to be fit to be
employed in a house built by Rajah Sliah ; its age could not have been
less than two hundred and twenty-five years.*

* Lowloii, Arh. ct Frut., ji. 2131.

STEENGTH OF CONIFEROUS TIMBER. 17

In the Toronio Gloho, of April 9, 1863, Mr. AV. D. Ferris, writing
from New AVcstminster, Dritish Cohuuliia, states tliat the trunk of a
Douglas Fir, showing no signs of ilecay, had been discovered partially
embedded in the earth long enough to allow a Hemlock Spruce to grow
upon it which was fully one hundred and fifty years old.*

The doors of St. Peter's at Rome, which had lasted from the time of
Constantine to that of Pope Eugene IV., about eleven hundred years,
were of Cypress wood, and were found, when removed liy Pope Eugene,
to be perfectly sound, f

The elder Michaux, in his journey to Hudson's Bay, in 1792, found
the church built there by the Jesuits still standing. This building was
constructed with squared logs of the Arbor Vita?, in 1728, as was
proved by an . inscription over the door, and it had remained perfectly
sound more than sixty years. |

The prostrate trunk of a Poilorarpus spicafus was observed not long
since in a valley near Dunedin, New Zealand, to be enfolded by the
roots of tlvree large trees of Griselinea littoralh, with trunks three and
a half feet in diameter, which nnist have grown from seed since its
fall. They were recently felled, and th(! growtli rings count over 300,
thus approximating three hundred years, during which the tind)or of
the Podocarpus has remained so fresh and sound, that it has since
been split into posts for fencing purposes. § »

"The prostrate trunk of a Wellingtonia, with no signs of decay
in any part of it, had been burnt in two Ijy a forest fire. In
the trench between the two portions a Silver Fir grew. This Fir
was feUed, and had 380 annual rings ; therefore, to estimate the time
during wliicli the Sequoia trunk had lain uninjured, we must add to
the three hundred and eighty years: — first, the time it lay before the
forest fire burnt it, and then the luiknown interval between that time
and the arrival of the Silver Fir seed." ||

The STRENGTH of Coniferous timber has been tested Ijy experiments.
The following resiUts, obtained by the late Mr. W. Wilson Saunders,
an<l published in the Gardenfrs^ Chromch for 1862, p. 643, will serve
for illustration : —

"Lengths of each of the woods enumerated in the following taljle,
carefidly squared to one and a quarter inch, were submitted to pressure of
weights pendent from the centre, the lengths being supported between two
standards exactly six feet apart. The weight at which each broke, and
the amount of deflection from the liorizontal line at the time of breaking,
is given.

• Lawson's Plnetum Britannicum, Part xxxiii., Abies Doufjlasii,
t Loudon, Arh. et Frut., p. 2467.
X Idem, p. 2457.
5 Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, ex. Gardeners' Chrmiielc, 1877, p. 694.

II Sir J. 1). Hooker, Address at the Royal Institution, April 12, 1878.
C

18

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERiE.

~

lbs.

in.

Douglas Fir .

280

4

fracture

rough and long.

Pitcii Pirn-* .

280

4

jj

short and even.

Canada Spruci't .

19G

4.7

jj

short and rough.

Red Pinet .

168

6

J)

rough.

Larch, British

168

5.2

))

short and even.

Deodar, from the Hima-

layas.

154

3.8

)>

short.

" The specimens experimented on were carefully selected from the
best description of wood, and free from all defects. Each wood had
two trials, and the figures give a mean result.

" It will tlius l)e seen that none of the Firs experimented on approached
in strength either the Douglas Fir or the Pitch Pine, it having reij^uired
a weiglit of 280 lbs. to break a small bar of their wood no more than
an inch and a rprarter square; 168 lbs. broke a piece of British Larch
of the same scantling ; moreover, between tlie Douglas Fir and the
Pitch Pine, whose strength was equal, there Avas this great difference,
that while the latter snapped short rnider a strain of 280 lbs., the
Douglas Fir yielded ' unwillingly witli a rough and long rend."

The ELASTICITY of Coniferous wood is very considerable. It was
observed centuries ago in the Yew, which led to the Avood of that tree
being employed in making bows for archery. The woods of the common
Spruce, Red and Pitcli Pines, and several of the Cypress tribe, are all
more or less elastic, which materially enhances tlieir utility in the various
purposes of carpentry to Avhicli they are applied. The property is,
however, most decisively demonstrated by the readiness with which the
molecides of the Avood receive and transmit the vibrations of sound ;
this is especially the case in tlie Fir and Pine tribe. Professor Tyndall,§ in
giving the results obtained by the experiments of AVertheim and CheA^andier
to determine the velocity of sound through different kinds of Avood,
shoAvs that tlie velocity along the fibre of Fir Avood is fourteen times
tlie velocity in air; in other Avords, that Avhereas sound travels under
ordinary circumstances through air Avhose temperature is 60° Fahr. at
the rate of 1,120 feet per second, it travels through Fir Avood at the
rate of 15,218 feet in the same period of tiuie. Also along the fibre
of Pine Avood it is ten times the velocity in air. He also further
proves the elasticity of Fir Avood by a beautiful experiment, || by Avhich
musical sounds generated in one apartment of a building Avere transmitted
through a long deal rod and perfectly reproduced in another. The high
degree of elasticity iu the molecular structure of Fir and Pine AVOod
renders it a suitable material for the construction of certain parts of

I'imis rUjida. f Ahics nujra.

§ Lcdnrcs on Sound, p. 41.

+ rinus rcsinosa.
Idem, p. 80.

GENERAL REVIEW OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 10

several musical instruments, as tlie violin, piano, Sec, iov wIiIlIi it is
much employetl.

The COLOUR of Coniferous wooil varies in the diderent kinds from
a deep reddish l)rown to white. The Yew, the Californian Red Wood,
and some othei-s, have deep coloured wood, strongly tinged with red; the
Virginian Cedar and the Red and Pitch Pines have red wood ; T/in/'n
ijifiantea is commonly known among the settlers in Oregon and Dritish
Columhia as the Yellow Cedar, the name having reference to the colour
of its wood, and Plnus raitis of the Atlantic States is often called the
Yellow Pine for the same reason. The timber of the "Weymouth Pino
and that of its nearest allies is white.

The FRAGRANCE of the wood of many Coniferous trees is powerful, and
gener.xlly of a resinous odour, in many instances it is also agreeable
and even useful. Thus the wood of the Red Cedar, used in the nianu..
facture of pencils, is a familiar example of agreeable fragrance without
being too powerful ; the wood of the Cembra Pine is much used for
wainscottmg and the inlaying of wardrobes, on account of its odour being
not only agreeable but also obnoxious to insects. The woods of tho
Deodar Cedar, Yellow Cypress, the American Arbor Yitae, and tho
Spanish Juniper, are all agreeably fragrant and more or less obnoxious
to insects.

Branches. — The stenis or trunks of Coniferous trees are furnished Avith
Branches fi*om the l^ase to the summit, which are generally short iji
proportion to the height of the trunk, and, except in the case of tho
Cedar of Lebanon, the Y^ew, and some of the Pines, wdrich have long
and spreading branches, they rarely attain a timber-like size. In
the Fir and Pine tribe the branches are "whorled, that is to say
they are produced around the trunk in every direction in tiers,
growing either horizontally or slightly inclined upwards till they bend
do'SATiwards by the weight of their appendages. Each tier or wliorl
springs from buds protected by membranous scales, which are cast
off when the young shoots begin to push into gi-OAvth ; the buds
being produced at the point of the stem which terminates tlic
growth of the season previous to that in which the bi-anchcs first
appear, so that the intervals between the whorls show tlic height tho
stem has made in successive seasons.* Very often single branches
are produced between the whorls, but these may be regarded as
adventitious, and they are generally much weaker in their growth
than the others. In all the other tribes, the branches are produced

* Hence, where the whorls are all present from the Lase to the summit a rough approxi-
mation of the aw of the tree can be arrived at.

20 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFEK^.

around tlio trunk at close irregular intervals, and are generally
spreading, but there are many kinds whose branches grow as
upright as the trunk, and give the trees a fastigiate habit.

In tlK! AbiL-thiece and Taxodiae the lower branches are cast off at a
very early age, if the trees are in a confined situation or in close
proximity to one another; but they are retained for many years if the
tree.^ stand singly with a free circidation of air around them.

In most of the species the branches ramify from their sides only,
the branchlets divide and sub-divide in the same way, so that the
entire bough is flat or fi'ondose. This flatness is remarkable in
some kinds, as the Cedar of Lebanon, the Torreyas, some of
the Silver Firs and Araucarias, in which the branches and their
appendages arc quite rigid, and give the tree a stiff and formal
appearance. In many other kinds the primary branch remains
more or less rigid, while the appendages are flexible and pendulous
as the Deodar Cedar, the Larches, and the Himalayan and Hemlock
Spruces. In the true Pines, the branchlets are whorled like their
primaries, and are produced from the termination of each year's
growth. In some of the Cypresses, Junipers, and a few others,
the secondary branchlets are produced on all sides of their primaries,
and at acute angles to them, giving the tree a dense, compact^
or bushy habit.

Leaves. — The Leaves present much diversity in form and arrange-
ment. In form, narrowness in comparison with length is the prevailing
characteristic in most of the species cultivated in Great Britain;
but there are some broad-leaved kinds not hardy in this country,
as the Dammaras of Australia and the East Indian Archipelago.
In the true Pines the leaves are linear or filiform, in some species
exceeding a foot in length, and of extreme tenuity ;* in others^ not
exceeding one inch;t in Abies they are linear, or linear-lanceolate,
tetragonal or flattened, ^vith their points acute, blunt, or emarginate.
In Cedrus, Larix, and many of the Junipers, they are acicular or
needle-shaped and straight ; in Cryptomeria, and in some of the
Araucarias, they are acicular and curved; in Taxodium, the Eed
Wood, and in most of the Yew tribe they are linear, flattened,
and pointed, and, in the Torreyas, terminated by a sharp spine or

* As in rinus lowjlfoUa, an Indian species. f As in T'lnus ixirvijlora, &c,

FOLIAGE OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 21

bristle. In tlie Cypress and its allies tlicy are dimorplioiis, tlie earliest
formed or " jnvenile " leaves being linear, flattened_, and frequently
falcate ; the mature or adult ones, scale-like, rounded, or pointed
at tlieir apices. In Ginkgo the form of the leaves is unusual,
being broadl}^ fan-shaped, with the edges jagged or much notched.
Many other forms occur in the Australian and other genera.* The
arrangement of the leaves is also much varied. In the true Pines
they are spirally set around the branches in bundles of twos, tlu-ees,
and fives, each bundle being enclosed at the base in a sheath composed
of membranous scales, which are deciduous in some species. f In the
Spruce Firs, Cr^^tomerias, Wellingtonia, and others, the leaves are
densely scattered over the branchlets, or spirally arranged around
them, and often pointing laterally in two directions. In most of
the Silver Fu-s, the Hemlock Fii's, Taxodium, the Eed Wood, and
most of the Yew tribe, they are distichous (two rowed) or pectinate;
in Cedrus and Larix, fasciculated ; in many of the Junipers, in
whorls of three's ; in the Cypress tribe, generally closely imbricated
in four rows. The persistency of the leaves varies in the different
tribes ; the Larch, Deciduous Cypress, Chinese Water Pine, and
Maiden-Hair Tree are deciduous ; in some of the Pines the leaves
remain on the trees several years, and Araucaria imhricafa retains
its fohage fi'om ten to fifteen years. In all the tribes, with the
exception of the Maiden-Hair Tree (Ginkgo), the leaves are entire
at their edges, but in Pinus the edges are frequently rough, with
sen-ations invisible to the naked eye ; the veins are parallel ; and
the stomata, when present, are regularly arranged ii. rows, some-
times interrupted, and in many species found on the upper as well
as on the under surface.

The colour of tlu; f(jliagc is not less varied than the forms of the
leaves. From the deep soinhre hues of the Austrian Pine and
Common Yew to* the .light and airy deciduous Cypress and Maiden-
Hair Tree, tlie silviny lines of the Weymouth Pine, and the greyish
foliage of Retinosjwra squarrosa, there is found in the different tribes
an endless variety of tints which the green of Nature alone displays.

* Among ttese Phyllocladus is remarkable for having "leaves of two forms, some
minute and scale-like, others linear, seen only in young plants, but which in older are
connate into flat faU'Shaped organs (phyllodes), resembling simple leaves, which bear the
inflorescence at their edges." — Sir J. D. Hooker, Ncv: Zealand Flora, p. 259.

t These scales are, by some botanists, regarded as imperfect leaves, from the axils of
which the true leaves arise.

22 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER^.

The deep glossy green of the leaves of Abies bradi'dta renders that
reniarkahle tree not less distinct and imposing than does its tall spiry
hahit of growth. The pleasing glancous hue of the Deodar Cedar is
almost iniitpie, and the rich deep colonr of Lihocfdnti^ decurrons is
scarcely less so ; Phius insignis is distinguished among all Pines hy its
cheerful grass-green foliage, which affords a striking contrast to the dull
grey hues of many of its congeners ; the difference in coloiu" between
Abies nobilis and A. Nordmanniana is not less marked. The foliage of
Cryptomeria elegam changes in winter to a deep In'onzy green tinged
with crimson, which makes this plant particularly ornamental at that
season, and a similar change takes ])lace in Retinoqiora (Thuia)
ericoides, Avhich becomes violet purpli\* The common Arbor Yit?e
is broAvnish green, Avhile varieties of the Chinese species have their
foliage of a rich golden-yellow during the growing season. Many of
tlie Junipers have a l)luish glaucous tinge peculiar to them, and others
are quite grey.

Besides the difference iu tints abo\'e sketched, the foliage of Coni-
ferous plants is subject to two changes in colour, viz., variegation and
GLAUCESCENCE, the causes of which have not yet been clearly made
out. Variegation shows itself in the young growth of the })lants,
which, instead of appearing in the shade of green natural to tlie species,
takes some shade of yellow tliat varies in the different kinds from a
deep golden hue to a creamy white. In some cases the whole (f the
newly f firmed branchlets with their foliage is produced coloured.! As
the season advances, the tint gradually changes, first by Ijecoming
deeper, then taking a perceptible shade of green, and finally in the
course of the second season, assuming the green natural to the species,
but not till a ncAV coloured growth is formed. This kind of variega-
tion is observed to be toleral)ly constant in whatever description of
soil the plant is growing, l)ut the intensity of the colouring is slightly
different in different soils, being most developed in clayey loams. In
other cases the tips of a portion of the liranches only a])pear coloured,
the extent of the variegation ranghig in different and in the same
species from a mere spot to a considerable portion of the branch.
It is only in this form that a white variegation appears. Plants
variegated in the manner first described, continue to produce coloured
foliage year after year without manifesting any special signs of debility
or decay; Init their rate of growth is always sloicor than that of the
normal forms. Plants partially variegated often show signs of disease
in the coloured jiarts, wliirli turn brown and die, in some cases

* The f<)lin;;c of all or ncaily all tlio C'onifera of temperate climates changes colour
111 winter more or less. Tliis is due to the low temperature of that season, which causex
a peculiar transformation of the blue green constituent of chlorophyl. A higher tempe-
rature restores the normal condition.— Sach's Lchrbuch, p. 705.

t As in Il-Iuwspora oltusa aurca, R. iilumosa aurca, Thuia aiirca, Taxus haccaia aurca,
Junij>criis chinensis atcrea, Thuia elefjantissima, &c.

FLOWEKS OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 23

witliin a few weeks after it is produced, especially if the plant is
exposed to the direct action of the sun's rays. Partial variegation in
vigorous groAving kinds often disappears entirely in the course of ■ a few
years ; it is also greatly influenced by the soil in which the plants
are growing, heing heightened in some situations or soon heconiing
ohliterated in others.

Glaucescence is quite distinct from \'ariegatiou ; it makes its appear-
ance indifferently in young and old jtlants. It is always present in
the foliage of many species, in some of which it hecomes greatly
heightened by age ; it also frequently appears with great intensity in
the yoiuig plants of species that are normally quite green or show it
but very faintly. The eftect of glaucescence, as regards the aspect of
the trees, is to give them a gTeyish silvery hue, particularly pleasing
and beautiful in many plants belonging to the Cypress tribe and to
tlie Firs ; while it imparts a venerable hoary a})pearance to aged Pines,
and especially to the Cedar of Lelianon. It is believed to be due in
one fonn to the stomata of the leaves, and it is not improl)ably an
optical effect arising from their close proximit}' and formal arrangement,
especially in the case of the white lines seen on the iinder surfaces of
the leaves of the Silver and other Firs, and in the leaves of Pines,
.Junipei"s, i^'c. In another fonn it is caused by a resmous secretion
which is easily rublied oft" by the finger, leaving the leaf quite green.

Flowers. — The Flowees are always without perianth, and are either
monoecious, as in the Fir and Pine tribe, or dioecious, as in the Ye"w
and Juniper.* Taking the flowers of the common Spruce,
the Larch, or the Scotch Pine (they are identical in
their general structure) as the t^-pe, we find the arrange-
ment of their parts to be thus : — The male flowers are
short catkins, consisting of a central axis to which are
attached minute imbricated scales, each scale bearing
o'-sa^ at its extremity on the under side a pair of anther

^l^'.J'" T ^''^* lobes, which burst lonmtudinally : the female catkins

or Anfher-beanng •' n J }

Fir.'^'Nafuif/'irze! ^^^0 cousist of a Central axis, with closely imbricating
spirally arranged scales, each having at the base on its
upper surface a pair of inverted ovules. The pollen grains fall
direct upon the ovules, so that fertilization takes place without the
intervention of style or stigma. In the Cypress and Yew tribes
this type is slightly departed from, but they agree in having naked
ovules ; in the former the scales of the male catkins bear generally

* ^Vith a slight riualification— The Juniriers and Taxada are not ahsolutely dioecious,
but relatively so, moncecious plants having been observed.

24

A MAlJUAL OF THE CONlFBKA'.

Fig. 5.— Female or
Ovule-bearing Catkin
of Spruce Fir. Natural
size.

two three, or more anther cells, those of the female have numerous
erect ovTiles j in the latter the male flowers consist
of peltate scales, each -sAatli fi'om two to eight anther
lobes, and the female ones, which are cither solitary
or in groups, of a single erect ovule in the middle
of a small cupuliform disc.

Being destitute of calyx and corolla, the floAvers of

Coniferous plants are also Avanting in the l)rilliant hues

that distinguish the flowers of most of the higher orders.

Nevertheless, there are some species which have the

scales of their pollen bearmg flowers highly coloured ;

in Phius ponderosa, these are bright red, and being

produced in large clusters are very conspicuous ; in

P. Laricio and its allies, they are yellow; in P. excelsa,

purple ; in P. macrocarpa, orange ; in Gupressus Law-

soniana, crimson; in the Chinese Juniper, the Arbor

Yitse, and some others they are yellow. The quantity

of pollen produced by the male flowers of a single tree is often

surprisingly great; a puff of wind has been observed to scatter the

pollen of an Araucarld imhn'cata like a cloud of dust; the surface of

the ground beneath a Spruce Fir that has shed its pollen is made

cpiitc yellow with fine dust; and in a forest of Pine and Fir, the

quantity of pollen is sometimes such
as to produce effects almost exceeding
belief. " In Inverness-shire, a great
shower of the pollen of the Fir took
place in 1858, the ground was covered
by a layer of this substance in some
places to a depth of half an inch,
and the deposit was noticed at places
thirty-three miles apart. The whole
surface of the great lakes in Canada
is not imfrequently covered by a thick
scum of the same pollen. .Similar
occun'cnces have been noticed in the
forests of Norway and Lithuania."
(Coal, hij the Professors of the YorJc-
ahire Colleye, p. 24.)

Fig. 6. —Longitudinal section of a cone of ihe
Stono Pine (Pinui pinea), eliowing tho relative
positions of the axis, scales, and seed. T\' o-
thirds natural size.

Fruit, — The Fkuit is simply an assem-
blage of seeds enclosed by the mature
ovule producing scales. In the Fir and
Pine tribe the scales arc hard and ligneous in texture, imbricated, closely

FRUIT OP CONIFEROUS PLANTS.

25

appressed, sometimes adherent, and spirally arranged around a common
axis. At the base of each scale, on the side away from the axis,
is a bract, which varies much in form and size in the different
kinds, in some large and protruding beyond the scales, in others
minute and enclosed by them. Tlie scales are regarded as carpellary

leaves which have not folded round
the ovules; the bracts are now known
to be metamorphosed foliage leaves.
The fi'uit is generally of a conical
form, but this form is considerably
modified in the different genera, being
nearly cylindrical in the Silver Firs,
ovoid in many of the Pines, greatly
elongated in others, and almost spher-
ical in some of the Araucarias. In
the Cypress tribe, the scales are pel-
tate and arranged in opposite pairs,
the entire fi'uit being spherical or
ovoid. In Juniperus, the ovule bearing
scales become fleshy, and by their
coalescence (always in threes) form a
berry. In the Yew tribe, in which
the female flowers are either solitary
or clustered, the scale is developed
into a succulent disc* In the Sequoia
tribe (Taxodias) the cones may be
regarded as intermediate between those
of the Abietinete and Cupressinese,
combining the general appearance and
form of some of the former with much
of the structure of the latter, the scales
enclosing fi'om tlu-ee to nine seeds

Tig. 7.-Fertile branclilft of Cnjplomeria aCCOrdiug tO tllC kind. TllCy haVO,

Japonica, var. Lo/M, with cones having pro- t • i • i i. 1,

longe-l axes, bearinR foliage leaves at their hOWeVCr, a peCuJiaritV wluch mUSt 06
apices. y i. ^

noted. The axis in some species
frequently continues to gi'ow after the cone is formed, and there
is produced on the apex a whorl or fascicle of leaves, differing in
* Technically called an arillus.

2G

A MANUAL OF TUB CONIPER.'K.

iiOtliing from tlie ordinary foliage-leaves of tlie species. This
peculiarity is most common in Cryptomcria_, and is not infrequent
in Sciadopitys.

Tlie cdius of tlie ditFerent .i^^enera and specie's differ as imicli in
size and culour as they do in form ; the herries of some of the
Savin Junipers are smaller than the smallest garden peas, while the
cone of the Moreton ]iay Pine {Araucan'a Bidwilli) is almost as large
as a man's head ; the small cone or strohilc of Rdinospora iiinlfcra
is less tlian lialf an inch long ; the cone of the Californian Sugar
Pine (/'. L'tutber/iiniii) is nearly two feet in length. It takes several
cones of the connnon Hemlock Spruce to Aveigh an ounce ; a single
cone of 7V/C//.S' hiKcrocarpa weighs from four to live pounds. Although
the cones of the great majority of the species are of a dull and
miattractive colour, there are some remarkahle exceptions ; the cones
of Ahic!^ Wdihlana during the period of growth are of a deep
Mackish violet-purple, and are strikingly lieautiful ; those of A. vabili--^
are of a liright pea-green during their progi'ess towards maturity, which,
with the symmetrical arrangement of the scales and protrm^Ung hracts
and their large size, render them very beautiful objects. The ripe
herries of the Yew are bright reil, and in one variety orange-yellow,
which, when produced in profusion, gi\e the trees hy their contrast
to the dark sonihre foliage, a very ornamental appearance.

X

Seeds. — The Seeds are produced singly/'^ in pairs^f or in greater
number^* according to the ovules in each scale, but sometimes

fewer by abortion. They are con-
tained in a bony, leathery, or
membranous tegument, often pro-
longed into one or two membran-
ous wings. The embryo is enclosed
in a farinaceous or fleshy albumen,
more or less impregnated with.
resin. The cotyledons vary in
number from three to fifteen, but
according to Parlatore there are
only two, these being so deeply

^.

Fig. 8.— Scale of Pinus i,inp;i, natural size. 1. Inner

Fi.lc, wiih secjU. 2 Ouior fiiio, showinB tlio Bwollen rlividpd -IS tn innPTv nninprniT^
terminal portion callcl the opophyM, with its central ^-^^Viaca <IS 10 appear numcrOUS

{Cotyledones profunde partitce mule
The seeds vary much in size and shape in

protuberance.

vidcntur, HI.— XV.

Araucariii, Yuw.

t Abies, Piuus, &c.

+ CyprcsH, Taxodiiuii, &C,

skeds op coniferous iLA^tS. 27

the differeufc genera, and even in species included in tlie same
genus. Thus, in Pinus, they are generally ovoid or obovoid with
the gi'eater diameter of the smaller seeds, as those of P. Strohiis
not more than one -fifth of an inch, while those of P. Sahiniana
are almost as large as a filbert. In Abies and Cedrus they are
broadly wedge-shaped ; in Taxodium, angular ; in Sequoia, disc-like
and compressed ; in some species of Cypress, car-shaped, &c. In
Araiicaria imhricata, the scale, bract, and seed all coalesce into an
elongated wedge-like form.

It i.^ a very rcinarkable fact that some of the largest of trees spring
from the smallest of seeds. Thus, the gigantic Se(iuoias of California,
the Wellingtor.ia, and the Eed "Wood have seeds less than one-tenth
of an in-h in diameter, and each seed contains no more matter than
a grain of mustard seed. The seeds of the Deodar Cedar are smaller
than those of some of our garden herbs, and the seeds of the Hemlock
Firs are among the smallest of tree seeds. The seeds of Pim/s
hiiniophi/Jl" and P. Jiora/'emis, both low trees, are half as large again
as those of their congener 1\ Lamhcrtidnd, which towers to ten times
their height, and many other instances might l)e cited. The larger
seeds are edible, and although the resinous flavour is never entirely
absent, it may be got rid of 1 )y boiling or roasting ; they are then not
only jialatable, but even agreealili-. The seeds of Araiicaria imhricata,
Pinus Sahiniana, P. Lainhertiana, P. longifolia, P. jiinca, and sonie
other species, are all used as food by the inhabitants of the countries
of Avhich these trees are native ; and from the seeds of Pi mis Ccnthra
is expressed a valuable oil nsed for lamps.

Under cidtivation, and sown in the open gr()uud, the seeds of most
of the hardy kinds genninate within six or eight weeks after l)eing
sown, and not nnfrequently less under favoiirable circumstances. During
the first season the growth of the seedling is slow, rising not more
than an inch or two above the gi-oimd, and having no more leaves
than can be ea.sily counted ; it is not till the second or third year,
and some kinds still later, that a decided push upwards takes place.

Tlie .seed of each species produces plants "after its kind," but
innumerable departures from a fixed type are of constant occuiTence,
and many of theni so remarkalile, that were their origin mdcnown,
tliey Avould, on superficial glance, be taken for rpnte distinct kinds.
Among such may be noted the Irish Yew, Clanbrasil's Fir, the erect
Lawson's Cypress, and the "Wliipcord ArT)or A^ita?. ]j(!sides these,
which may be called extreme forms, every Ix'il of seecUhig plants
shows numbei'less variations in habit, fi^liage, or some minor ])articular.
Coniferse, therefore, like many of tlie lower fonns of vegetation, as

28 A MANUAL 01* THE CONIFEti.E.

Ferns, are 2^"^!/»^"''P^""''^* ^ l)rinci})le tliat luauifests itself tliroiigliout.
the order, r)ut is inucli more common in sonie tribes than in others ;
it is less freiiuent in Pinus than in Abies, very usual in the Yew,
and most common in the Cypress tribe (Cupressus, Thuia, Ketinospora,
Juniporus, Sec). It is most observal)le in plants in their young state,
but when the departure from the usual type is not very great, the
difference gradually disappears as the plant becomes older.

Secretions. — The Secretions are abundant^ and flow copiously from
wounds made in the stems of the trees during the groTNang season^
especially in the Fir and Pine tribe ; they are known as Turpentine,
Resin, Tar, &c., w^iicli are much used in the arts, chiefly as preserva-
tives against decay. " The turpentine is generally contained in special
receptacles in the substance of the wood, but sometimes it collects
in blisters underneath the bark, which appear during the strong
heats of summer. It flows from these as a liquid juice, which thickens
on. exposure to the atmosphere, when incisions are made in the
stem.'^t The crude turpentine thus obtained consists of a volatile
or essential oil and resin, wliich can be separated by distillation.
Oil of tm'pentine in its pure state is a colourless liquid of powerful
odour, ;j: almost insoluble in water, but dissolving in alcohol or
ether, and absorbing oxygen rapidly from the air, especially when
mixed with ceruse or white lead ; it dissolves sulphur, and is a
good solvent for grease. § It is also a powerful solvent for resins,
wliich form the bases of most varnishes, and fi'om its great vola-
tility, it quickly flies off or dries away, leaving a tliin coat of the
varnishing substance on the surface on which it has been applied. ||
It is the only known volatile oil that mixes readily vnth paint
without affecting its essential jDroperties, diluting it that it may
flow freely from the painter's brush, and by its volatility causing
the paint to dry rapidly. Tar is impure Turpentine, altered by the
heat used to separate it from the wood. Pitch is simply Tar

This word explains nothing, it simply expresses a plionomenou, the cause of which
lies deeper than physiological science has yet reached.

t Dr. Carpenter, VcgetaUc Physiology, p. 213.

t Chemically a hydro-carbon, having for its formula C'O HlO, specific gravity 0.86
(wlien pure distilled water at 15° C. is 1), it boils at 160° C— Chemistry, by Dr. Williams,
in Clarendon Press Scries, § 348.

§ Idem.

i; Dr. Carpenter, Vegetable Physiology, p. 213.

SECRETIONS OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 29

deprived of its volatile part. Tlie Resin left in tlie still after tlio
separation of the essential oil differs in appearance and properties
according to the amount of impurities contained in it. The best
Resin is brownish yellow, crystalises in small rhombic prisms, is
insoluble in water but is dissolved by alcohol ; it is a non-con-
ductor of electricity, and in its fossil state is known as amber.

The resinous products of Coniferous trees are enumerated Ijy Dr.
Lindley* as follows : — " Ciamiion and Burgundy Pitch are obtained
from Fiiuis sijbrdrfs ; Hungarian Balsam from P. vionfana ; a most
fragrant resin from Aran car ia hrasiUensis ; a hard lirittle resin like
cojial from Dammara australis; Bordeaux turpentine from Plnus pinaster;
Carpathian balsam from P. pinea? Strasburg turpentine froui Abies
pedinata ; Canadian balsam from A. halsamea. The common Larch
yields Venetian turpentine, and a saccharine matter called Manna of
Brianeon exudes from the branches. Liquid storax is thought to be
yielded by the Dammar Pine.f Sandarach, a whitish-yellow, brittle,
inflammable, resinous substance with an acrid aromatic taste, is said by
Brongniart to be the tears of CaJJitris quadrivalris. The substance
from wliich Spruce beer is made is an extract from the branches of
Abies canadensis and of A. niijra. Great tanning powers exist in the
bark of the Larch. The stimulating diuretic powers of Junip)erus
Sabina are well kno"s\m, and are partaken of in some degree by the
common Jimiper, the diuretic berries of which are an ingredient in
flavouring gin; the fetid oil of Juniperus oxijcedrns is employed in
veterinary practice." From the descending sap of the Larch and other
trees of the Pine and Fir tribe is obtained the substance called Coniferine,
which, by a comparatively recent discovery, can be transformed into
Yanilline, the aromatic principles present in the seed vessels of Vanilla.
The collecting of Coniferine has rpiite lately become a profitable branch
of industry in Xorth Geiniany.

The amount of the secretions yielded by Coniferous trees appears
to be influenced by the lieat or moisture of the climate ; the former
acting as a stimulant, and the latter as a check to their production.
Tlie Pine forests in the Mediterranean region and the plantations in
the south of France supply turpentine in greater quantity and of
better quality than that obtained further north, while the Pine Forests
of Sweden and !Xorway suj)})ly only the coarser products as tar and
pitch. The turpentine of American commerce is procured chiefly from
the extensive " Pine Barrens " of the South Eastern States, where,
during the great heats of summer, it flows from the trees so copiously
as to require but a comparatively small amoimt of labour to obtain
it. In the great pine Avoods of Canada, it Avould not at present

* Tlv; Vcgetahlc Kingdom, p. 229. t Dammara orien*alis.

80 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERiE.

ronny tlio cost of colk-ctinp; for exportation, in consequence of tlie
cheaper rate at vliicli it is procured further soutli. The Coniferte of
tlie Himalayas yield but a small amount of resinous products owing to
the humidity of the climate ;* and in lliitain — although the more eciualjle
temperature of summer and winter, especially in the districts of the
greatest rainfall, is favourable to the ra[)id growth of the trees — the
resinous products are not sufficiently abundant to be worth collecting.

The Turpentine imported into Great liritain exceeds half a million
of cwts. annually. The Tar received from the north of Europe,
obtained from Piiins sylvestris, and used chiefly in shipbuilding (of which
the Stockholm Tar of commerce is considered the best), and that from
Xorth America, obtained from P!ini>i fitidrah'-^, P. Ta'da, P. riijida, c^'c,
exceeds yearly five millions of gallons. The distillation of tar, both
in Europe and America, is usually performed in a very rude manner,
involving an enormous waste of material. " A funnel-shaped hole is
dug in a l)ank, about six or eight feet in diameter at the upper part
and not mure than ten inches at the lower. At the bottom of the
hole is placed an iron pan having a long pipe or spout which is made
to pass through the bank ; the hole is then filled up with l)illets cut
from the roots and branches of the Pine Trees, which, after being
kindled at the top, are covered over incompletely with turf. The wood
is then charred from altove downwards, and the tar, mixed with
various other prijdncts, flows off at the bottom through the spout into
a receiver." f

DISEASES AXD ACCIDENTS.

Coniferous plants arc liable to disease^ -whicli manifests itself in
various forms^ the most common as well as tlie most virulent being
fungoid. One kind of fungoid disease commences at the roots,
spreading up from tlience to the layers of wood immediately siir-
rounding the pith, which in the course of a few years become soft
and rotten. J lliis disease has proved very destructive to Larch,
and is commonly known as Larch-rot. Another form of fungus
attacks the stem and branches, kills the bark on which it settles,
but leaves the roots and interior healthy. § Disease also arises
from the absorjition by the roots of deleterious matters in the soil

• " It is n, curious circumstance that none of the liimalayau Conifers produce any
quantity of resin, turpentine, or pitch, which may perhaps be accounted for by the
humidity of the climate. — Sir J. D. Hooker, liiinalaijan Jouriiah, II. 45.

t Chambers' Eacychquedia of Useful Knowledge.

X Rev. M. J. Berkeley, in Gardeners' Chronicle, 1859, p. 1015.

§ Idem,

DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 31

111 whicli tliG plants are growing; from the stagnation of water
at tlieir roots, and from being planted in places nndor the influence
of the smoke of large towns. Another source of disease is an
excessive flow of sap from wounds or mutilation of the trees
during the growing season, for which they have no adequate
compensating or healing power, and whicli are aggravated by the
rapid formation and flow of the resinous secretions.

The Rev. j\I. J. Berkeley states that one of the fungoid diseases which
proves so destructive to Larch,* " is generated on the roots of felled
trees that have been left in the ground, whence it spreads to the
roots of the living plants. The spores penetrate the tissues of the
tree iu the form of white iiljres or threads, which first iniitair and
finally destroy the vitality nf the parts they infest. This disease
occiu's iu almost any kinel of soil ; it is found to he more especially
prevalent Avliere the land does not admit of complete drainage, a
circmnstance which appears to he supported ly the fact that the Larch
in its native mountains flourish most where, though abundantly supplied
with moisture, the Avater never stagnates, t These fungi arc known
by the scientific names of PoJi/pJiorus ah!('iinu)<, P. deatnidur, and
P. versicolor. Scarcely any Coniferous tree is exempt from their
ravages; Piiius, Cedrus, Cypress, &c., have been killed l)y them, the
evil invariably originating from the roots that have been left in the
ground, and which seem to have an especial power in generating them. |
The fungoid parasite which attacks the stems and branches of Conifers
is called Peziza cahjcina, § it may be found on every branch that has
been left on the ground after thinning. The evil from this cause
commences Avhere the bark has suffered from some unknown accident,
and the secreting surface whether of the bark or the wood beneath
it ibes. II

Disease arising from deleterious matters al)sorbeil by the roots,
shows itself in the yellowish sickly appearance of the foliage followed
by the stunted growth of the leader and terminal branclilets. It
occui-s in .soils containing solul»le matters taken \\\i liy tlie sjjungelets
of the roots, and which, being deposited in tlie vessels and tubes,
first obstruct and finally prevent the free circulation of the sap before
the season's gi-owth is completed. It has been oltserved that Abies
DoiKjhmi and A. nohlli'i will not live \\\)i.m\ oolite soils, U it is also
well known that many other kinds do n(jt thrive upon chalk and
limestone soils. The readiness Avith Avliich foreign matter is taken
up by Avater, is familiar iu the case of "hard" Avater, Avbich contains

* Gardencrfi' Chronicle, 1859, p. 1015.
t Idem, 18C3, p. 244. J Han, 1867, \>. 2G. § Idem, 18.'j9, p. 1015.

;; Idem, 1859, j). 1015. ^ Idem, 1865, p. 291.

32 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

lime, "chalybeate" wateif^, iron, "hepatic" waters, sulphurated hydro-

Stagnation of Avater at the roots induces disease by the "growing
points" of the spongelets being too much stinndated into growth in
the low temperature at which water-logged soil is always found, f
The roots exposed to the action of the water soon become debilitated
and unaT)le to perform their functions, they die and rot; fungus
(Polvphorus) is generated, which soon spreads over the living as well
as the dead parts, and the plant perishes.

The destructive action of smoke is seen in the sooty particles that
.■settle on the foliage and bark of the branches. The stomata of
the leaves and the pores of the bark of the young shoots are thus
choked, and the functions of these organs permanently injured ; the
foliage falls off before its usual term of persistency is complete, and
the plants have that denuded unsightly appearance so commonly seen
in the immediate vicinity of London and other large towns.

"Wounds and the mutilation of young Coniferous trees during the
season of active growth often causes their death, through an excessive
flow of the sap. " The sap like the blood oozes out or escapes at
the newly-made wound; its passage is a mute protest against our
violence, and whispers to the wise operator as it flows, to make as
few wounds as possible. All the sap that thus exudes is lost, it
represents so much waste of vital energy. But in the case of Conifers
it does more than this, the wounds are apt to become festering sores,
they attract towards them the secretions of the plant, to be not
simply discharged and loyt, but to form centres of incurable disease,
ending often in running sores and life-long exudations of gaimniy
and resinous matter." J A remarkable instance of wounding was once
brought under our notice. A man while mowing had cut round the
stem of a large Araucaria wibricata in vigorous growth with his scythe ;
the flow of sap from the wound was so incessant, that the tree bled
to death in spite of all efforts to stop it. It is evident, therefore,
that the pruning of Coniferous trees, especially those belonging to the
Fir and Pine tribe in which the circulation of the sap is exceedingly
active, cannot Tje to<. strongly deprecated. If practised at all, it should
lie restricted to the cutting or heading back of the fewest shoots
possible, and this should be performed in winter when the risk is least.
It is the want of an adequate compensating power in the Fir and
Pine tribe to repair injuries, that renders it not only injudicious but
even dangerous to amputate branches in vigorous health at any season.

• See Chemistry liy Professor Williamson, p. 619.

t Dr. Lindley observes :—" Water is not of itself an evil; on tlie contrary, it is the
food of ])lants, and its absence is attended with fatal results. It is the excess of water
which injures plants, just as an excess of food injures animals."— TAf on/ mid Practice of
IlorticuUarc, p. 137. ^ ''

J Gardeners' Chronicle, 1868, p. 761.

DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 33

A compensating power, such as the formation of healing tissues which
close over wounds, is present in the other trihes in a nnich higher
degree, and hence the trees and shrubs belonging to them may be cut
with far less risk of injury. This power exists to such an extra-
ordinary extent in the Yew, that it may l)e deprived of its youno-
growth annually, for a long succession of years, without destroying its
vitality ; it is thus an invaluable hedge plant. In Part III., we have
given a selection of Coniferse suitable for the formation of hedges,
with hints for their treatment.

Coniferous trees and shrubs are frequently injured and disfigured
by domestic and other animals, if not protected from tlieir de-
predations. Horses wnll bite off the young shoots of most of
the kinds usually planted for the beautifying of the j)ai'k and
landscape ; sheep and deer have been known to permanently dis-
figure young Ai'aucarias, Deodars, and other kinds to wliicli they
have obtained access. Nor is the Yew exempt from attack,
although the young branches and foliage can never be eaten by
cattle without dangerous, if not fatal results.* Hares and rabbits
will gnaw the bark of young Conifers in all seasons of the
year, but chiefly in wdnter, giving a preference to members of
the Cypress tribe when within their reach, probably on account of
the resinous secretions of these trees being less abundant than
in the Yiv and Pine tribe, although the latter are by no means
free from their attacks. Squirrels destroy the green and immature
cones of Firs and Pines in great numbers, as well as the ripe
seeds which are an important item of their winter provisions ; they
also eat the buds of the same trees ; they attack the bark of
the Scotch Fir and Larch, especially in young plantations, but
eating the inner bark only, frequently destroying the tree or
rendering it of no value ; and they have been known to strip off
the tough fibrous bark of the Eed Wood and Wellingtonia for
material for their nests. Birds will peck off the buds 'of the
Fir and Pine when other resources are scarce, and they will also
use the fibres of the bark of the Eed Wood in the construction
of their nests. f

* Tli(i necessity of guarding Yew trees that have not lost their lower branches, beyond
the reacli of cattle cannot be too strongly insisted iii)on, not so much for the sake of
the trees, as for the safety of the animals.

t The mischief done by birds to Coniferous trees is really insignificant, and is more
than counterbalanced by the good they do in destroyiug tlie laiTie of tlic insects that
prey upon them.

34 A MANUAL OP THE CONIPERJ].

Heavy as the indictment for mischief against the larger animals
appears to be, it is comparatively hght to that which must be
pi-eferrcd for the ravages committed by insects, wliich prove
infinitely the more destructive as they are the more nnmerous
and their mode of attack the more insidious. Scarcely . any
Coniferous plants can be said to be fi^ee from their depredations,
although it is among the timber-producing trees of the Fir and
Pine tribe that the evil caused by these minute marauders is the
most serious. The Scotch, Wepnouth, and other Pines are fre-
quently infested by a species of beetle known as the Pine Beetle,*
which deposits its eggs in the bark and buds of young trees ;
the larva3 eat out the interior of the buds and young shoots
during the period of active growth, and thus check and even
permanently injure the trees they attack. The Typographer Beetle,+
so called from the passages made in the wood by its larva3 in
eating their way out having a fancied resemblance to alphabetical
letters, attacks the Silver Fir, but will also commit ravages on
other kinds where the Silver Fir is scarce.;}: Pines are also
attacked by a large kind of weevil, § which pierces the bark with
its trunk, " thus rendering the tree unhealthy prior to the female
depositing her eggs." The Larch blight is caused by a kind of
beetle, |1 which deposits its eggs in the crevices of the bark,
whence they are propagated with marvellous rapidity in the Spring
months. An insect called Sirex is particularly destructive to Fir
timber ; the wood is pierced and bored in all directions by this
pest, and it is not till after the trees have been felled that its
ravages are manifest.

Tlic Irish Juniper is often disfigured by the larva? of a moth,
called the Juniper Moth; and even the Yew, poisonous as it
is to the larger animals, is the home of an insect to which
entomologists give the name of Cecidonyea Taxi. These are but
a few of the best known and most destructive kinds observed in
Britain. Tliere is, however, a counterpoise found even among
insects. "It is well known that while there are multitudes of

» Jlylurgiis pinipcrda. Sec Gardeners' Chronicle for 184G, p. 720, wliore nn account
of this insect is given ; also for 18C9, p. 967.

t Lostrichus tijpor/raphns. Mi: Eobort Hutchison, in Procecdinrjs of the Scotch Arhori-
cultural Society, 1874.

t Idem. § Pisodcs noiatus. \\ Boslridcus laricio.

DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 35

noxious insects devastating whole forests^ there arc also many nsefnl
little animals which^ hy their operations, may bo said to act as
the good genii of all trees, and chiefly of the Coniferous tribe."
Among the latter may be mentioned the Ichneumon flies, which
destroy myriads of caterpillars that infest Fir and Pino trees,
and also a little insect to which Linnfcns gave the name of
IVianasinns formicarhis, "whoso destructive abilities are truly mar-
vellous, depositing its eggs not unfrequently in the wood boring
larva^ themselves, as well as in the bodies of many other
destructive insects." *

Observations made on the habits of the insects destructive to
Coniferous trees, tend to show, that iiuieh of the mischief caused
by them, may l)e prevented by foretliought and judicious management.
Mr. Robert Hutchison in the excellent paper above quoted, points out
that " trees of the Pine tribe most frequently affected in their young
stage by the attacks of insects, are those which are planted in soil
previously cropped by the same description of tree. This will also be
the case even although the previous crop may not have Ijeen affected
in the least degree by such ravages, thus clearly showing that the cause
of the destniction to the second crop does not lie in any sort of
infection or trauf^mission of the disease (if so it may be called), but
rather from the groAvth and establishment of lar\'8e in the ground itself,
engendered probably liy the dry condition of the soil, caused by the
previous cropping and absorption of the moisture by the numerous roots
left in the groimd after felling.

" iVnother fact Avorthy of notice is, that these marauders of Coniferous
plantations seem gi'eatly enamoured of the cut and drying twigs and
branches from early prunings or thumings. It has been frequently
observed that they prefer locating themselves among these cut branches
to any other shelter or cover, so long as they find them in a fresh
although drying condition, and they will invariably settle on them
rather than on any part of the growing trees themselves. This
pretlilection for shoots in a semi-dry or half withered state is further
attested by the circumstance that insects Avhich attack the Fir tribe,
invariably commence on a sul)ject already cA'incuig indications of
sickness or decay."

" The modes of insect attacks upon Coniferous trees may be directed
towards the root, the bark, or the tender yomig shoots ; but in any
case their preference for the apparently weaker growths and constitutions
holds good, Avhatever may be the mode of attack, and whetlier their
victim be a recently planted seedling or a mature tree. They probably,

Mr. Robert Hutcliison in rroccccUngs of (he SfjAch ArloricuUural Society, 1874.

36 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

in the tir.4 instance, feed on their prey, and tlien breed in the cavities
wliicli their predacious attacks have made."

" The season when insects are most injurious to Coniferous woods
is generally from the beginning of April to the end of June, and
again from about the beginning of August till the middle or end of
September, in favourable and mild A\'eather, or ordinary seasons. Cold
or wet weather may affect their operations, but, as a rule, these are
the times of the year during which the greatest havoc is committed.
Hot and dry summer weather, especially if succeeded by a cold, dry,
frosty winter, favours the dissemination and increase of forest feeding
insects. The warmth of sunnner fosters their breeding, becavise by its
genial influence their period of transfprmation from the larvse state
is shortened, and abundance of time is afforded for several broods to
mature in succession, and when the following winter is dry, a super-
abundant number of insects will be found in the coming spring; while
on the other liantl, should the summer season prove wet and deficient
in sunshine, and the following autumn and Avinter be damp, intensely
cold or snowy, the numbers of insects whose increase had been
previously checked by the adverse summer will be materially lessened
in the foUoAving spring, and the destruction to the Avoods for the
time Avill be proportionately lessened."

Our space does not permit us to pursue this interesting subject
further ; Ave must therefore refer those of our readers desirous of further
information, to the excellent paper from Avhicli the foregoing extracts
are taken.

Accidents from meteorological phenomena^ as "winds^ snoAV storms,
lightning, &c,, require but a passing notice. The leaders of trees
belonging to the Fir and Pine tribe, and some of the Tasodige, are
sometimes snapped off by high winds. When the breakage includes
no more of the stem than the last season's growth, the injury is
often repaired in Firs and Pines, by one of the branches in the
uppermost whorl gradually ascending and taking the place of the
missing leader. But not unfrequently more than one of the branches
in the highest tier become transformed into leaders ; the stem thence
becomes forked, and the symmetry of the tree impaired. The
remedy in that case is simply to remove the weaker of the rival
leaders. If more of the trunk than the latest growth is broken off
the tree becomes irremediably deformed. When the breakage occurs
near the ground, the injury results in the death of the tree, as no
member of the Fir and Pine tribe has the power of sending out new
shoots from any part of its trunk or from its roots. Breakage by

DISTKIBUTION OP CONIFEROUS PIANTS. 37

snow will permanently disfigure a tree whose branches have not
sufficient elasticity to peld to the weight without fracture. Tlie
frondose branches of most Coniferae, with their dense clothing of
foliage, offer peculiar facilities for the resting of snow upon them,
and the weight of this, especially after being partially thawed and
then fi'ozen, acts as a severe strain upon them. In the case of
young trees planted as specimens for the decoration of the lawn and
pleasiu-e grounds, it is evidently advisable to relieve the branches of
at least a portion of their superincumbent weight after a heavy fall
of snow. The destruction of Coniferous trees by lightning is, at
least in this country, a rare occurrence. Whether this apparent
immunity is in any way owing to the resin contained in the wood
and sap, resin being one of the most perfect non-conductors of
electricity, does not appear to have been investigated.

DISTRIBUTION.

The DISTRIBUTION of the Conifer^e over the globe, as already
stated,* is general ; the order being represented everywhere where
arborescent vegetation can exist, with two remarkable exceptions,
already pointed out.t The modifying phrase, "wherever arborescent
vegetation exists,^' is both necessary and important, for, besides the
Arctic and Antarctic Eegions where, under present conditions, no
trees grow, there are large tracts both in the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres that are treeless, the cause of which is, at least in
part, explained by the peculiar physical circumstances that influence
their climate.:}: The most extensive of these treeless regions in the
Eastern Hemisphere are (1) — The Steppes of South-Eastern Europe
and the great table-land of Central Asia which, together, stretch
across the continent from the Eiver Don to the confines of China.
(2) — The Sahara Eegion, which, including the Arabian and Syrian
Deserts, extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian G ulf . To
these may be added an extensive treeless tract in the interior of
Australia. In the Western Hemisphere there are (1) — The great

* Sec page 5.

t The Indian Peninsula and Central Africa.

t They are not absolutely treeless, there are isolated spots and oases -where firings of
Water are found, and around which trees have sprung up, but they arc too few in numbev
to affect the general statement.

38 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERiE.

Prairie Region of Nortli America, and (2)— tlie Pampas of Soutli
America. The areas of tliese treeless regions form in the aggregate
no inconsiderable portion of the whole sm-face of the land.

Reserving the statements of the separate habitats of the Tribes,
Genera, and the Species contained in the Order for their respective
Sections in Part II., the general distribution of the existing Coni-
ferous vegetation may be conveniently sketched according to the
Natural Floras or Regions defined by Professor Grisebach,* mth
some necessary modifications which the subject requires. In all
such divisions, however, ''''there is a definiteness and sharpness of
outHne which is really an inherent defect," t a^cl in the adaptation
of these geographical divisions for the purpose of explaining the
distribution of Coniferse, this defect is occasionally manifest. We
commence A\-ith the Europeo-Siberian region as being that which
includes the greater part of our own quarter of the globe, and
which was, within historic times, almost entu'ely covered with forest.
In this region a belt of Conifers stretches, almost unbroken, from
the North Atlantic Ocean to the Sea of Ockhotsk, the belt
ocpupjdng the northern limits of the region and reaching in Europe
as far north as latitude 68° 10' N., the limit of Abies exeelsa, and in
Asia to latitude 69°, the limit of A. ohovata. This belt is composed
exclusively of members of the Fir and Pine Ti'ibe. South of
this belt, much of the land has been cleared for cultivation,
especially in Europe, so that the primeval forests are chiefly restricted
to the mountain chains and hilly districts. On all the mountain
chains Avithin the region, there is a zone of vegetation consisting
entirely of Coniferae, both above and below which there are Coni-
ferous trees and shrubs intermingled with plants of other orders,
their proportion to the entire vegetation of the adjacent zones
gradually diminishing in both directions in receding from the zone
formed exclusively of Conifers. The altitude of the Coniferous zone
varies with the latitude in proceeding from north to south. Thus,
in Norway and Sweden, the Coniferous forests occupy the slopes of
the Scandinavian mountains from the base to the snow line. On
the Ilartz mountains, in Germany, the Coniferous zone predominates
at an elevation of about 3,000 feet ; on the Carpathians, at 4,000

• Die Vecjetalioii dcr Erdc nach ihrcr klimatischcn Anordnuwj.
t Thomi-'s Slriictwral Bokmy, p. 434, Editorial Note.

DISTRIBUTION OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 89

feet ; on the Sudetic cliaiu, at 5,000 feet ; and on tlic Alps of
S\vitzerland and the Tyrol, at 6,000 feet. The limit of Pinns montana,
which grows at a higher elevation than any other European Conifer,
is about 7,500 feet on the Alps and 6^000 on the Carpathians. The
Juniper is fi-equent on the higher grounds and open downs of Europe
and thi'oughout Siberia. The Yew is common in Western Europe,
especially in the British Isles. In the Mantschuria district, in the
extreme east of Asia, the Siberian Conifers are confined to the
mountains."^'

It is worthy of note that there is proljaMy no country in the Wurld
of the same limited extent as England in Avhicli f?o many exotic
species of Conifers thrive and so few are indigenous. The only native
existmg species arc Pi mis sylvestris, Juniiyerus communis, and Taxus
haccata.

In the Mediteeeanean region the Conifers form a much smaller
proportion of the entu-e vegetation than in the Em*opeo- Siberian
region, but there are more genera and species. On the borders of
the Atlantic Ocean, and in the low lands on the east side of the
Bay of Biscay, Pinus Pinaster is common. Tlu-oughout the region
the Fir and Pine tribe is confined chiefly to the mountain slopes
at considerable elevations, at places forming extensive forests. The
Cedar occurs on Mount Atlas, in Algeria ; also on Taui'us and
Lebanon in Western Asia. In the extreme east, in Armenia and
in the neighbourhood of the Black Sea, there are extensive forests
of Abies oricntalis. The Junipers are represented everywhere
throughout the region by numerous species ; the evergreen Cy|3ress
is common, and in Morocco and other parts of North Afiica an
allied species, Callitris quadrivalvis, is fi'equent.

Perhaps no cormtry in Europe has more native species than Italy, as
many as twenty being mcluded in its Flora. But although Italy contains
80 many species and Europe north of the Alps has but six, tlie anuuber
of imhvidual trees is by no means apportioned in the same way. The
Conifers m the north of Europe fonn immense forests, and consequently
play an important jiart in the general aspect of the coinitry. In
Italy, on the contrary, with the exception of the Alps, where they
fonn by their quantity, a region at the mean height, these trees con-
stitute but small scattered Avoods, which give no important feature to
the landscape.

* Thome's Structural Botany, p. 439i

40 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

On tlic HiJiAMTAS, the Coniferous zone occurs at a higher eleva-
tion than on the mountain ranges in higher latitudes ; the altitude
of the zone gi-adually increase in advancing from Afghanistan to
Bhotan. In the north-west, the great Deodar forests cover exten-
sive tracts at from 5,000 to 10,000 feet of elevation ; these are
succeeded eastwards by Pines and Fu-s at from 6,000 to 11,000 feet,
and further east the Larch occurs with Pines and Firs at from
7,500 to 13,000 feet of elevation.* Below these altitudes, and
intermixed "«ath the trees and shrubs of other orders, the Cypress,
Juniper, and^ Yew, are also represented by one or more species.

Referring to the distribution of Himalayan Conifers, Sir J. D. Hooker
remarks f that the Deodar has not been seen east of ISTepaul, nor
Pims Gerardiana, nor Cupressits iorulosa. On the other hand,
Abies Brunoniana does not occur west of the Gogra, nor Larix Grif-
fith iana west of Cosi. Of the twelve Sikkim or Bhotan Conifers, J
nine are common to the nortli west Himalayas and three not, and of
the thirteen natives of the north-west Provinces, five are not found in
Sikkim.

In the Chino-Japanese region the presence of a dense population
has driven back the aboriginal Flora to the highlands. In Cluna
the limits of the distribution of the native plants are not known,
but Conifers are met mth in every part of the country that has
been visited by Europeans, and the number of native species is
considerable, including some of peculiar interest and aspect. §

In Japan the Coniferae are still more numerous. All the tribes
included in the Order are represented by several species. Jesso,
the northern island, is almost entirely covered with forest composed
chiefly of Fu-s and Pines, and so dense that it is impossible to
get from one part of the island to another except by going round
the coast. A remarkable feature in the Conifera) of the Chino-
Japanese region, is the existence of several genera allied to the
gigantic Sequoias of California, and at the present time represented
by a single species only, but which at a former epoch were

• These numbers must be taken as general expressions of the heights.

t Iliimdayan Jourtmls, vol. i. p. 256.

tJuniperv^ recurva, J. religiosa, J. cxcclsa, Abies Brunoniana, A. Wehhiana, A.
Smithiana, Pmus cccelsa, P. longifolia, Larix Griffitliiana, Curircssus torulosa, Podo-
carpus neriifoUa, Tax us Wallichiana.

§ Especially Ginkgo hiloha, Cimninghamia simneiSi Glyptosirohos hetcropliylht,s, Cupressus
funchris, Pinus Bungcuna, Abies Forlunci.

DISTRIBUTION OF CONIPEEOUS PLANTS. 41

niimerous, and were spread over a great part of tlie northern
lieniispliere.

The richness of the Coniferous vegetation of the Chino-Japaneso
region, and the prolonged existence of species whose congeners in other
parts of the world have long since passed away, are doubtless owing to
a more regular distribution of the rainfall, comlnned with a high
siinuuer temperature.

The NoETH Ameeican forest region corresponds in a great measure
to the Em-opeo- Siberian forest region of the eastern hemisphere.
''A broad forest zone passes through the whole continent fi'om
Behring's Straits to Newfoundland, and southwards as far as Florida
and the mouths of the Mississippi." * The northern belt includes
the zone of Ahics nigra and A. alha, intermixed in the eastern
portion with the Scrub, Yellow, and White Pines {Pinus Banhsiana
P. inops, P. viitis, and P. Strohus). Further south the Coniferous
trees are mixed with broad-leaved deciduous trees, but the mountain
sides and many parts of the lower grounds are covered with forests
of Pine and Fir. In the swampy district that extends from New
Jersey southwards, and along the river banks of the South Eastern
States, the Deciduous Cyjn'ess and White Cedar are abundant; and
an immense tract called the "Pine Barrens," extending for hundreds
of miles along the Atlantic coast, is covered with Piuus australis
and P. iceda.

The Californian and Mexican region. Tlie maximum of Coniferous
vegetation in North America is reached in the long strip of territory
\ying between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, and
extending from British Columbia to beyond the Mexican line. In
this region not only is the area covered by Coniferous forests very
great in proportion to the entire extent, but also the trees of most
of the species attain so gigantic a size, that all other kinds met
with in other parts of the world, ^vith the exception perhaps of the
Indian Deodar, may be called dwarf in comparison. Tlie number
of species in this region, especially of Firs and Pines, is exceptionally
great ; the Cypress tribe is represented by many species ; the Yew
tribe by at least two; and California is well known to be the home
of the gigantic Wellingtonia and Redwood,

The Coniferous forests of California are continued in the liighlands,

» Thome's Stricctural Botany, \u 446.

42 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

stretcliing soutliwards tlirougli the Mexican territory into Guatemala,
but at a higher elevation. Forests of Pine cover the mountain
slopes at from 9,000 to 12,000 feet of elevation, and lower down,
interspersed among the trees and shi-ubs of other orders, the
Cypress, the Juniper, and the Yew have each their representatives.
AVithin the Tropics, in both hemispheres. Coniferous trees and
slu'ubs form but a minute fr'action of the entire arborescent
vegetation; thet ropical species belonging to the Order are moreover
unimportant compared vnth those of extra tropical regions. One
species of Pine {Finns occidentalis) occurs on the mountains of
Cuba and St. Domingo, awd two or three Podocarps are found
within the West Indian region. In tropical South America,
Podocarps are the sole representatives of the Coniferge, but there
are some species of Ephedra, a genus of Gymnospermous plants,
closely allied to the Order, natives of the same region. Within
the equatorial zone of South America, there are large tracts
called Llenos, grassy plains entirely destitute of trees, and some-
times flooded by continuous rain. The Andean region is also
treeless along the Pacific coast, but on the eastern slopes of the
Peruvian and Bolivian Andes, vegetation is abundant, among which
the only Coniferous plants are Podocarps, but the allied Order
Gnetacese, is represented by several species of Ephedra. Tropical
Africa is almost destitute of Conifers : one siDecies of Podocarp is
reported from the island of St. Thomas, oft' the coast of Western
Africa; one of Widdringtonia in Madagascar, and the curious
Welwitschia is indigenous to the Kalahari region. The Flora of
the East Indian Archipelago includes more coniferous species than
that of any other tropical region. Finns Merkusii occurs in Sumatra,
F. insularis in the Philippine Islands, Dammara alba in Borneo,
Java, Celebes, &c. ; Giietnm Gnenion is common throughout the
region, and there are besides, six or seven other species of Gnetum
of local occurrence.

TTie distribution of the Coniferge in the Southern Hemispheke
offers scarcely any analogy to their spread over the Northern regions,
Avhich is no more than might be expected from the pecuhar con-
figuration of the land south of the TVopic of Capricorn, its com-
paratively limited extent, and the separations of the principal portions
from each other by an immense expanse of ocean. The Southern

DIST^BDTION OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 43

Hemispliere Conifers are also separated from tlic Nortliern ones by
several Avell defined cliaracters both as regards tlieir vegetation and
also tlieir reproduction/^ so that no Northern genns has a repre-
sentative in the South.f

In Australia the species are numerous^ but each is restricted to
comparatively narrow limits. There are considerable forests of Arau-
cai'ia in the neighbonrhood of Moreton Bay; and scattered through
the " scrub/' Dammaras, Frenelas, and Podocarps are more or less
frequent. In Western Australia the Actinostrobi and Frenelas are
abundant. New Caledonia, botanically included in the Australian
Kegion, is rich in Conifers — two species of Araucaria and two of
Dammara are indigenous to the island; Frenelas, Dacrydiums, and
Podocarps are also common. In Tasmania, where rain falls at all
seasons, Conifers are also more abundant than on the mainland.
Athrotaxis, a genus, including two or three species, allied to the
Calif ornian Sequoias, Fitzroya (Diselma), and Microcachrys, each
including but a single species, are all peculiar to the island; and
the Yew tribe is represented by Dacrydium and Phyllocladus. In
New Zealand the Coniferte attain their maximum in numbers in the
Southern Hemispliere, constituting, according to Sir J. D. Hooker,
as much as one-sixty-second part of the phanerogamic Flora of
the colony. Here some of the members of the Cypress and Yew
tribe attain the dimensions of large trees; the Incense Cedar
{Liboccclrus Doniana), the Totara Pine {Podocarpus Totara), and the
Kauri Pine {Dammara australix), are among the most valuable of
timber trees in the island.

The South African region, which is situated about midway between
Australia and the South American forest region, is poorer in
Conifers than either; two or three species of Widdringtonia and a
few Podocarps being the only plants belonging to the order found
there. The Araucaria forests of Southern Brazil and the western
slopes of the Andes of Valdivia arc among the most remarkable
features of the South A^ierican forest regions. The Incense Cedars
(two species), and Podocarps are abundant in Southern Chili ; and
towards the extreme verge of the continent, the Yew tribe is further

* The Dammara-s, wliich, witlx the Araucarias, are the southern representatives of the
Pines and Firs, have broad flattened leaves, and in both the development of the seed is on
quite a different principle. Differences not less striking arc observable in the other tribes.

t The Liboccclrus clccurrois of California is an exception.

44 A MANUAL OF THE CONlFERiE.

represented by Sase-Gotligea, wliich is foiiud at a considerable
elevation, associated vnth. a dioecious member of tlie Cypress tribe
(Fitzroya).

The present distribution of tlie Coniferse over tlic surface of the globe
is believed to have resulted from the gradual geological changes that
have been effected since the first appearance of a Coniferous vegeta-
tion in the earlier formations ; and the existing genera and species are
believed to haA'c been developed in the course of ages from tliose that
have long since become extinct.

The evidence adduced in support of this belief consists in the fossil
remains of the plants found in the different strata or rocks of which
the crust of the earth is composed, and which are proved to have
been formed slowly l^y the gradual action of water, or suddenly by
mighty convulsions. It is further proved, that the distribution of land
anil water on the surface of the globe has not always been the same
as it is now; many districts, which are now continents, having been
at one time seas, and vice versa ; and also that the changes in climate
have been not less remarkable. Similar formations and consequent
changes are still in progress on a vast scale in every region of the
globe by the agency of water, as is seen by the deposits of layers of
mud continually accumulating at the mouths of the great rivers, as
the Kile, the Ganges, Ho-ang-ho, Mississippi, &c., and which are brought
down Ijy their waters in a state of suspension or solution, and fonning
what are called "Deltas."

From the observed uniformity of Nature's laws and Avorkings, it is
reasonable to infer therefore, that a cause constantly operating in this
way at the present time in the case of these and other rivers, has
also been operating in the same way from remote antiquity. In the
course of these formations, " multitudes of plants, including even large
trees, have become embedded in the soft deposits of mud, and their
remains preserved in the rock, which results from the hardening of
the mud.* The soft and delicate parts could not be perpetuated in this
manner; and it is foimd, in fact, that only the harder parts, like the
wood-bark and fruits, are preserved. The softer portions have been,
more or less, quickly decomposed; although under specially favourable
conditions, there has been some preservation even of these. These
delicate parts have in some instances left impressions in the hardening
mud, from which the form, and even the species, can be recognised." t
Geologists have classified the different strata into systems, with a
subdivision into groups, to which they have given appropriate names.
They have also assigned to the groups a chronological order of fonna-
tion, not indeed by referring them to a particular year, or muulier of

* It is well-known that in tlie Mississippi and other great American rivers, thousands of
tl-ees float annually down the streams. (Sir Charles Lyell, Geology, p. 481).
t Thome's Structural ami PJtysiological Botany, p. 418.

DISTKIBUTION OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 45

years reckoned from a fixed epoch, but from an examination of the
fossil remains, and from other data, they have ascertained wliich strata
are of earlier formation, and Avhich are more recent. They have also
shown that, from the remains of plants and animals fomid in tlie
ditlerent strata, the simplest forms alone of organic life occur in the
more ancient strata, and there has been a gradual developement through-
out the series, from the simpler forms to the higher and more
complex organisations met with in the more recent strata, among "which
existing species begin to make their appearance.

The oldest vestiges of the vegetable world that hav ebcen preserved,
occur in the lower strata of the Primary or Palaeozoic Age, called the
Silurian System.* They consist only of a feAv marine Algffi (SeaAveeds).
In the Devonian System vegetable remains are more abundant. Land
plants make their first appearance, and among them Coniferte and a few
Cycads. "A^egetable life had extended over the earth in a variety of
foi-ms, but the aspect of this period, as also of the next in succession,
must have been imiform and monotonous to an extraordinary degree." f

In the Carboniferous period (Coal Measures), vegetation attained a
luxuriance far surpassing that at present existing. Over five hundred
species have been described, "which may perhaps be a fragment only of
the entire flora, but they are enough to show that the state of the
vegetable world was then entirely different from that now prevailing."!
This vegetation, which formed the true primeval forests of the earth,
consisted of gigantic Club Mosses (Sigillarise, Lepidodendra?, &c.), Horse
Tails, called Calamites (Equisetacea?), and Coniferse, with a dense under-
groAvth of Ferns, which in tliis period attained a special developement.
" Tlie Coniferous trees are referred to five genera, tlie woody structure
of some of them showing that they were allied to the Araucaria
division of Pines more than to any of our connnon European Eirs.
Many, if not all of them, diftered from living Coniferse in having
large piths." The Sigillarias and Calamites appear to have been quite
distmct from aU tribes of now-existing plants. " That the abundance
of Fenis implies a moist atmosphere is admitted ; but no safe con-
clusion," says Dr. Hooker, " can be drawn from Coniferse alone, as they
are foimd in hot and dry, and in cold and dry climates, in hot and
moist, and in cold and moist regions. In New Zealand the Conifera;
attain their maximum in numbers ; many species of Ferns flourish
there, some of them arborescent, together with many Lycopods, so that
a forest in tliat country may make a nearer approach to the Carboni-
ferous vegetation than any other now existing on the globe. § The
uniformity of the vegetation of the period, which it is computed must

* For the exi)lanation of these and other terms of tlic like kiiul used in the sequel, the
reader is refeiTed to works on Geology.

+ Thom^, p. 420. Sec also Sir C. Lyell's Geology, p. 544.

X Sh- C. Lyell, GeolocjD, p. 466. § Idcvi, 476.

46 A JFANUAL or THE CONirER.'E.

havo lasted at least a million of years,* is inferred from the identity
of its fossiliferous remains found in different parts of the world."

In the period immediately succeeding the Coal Measures, the luxuriance
of vegetation appears to have diminished. As if the earth were already
exhausted, one fi:»rin after another of the Carboniferous vegetation
disappears. The prevalent forms in the Permian System are still
SigillariiT, Calamites, and Ci)niferpe of the Araucaria division; Cycads
attain their maxinnnu devclopcment and Palms first a})pcar.

A tlifferent vegetation characterises the Secondary or Mesozoic strata.
The Conifer?e liegan in the Devonian, attained a maximum in the
Coal Measures, again diminish in the Permian. In the Triassic
System, the oldest in the series, Coniferse and Ferns formed the main
part of the forest, the principal species of tlie former heing Yoltzia
and Albertia, the first a lofty tree not unlike our Cryptomcria, and
the latter had broad leaves penetrated 1)y longitudinal veins, f In
the next in .succession, the Jurassic system, consisting of beds of
argillaceous limestone, marls, and clays called Lias and Oolite, the
prevalent forms of the forests consisted of Cycads, associated with
numerous Coniferse, nearly related to our Araucarias and Thuias, of
which remains have been found in the Lias at Whitfjy ; in tlie
inferior Oolite at Bruton in Somersetsliire ; and in the Purbeck beds
in Dorsetshire. The underwood of the forests still consisted of Ferns
along with fleshy Fungi; the Calamites had disappeared and Avere
replaced l)y other Eqiiisetacese (Horse tails), scarcely exceeding our own
in size. In the Cretaceous System, the first Dicotyledonous trees appear,
the.se were allied to the Walnuts, Oaks, and Figs of our Flora;
Cycads diminish in number, but Coniferse are still abundant, the most
connnon in the upper Cretaceous period belonging to a genus caUed,
Cycadojiteris and hariUy separable from Sequoia (Wellingtonia), and
of which both cones and branches are preserved. Species of Aimicaria
like those of Australia are also found associated with many Proteacege
(GreviUeas, Hakeas, &c.), noAv so abundant in the same (piarter of
the globe. I

The lowest of the Tertiary or Cainozoic Rocks are the Eocene.
In this period Dicotyledonous trees began to contest the supremacy
with Cycads and Cryptogamia. Trees allied to the gigantic Sequoias
()f California, the Cunninghamia and Glyptostrobus of China, Avhich.
fii'st ai)i)ear in the precethng system, attain their greatest development
lu this and the succeeding period, the Miocene, in Avhich remains
have ]mm found in Greenland, Iceland, Britain, Switzerland, and
Italy. Pines Tjelonging to the three-leaved section, are proved to
have existed in Europe in this peri(jd. In the middle Tertiary are

* Sir C. Lyell, Geology, p. 489.
t Tliome'.s Struclural and riiysiulogical Botany, p. 427.
X S'ir C. Lj-ell, Gcohgy, pp. 42fi, 407, 371.

ENUMERATION OP C0NIFER0U8 PLANTS. 47

found large masses of carbon deposited in the earth in the form of
beds of " brown coal," or lignite, whicli are almost entirely composed
of Coniferous remains. " But these Coniferous forests tlid not cxliiliit
a dull uniformity, as is the case with those of tlie present time,
there was, on the contrary, an abundant and cheerful variety of f(irms,
as is seen even now in the forests of Canada and .Vsia, tlmugh not
to so great a degree. There must also have been enormous (quantities
of resin exuded by some of these trees which l)clonged to genera
resembling Thuia and Cupressus ; the resin, hardened by external cnu-
ditions, being now known as aud^er." *

The higher M-e ascend in the Tertiary strata, the nearer do we find
forms of vegetation approaching those now existing. In Italy has
been found the remains of Ginkgo (Maiden Hair), the only present
ally of Avhich grows in China and Japan ; and in the forest beds
near Cromer, in Norfolk, have been found cones, foliage, and wood
of PiiiKS si/]vesfris, Ah/'es exceJsa, and Taxus hacmfa, all common
living species, t

The number of existing genera and species of Coniferos has been
variously estimated. The late Mr. Andrew Murray, in the Gardeners^
Clironide for 1866,; gives the following enumeration arranged according
to the geographical distribution.

Supposed

1.

Europeo-Asiatic region —

Species.

Genera.

Eiu-ope .--...

46

7

Asia, north of southern slopes of Himalayas

74

19

2.

American region —

North America, north of Panama -

104

11

South America . . . . .

IS

5

3.

Africano-Indiau region —

Africa, south of Sahara - . . .

8

2

In do-Malayan region . . . .

14

7

4.

Australian region - . . . .

.56

10

Reckoning Pinus, Abies, Picea, Larix, and Cedrus, as distinct genera,
and Cupressus, Chamaecyparis, and Retinospora as one. But as several
genera occur in more than one of the regions here specified, Pinus,
for example, in four, Abies in three, Larix in tliree, Podocarpus in
five, &c., it is evident that the total represents a considerable excess
in the number of genera. On the other hand, the total number of
species, three hundred and twenty, represents nearly the number actually
known.

* Thome's Structural and Physiolori'ical Botany, p. 430.

t Dr. llamsay's Physo-Gcology of Great Britain, p. 134.

X p. 634.

48

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

Henkel and Hoclistetter* give the number of existing genera and
species according to the following arrangement : —

Families.

Genera. I Species.

1 . AraucariefB -

2. Abietinete -

Fir and Pine Tribe.

3. Cunninghamiege

Sequoia Tribe.

4. Cupressinete

Cypress Tribe.

5. Taxinea3

Yew Tribe.

1

7

4
18
10

40

7
138

13

lOG
79

34^

q,.j

In this enumeration, Abies, Cedrus, Larix, and Pinus are reckoned
distinct genera ; Cupressus and Chamaecyparis also distinct, the latter
including Retinospora ; moreover, tlie Chinese Larch is separated from
Larix and counted as a distinct genus under the name of Pseudo-Larix,t
and JuirqK'rns drupacpa is also reckoned a distinct genus under the
name of Arceuthos.

In De CandoUe's Prodromus, Part xvi., are given descriptions by the
late Professor Parlatore, of all the known genera and species in the
following arrangement, the species contained under each genus, being
numbered consecutively in the order of description.

Sub-tribes.

Genera.

Species.

1. Araucariese - - - - . -

2. Pineae -_-___

3. Taxodia) ----_.

4. Cupresseee ------

5. Taxineee ------

2

1

8

12

10

15

113

14

74
92

33

308

Pinus, Abies, Cedrus, and Larix are here reckoned as one ; and
Cupressus and Chamrecyparis distinct, the latter including Retinospora.
In addition \,o the above ; partial descriptions are also given of upwaids
of fifty species belonging to several genera, but which are considered
doubtful.

• Naddholzer, Einleitung, p. 12.
t Following Gordon, Finchim, p. 3G0,

GENERAL REVIEW OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 49

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATIOX.

Tlie rank or position assigned to tlie Conifera3 in the scientific
CLASSIFICATION of the Vegetable Kingdom now nniversally aduptcd
and known as the Natural System^ will be easily understood from
the description of the various organs, especially those of repro-
duction, given in the preceding pages. It has been shown that
the flowers are of the simplest possible structure, and that the
fertilisation of the seed-bearing ovules takes place without the
interventit)n of a stigma, and that the seeds are borne naked on
the upper side of the woody scales of which the cone or fi'uit is
composed. This character is also common to the Cycads and to
two genera of plants called Gnetum and Ephedra, so that all the
plants producing their seed in this manner have been constituted
a Class or Subdivision under the name of Gymnosperma, i.e., naked
seeded plants. It is the absence of an ovary that mainly dis-
tinguishes the Gymnosperma from all other flowering plants, and
with this is necessarily connected the difference in the mode of
fertilization alluded to, and also a difference in the structure of
the pollen grains.* '' In their reproductive organs, therefore, the
Gymnosperma exhibit a decidedly lower type of organisation than
the Angiosperma (flowering plants), and in many respects occupy
an intermediate' position between these and Cryptogams (flower-
less plants)." With the former they agree in habit, in the
possession of sexes, and in their vascular tissues being complete;
and wiih the latter they also accord somewhat in habit, the
resemblance between the branchlets of some Conifers and Club-
mosses being so great that Dr. Lindley could find " no obvious
external character, except size, by which they can be distinguished." f
There is a further analogy between Conifers and Selaginellas in
the pollen of the former and the microspores of the latter. J In
the anatomical structure of the wood. Conifers have been shown

* For the explanation of this difference, -wliich would be too intricate to introduce
here, the reader is referred to works on Structural and Physiological Botany.

t Dr. Lindley's Vegetable Kingdom, p. 221.

t Die Pollenkomer verrathen einc Ycrwandschaft mit den Mikrosporen der Sclugiiullcn.
Sach's Lchrhuch, p. 488.

E

50 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

to bo essentially Exogeus ; * tliey have also dicotyledonous and
polycotyledonous embryos^ and germinate nearly in the same manner
us dicotyledonous plants. Tlirougli tlie Cycads Conifers are related
to Ferns, and more remotely to Palms ; the relationship between
the Cycads and the Ferns consisting in some of the species having
'' the gyi'ate vernation of the loaves of true Ferns along with tho
inflorescence of Conifers ; " and with Palms in lengthening their
trunk by a terminal bud only, and in the external resemblance
of their fronds. On the other hand. Conifers are related to the
liigher Orders of Exogens through Gnetum and Ephedra, which are
true Gymnosperms, but the former has all the appearance of a
Chloranth, and the latter that of a Casuarina.f

The ConiferiB have been studied by many einiuent Botanists. Among
the earliest was Tournefort, wlio, in his Iit>it!tntluni'S, published in
1717, establisheel the following nine genera, viz., Abies, Finns, . Larix,
Thuya, J Cupressus, Cedrus, Juniperus, Taxus, and Ephedra. Linnrens, in
liis Gnuerii Plantarum, published in 1737, only admitted seven of
Tournefort's genera, uniting Larix to Abies, and Cedrus to Juniperus.
lie f(ainded the genus Ginkgo, which Avas changed by 8uiith in 1796
to Salisburia, on account of its being equally " imcoutli and barbarous," §
an innovation afterwards protested against by the elder De CandolJe on
the principle of checking tlie introihiction of a multiplicity of names.
Adansou, in 176.3, in his FainUh'S des PJaidcx, adopted Toiu'uefort's
genera witli the exception of Cedrus, which, with Limiceus, he imiucd
to Juniperus ; and he added to the Coniferse the genera Casuarina and
Equisetuni. De Jussieu, in 1789, in his Genera Plantarum, formed
the family of Coniferse of the seven genera adopted Ijy Linnaeus,
placing there Casuarina and adding Araucaria. Gaertner, in 1791,
united into one group under the name of Pinus, the genera Pinus,
Aljies, and Larix, of Tournefort, and adopted the genera Thuja,
Juniperus, Cupressus, and Taxus, as characterised by Linnoeus.
Solander, in 1798, ijidicated the Dacrydium as a new genus. Land^ert
published in 1803 the first volume of his magnilicent work The Genus
Plum, the second volume of which was i)ublished in 1832, and the
third in 1837. L'lleritier founded the genus Podocarpus in 1806.
Salisbury published in 1807, in the Linmeau Transactions, some curious
observations on the stigma'? of the Coniferse, and endeavoured to
establisli four new genera, viz., Eehs (Cunninghamia), Agathis (Dannnara
of Runii)h), Eutassa and Colymbca (Araucaria). Venteuat, in 1808,

* Sec p. 7. t Dr. Liudluy, VcgctaUe Kingdom, p. 221.

X The orthography of the genera given in this article is that of their founders.
§ Loudon, Arh. ct Frut., p. 2,095.

LITEEATDRE OF THE CONIPEE.T-:, 51

gave a new cliaracter to the TJmja articulata of Desfontaiiie?!, wliidj
he named CaUitris, M. Mh-bel, m 1812, separated Cii/jn's-^ius dldicha
from the other species of that genus, and deseril)ed it under the name
of Schubert ia, a name which has not been generally adopted because
it was found that M. Kichard senior had already described it iinder
the name of Taxodium. IMirbel also added the genus Frencla. In
M. Eichard's Mhaoire sur le--^ Cuiiifcnv, published in 1826, the author
endeavours to establish the three groups or sections of Taxineoe,
Cupressmeee, and Abietineae, adding Phyllocladus to the lirst named.
It is this arrangement, as modified by Dr. Lindley, in his Introdudion
to the Natural System, published in 1836, * that Loudon followed in
his Arloretum ef Fruticettnn, published two years afterwards. In
Dr. I/intUey's arrangement, the section Taxincffi is removed from the
Coniferae, and made a separate Order mider the name of Taxacew, a
tUstinction which was retained through all the editions of Tlie Vegetahle
Ki'iyjiloiit. Loudon's proof sheets of that portion of the Arhoretmn ct
Fridicftmn Britannicum which contains the description of the Coniferoe,
were corrected liy Professor Don, who for many years had charge
of the valuable Herbarium of Mr. Landjert, and who had assisted, if
he did not take the chief part, in the compilation of Tlie Genus Pinus.
Don separated the Silver Firs from Alues, and constituted them a
new genus under the name of Picea, thus adhering to the Linnaean
■ desigmation of Picea for the Silver Firs, and Abies for the Spruces,
which reversed the names of Pliny and the ancient Naturalists. This
change was not accepted by Sir W. Hooker,! Dr. Lindley, J and other
contemporaries of Don. He founded the genus Cryptomeria on Thun-
berg's Cupressus penduta, till his time scarcely known to Europeans
except by name. § He also added the Tasmanian genus Athrotaxis, ||
Don died in 1840, Lambert in 1842, and Loudon in the following
year.

Tlie Pinetum Wohurnense, by Forbes, containing coloured plates and
descriptions of tlie Conifera3 cultivated at ^Vol)urn Abbey, the seat of
the Duke of Bedford, was distributed shortly after the publication
of Loudon's Arhon'tmn. Siebold and Zuccarini's Flora Japonica was
published in 1842, of Avhich a reprint of vol. ii., containing the Coniferae
of Japan was issued in 1870, with some additional information collected
]>y Dr. Siebold during his last visit to that country. Four new geiiera
are described in this W(irk, viz., Sciadopytis, Tliujopsis, CV'phalotaxus,

• Loudon, Arh. ct Friit., \). 2104.

t See not. Mag., 1853, Tab. 4740.

+ Gardeners' Chronicle, 1863, p. !)79, Avlicre he expresses in angry language liis
Tcpudiation of the so-called genus Picea, which had Leen attiihuttd to him hy the
Editor of the Pincium Britannicum.

§ Linn. Trans., xviii., p. 166,
II Idan, p. 171.

52 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

and Rctinispora ; the first three are considered established, but the
fuurth, Retinispora, being founded on characters that are either inconstant
or not confined to the mchided species, lias not been recognised by
men of science.

One of the earliest contributors to the systeniatic Botany of the

Conifers after Loudon's death was Endlicher (Vienna, 1804-1849), who

published his Sijnopsi>< Con if era rum in 1847. In this work the Taxacese

of Lindley are reiuiited to tlie Coniferse, but divided into t^vo tribes,

Taxineoe, and Podocarpeoe, the Litter including the Dacrydiunis as well

as the Podocarps. Endlicher made several generic changes, founded

chiefly upon differences in the organs of fructification, in some instances

too slight to secure their adoption by Botanists generally. He separated

the Califomian Red Wood and the Chinese AYater Pine from Taxodium,

and founded the genus Sequoia, Avith the former to Avhich has since

been added the "Wellingtonia of Lindley, and Glyptostrobus with the

latter ; he also separated the African Cypress from Cupressus, calling it

"\\''iddringtonia. The propriety of these changes has been generally

acknowledged. He further separated the Chinese and Chilian Thuias

from the Xorth American species, constituting the first Biota and

the second Libocedrus.; he also adopted the genus Chanifficyparis, of

which the American AAHiite Cedar {Cupressus tliyoides) is regarded as

the type, and which Spach had previously separated from Cupressus,

These changes have been but partially adopted, and the last has been

altogether rejected by some eminent Botanists, notably by Dr. A. Gray.*

Dr. Lindley established the genus Saxe-Gothaea in 1850, on specimens

brought home by our collector, William Lobb, and three years later

he published a description of tlie Mammoth Tree of California,! from

materials supplied to him by the same energetic explorer, under the

name of Wellingtonia. Subsequent examination of the tree in its native

home, and especially of the structure of the male flowers, sho^ved,

however, that this name could not, in a scientific point of view, be

retained, and that the " Big Tree " is, in fact, no other than a second

species of Sequoia. Dr. (now Sir) J. D. Hooker founded the genus

Fitzroya in 1851, | ji\ specimens brought home by H.M. surveying

ship Beagle. He subsequently enlarged the Order Ijy the addition of

Diselma§ and Microcachrys, || two curious and rare Tasmanian Conifers.

Important contributions to our knowledge of the Himalayan Conifers

and the Cedars have been made by the same distinguished Botanist. II

• Flora of tlic Northern United States, p. 473.
t Gardeners' Clironide, 1853, p. 823.
t Bol. Mag., Tab. 4616.

§ Flora of Tas-raania, p. 353, but wliich lias since been referred to Fitzroya by the
same authority. •' •'

i: Bot. Mag., 1866., Tab. 5576.

1 Hirmlayan Journals and Natural History review, 1862,

LITERATUEE OF THE CONlPER^. 53

Of the rcmaiumg genova in the Onler; Actinostrobus, the West Aus-
tralian Cypress, was added liy Miquel ;* Torreya by Dr. Ame ; Lepi-
dotliamnus and Pninmopitys by Philippi.f Tlic two last named arc
South American Taxads, of which the first is but little known and
the Pninmopitys is synonjnnous with Podocarpvs and inns.

In 1855 M. Carriere, Chef des Pcpinieres du Museum d'Histoirc
Natiu-elle de Paris, pulilislied his Traife Genercd des Coniferce, of which
a second edition, in an improved and enlarged form, appeared in 1867.
In this work botanical descriptions of all the knoAvn species and varieties
are given with special minuteness; to these are added, in many instances,
the author's views respecting the affinities and identification of the species
described, or some interesting observations in reference to them. Direc-
tions for the propagation and culture of the species included in each
genus are also given, whicli appear to involve much needless rejietition.
The purpose of the Avork is thus practical as well as scientific, but the
plan on wliich it is compiled and the nomenclature adopted are not
calcidated to recommend it to the British reader, and still less to the
British horticulturist. Genera are in some instances divided into sub-
genera, and the subgeneric name substituted for the generic one, so
that names familiar to British gardeners are, in a manner, lost sight
of, and are replaced l)y others scarcely known, except to the scientific
reader, thus adding considerably to an already overburdened nomen-
clature, and further entangling the spaonyomy. To quote one example —
The Firs are assigned to five genera, viz., Tsuga, Pseudotsuga, Abies,
' Picea, and Iveteleeria. Following Link, and other continental botanists,
in reversing the Linnaean names of Abies and Picea for the purpose
of restoring the original names of Pliny, the former of which, l)y an
inadvertency, Linnseus had applied to the Spruce, and the latter to
the Silver Fir, Carriere calls the Silver Firs, Abies, and the Spruces,
Picea; the Hemlock Firs are with him, Tsuga; our Douglas Fir,
Pseudotsuga % and, lastly, aU indication of connection with tlie Firs by
name, disappears in the case of the remarkable species from North Cliina,
wliich he calls KeMeeria Fortunei.% Carriere also adopts Endlicher's
dismembennent of Cupressus and Thuia, enlarging Chamsecyparis
with the addition of Siebold's Retinisiwra, and also witli the
Xootka Soimd and Lawson's Cypress, the latter of which he calls
Chnmrecyparts Bow'sierii, but Siebold's Retinispora (changed to Reti-
nospora) is retained for R. squarrosa and two or three others, whicli
are now known to bo mdy seminal varieties of well-known types.

• Late Professor of Botany at Amsterdam,
t Professor of Botany at Santiago, Chili.

* In this nomenclature of the Firs, Carriere is followed hy Br. Engelman, and by Mr.
Bentham and Sir J. D. Hooker in their Genera Plantarum, the last-named autlionties
including Fortune's Fir in Abies.

§ See TraifA General des Cojii/drc^, p. 260.

54 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

Canicre's Tniite is imdoubtedly a work of great merit, and Lis views
arc generally accepted by continental liorticnlturists.

The publication of the first edition of jNI. Carriere's Trnlte was
followed three j'ears afterwards (1858) by that of the Pinefum of
the late Mr. Gordon, which became popular, probably, more on account
of its bemg for the time, the only work on the subject available for
English readers generally, than for any other reason. As it possesses
no claim to be regarded as a scientific treatise, the changes introduced
into the nomenclature by the author need not be noticed here. The
leading feature of the book is the alphabetical order of arrangement
of the genera and species, by which it simply becomes an index for
reference. Geographical and other inaccuracies are frequent throughout
this Avork. A Supplement to the Pinetnm was added in 18G2, and
a second edition of the whole appeared in 1875, in which many of
the defects and errors of the first are reproduced.

In 1863 the late Mr. A. Murray gave in a complete form, The
Pines and Firs of Ja])an, which had previously appeared in sections
in the Transactions of the Royal Horticultural Society. It was com-
piled chiefly from specimens brought from Japan by Mr. J. G. Veitch,
and from which the author was enabled to revise and correct the
descrii)tions given in Siebold and Zuccarini's Flora Japonica. In the
same year appeared the first part of the Pinetum Britannicum, an elaborate
and costly illustrated folio work, projected by Messrs. Lawson, of
Edinburgh, and issued by them to subscribers only. The magnitude
on which the work is planned has, doubtless, been the cause of the
long inter\'als that elapsed between the issue of the parts, and thus
rendered its completion hopeless, if not impossible. The last paxt
ai)peared in 1877, bringing up the whole to thirty-seven, in which only
tliirty trees are described — a mere fragment of the projected work.
Although issued in the name of the proprietors, it is well known that the
letterpress of the Pinetum Britannicum Avas from the pen of the late Mr.
Andrew Murray, who also, from time to time, contributed many interesting
papers on the Coniferae to the Gardeners' Chronicle and to The Garden.

The Nadelholzer of Henkel and Hockstetter was puljlished in 1865.
A scientific order of the genera, &c., is adopted in this work, but
the descriptions are little else than literal translations (into German)
from Gordon's Pinetum. A passing notice is all that is necessary for
Pinaceo', a Handbook of the Pines and Firs by J. E. Nelson, under
the pseudonym of Senilis. Its only merit, if merit it is, is originality,
which no one on perusal of a few pages will be disposed to deny to
it. Quite of a different character are the higldy important contrilmtions
to our knowledge of the Xorth American Coniferai that have l)een
ma<Ie by eminent American botanists, especially by Dr. N'ewberry, Pacific
RaUiray R'porf, 1857; Dr. Asa Gray, Address to the American Asso-
ciation for the Advancement of Science, 1872 ; Dr. Engelmann, Transac-

/

LITERATURE OF THE CONIFER.?]. 55

tions of the Acadnnu of Science of St. Lo)i/.>; and otlior.'^. In the
following pages, avo have freely availed ourselves of the information
contained in these valuable papers. Within the last feAV years, characters,
as a means of classification and identitication of species, have heen sought
for in the anatomical structure of the leaves of the Firs and other
genera. One of the earliest investigators in this direction was T. Thomas,
■who, in 1865, published a treatise on the subject in Dr. Vringlicini's
Jalirhuch IV. He was followed, in 1871, by C. E. Eertrand, of Paris,
who gave a more elaborate paper on the subject, in 1871, in the
Annalcs des Sciences NafnreUes. The subject was taken up in the
following year, l)y Dr. "\V. R. MacXab, in the Proceed intjs of the Roijal
Irish Academy ; and in 1877, the same Iwtanist published an exhaustive
paper in the same journal, pp. 673-701, entitled A Rrcision (f the Species
of Abies, in which tAventy-four species are described under Abies (Silver
Firs), and five others, under Pseudotsuga, viz., A. nohilis, A. magnijica,
A. DoiKjhisii, A. Fortune!, and another imder the name of A. Dacidiana,
said to be a native of Thibet, and allied to A. Fortanei. Tlie same
line of investigation has been pursued by Dr. Engelmann, of St. Louis,
^Missouri, who oliserves that " higlily important as the microscopic inves-
tigations of the leaf -axc, they have sometimes been relied on too
exclusively, disregarding the characters furnislied l)y the reproductive
organs."* He cites, as instances, the Pseudotsuga section of Drs.
Bertrand and ^IcXali, above mentioned.

"We have purposely reserved for concluding notice, although not the
latest in order of publication, the Coniferw, in De Candolle's Prodromiis
xvi,, pars. 2 (1868), by the late Professor Parlatore, of Florence,
which is now generally regarded by botanists as one of the most
authoritative purely scientific expositions of the Order yet published.
In this work, the characters on which the trilies, sub-tribes, and
genera, are founded, are chiefly, if not solely derived from the organs
of fructification, the characters of vegetation being altogether subordinate
and relied on in framing si^ccific differences only. Thus, the Linuisan
circumscription of Pinus is restored, and the divisions of the original
genus by Link and Camere into five and six genera, are made
sectional; the dismemberment of Thuia and Cupressus by Endlicher,
and others, is retained; Siebold's Retinospora is altogether rejected, the
species being described under Chamfficyparis ; Philippi's Prumnopitys is
also rejected; the Lurnoean Oinkgo (Salisburia) is restored, and a few
other changes of minor importance are also introduced, as will be
seen from the following sjnioptic table.

It is scarcely necessary to add, except for tlie infonnation «>f those
who are unacquainted with Parlatore's work, that it is one of tlic
most valuable contributions to liotanical science of late years, and that
it is compiled in the Latin language.

* Trans. AcacL, St. Louis, 1878.

56

A MANUAL OP TUE CONlFERJil.

Paklatoke's Classification of the Conifer-E.

Tribus I.— ABIET1NE.E.

Sub-tribiis I, — Araucarie^.

1. Arauearia.

Sectio I. — Columbea.
II. — Eutacta.

2. Daraiiiaia.

Sub- tribus II. — PiNEiE.

3. Piuus.

Sub-geuus 1. — Pinus.

Sectio I. — Pinea.
II. — Cembra.

Sub-genus 2. — Sapimis,
Sectio I. — Cedrus.
II. — Larix.
III.— Pseudo-larix.
IV.— Picea.
V. — Abies.
VI.— T.suga.

Sub-tribus III. — Taxodie^.

4. Cunniiighamia.

5. Arthrotaxis.

6. Sciadopitys.

7. Sequoia.

8. Cryptomeria.
0. Glyi)tostrobus.

10. Taxodium.

11. Widdringtonia.

Sub-tribus IV.— Cupkesse.e.

12. Actinostrobus.

13. Frenela.

14. Callitris.

15. Libocedrus.

16. Thuya.

17. Thuyopsis.

18. Biota.

19. Diselma.

20. Fitzroya.

21. Chamsecyparis.

22. Cupressus.

23. Juniperus.

Tribus 1 1.- TAXI NE^.

24. Dacrydium.

25. Ph?erosphora.

26. Lepidothainuus.

27. Saxe-Gotbtea.

28. Phyllocladus.

29. Taxus.

30. Cephalotaxus.

31. Torreya.

32. Ginkgo.

33. Podocarpus.

Sectio I. — Kageia.

II. — Eupodocapus,
III . — Strchy carpus.
IV. — Dacrycaipus.

Since tlie foregoing article was written^ a new scientific arrange-
ment of the Coniferse has been pubHshed by Mr. Bentham and
Sir J. D. Hooker in their Genera Plantarum, vol. iii., pars. 1,
which differs considerably from that of Parlatore, and involves
many changes in the nomenclature. Tlie most important of these
changes will be noticed in their respective places in the following
pages.

SYNOPSIS OF GENERA,, SPECIES, AND VARIETIES. 57

PART II.

SYNOPSIS

GENERA, SPECIES, AND VARIETIES.

The Order Conifers} includes tlie following Tribes and Genera,
omitting those of the latter unsuitable for cultivation in the open
air in Great Britain. Tribes II. and III. correspond nearly to the
Sub-tribes Taxodia3, and Cupresseae of Parlatore in Dc Candolle's
Prodromus, Pars. xvi.

I. Abietine.e — ^The Fir and Pine Tribe.

1. Abies— The Fir.

(a.) Piceas — The Spruce Firs.
(h.) Sapini— The Silver Firs,
(c.) Tsugae — The Hemlock Firs.

2. Larix — Tlie Larch.

3. Cedrus — The Cedar.

4. Pinus — The Pine.

(a.) Bina3 — Leaves two in a sheath.
(6.) Ternae — Leaves three in a sheath,
(c.) Quinae — Leaves five in a sheath.
6. Araucaria — The Chili Pine.

68 A MANTJAL OF THE CONIFERJK.

II. Taxodle — Tlie Deciduous Cypress Tribe.

1. Sciadopitys — The Umbrella Pine.

2. Wellingtonia— Tlie Mammoth Tree.

3. Sequoia — Tlie Californian Red Wood.

4. Taxodium — The deciduous Cypress.

5. Glyptostrobus — The Chinese Water Pine.

6. Cryptomeria — The Japanese Cedar.

7. Cunninghamia.

8. Athrotaxis — The Tasmanian Cypress.

III. CuPKESSiNE.E — The Cypress Tribe.

1. Cupressus — The Cypress.

2. Ectinospora — The Japanese Cypress.

3. Biota — The Chinese Arbor Vitte.

4. Thuia— Tlie Arbor Vitse.

5. Tlmiopsis — The Japanese Arbor Vitse.

6. Libocedrus — Tlie Inceiise Cedar.

7. Fitzroya — The Patagonian Cypress.

8. Juniperus — The Juniper.

(a.) Oxycedri— The common Junipers.

(h.) Sabina3 — The Savin Junipers.

(c.) Cupressoidea3— Tlie Cypress-like Junipers.

IV. TAXiNEJi— The YeAV Tribe.

1. Taxus— The Yew.

2. Cephalotaxus — Tlic Chinese Yew.

3. Turreya — The fetid Yew.

4. Ginkgo — The Maiden-Hair Tree.

5. Saxe-Gothasa — Prince Albert's Yew.

6. Prumnopitys — The Plum-fruited Yew.

7. Podocarpus.

ABIETINE^, THE FIR AND TINE TRIDE. 59

Tkibe 1.— ABIETINE^— Tlie Fir and Pine Ti-ibc.

All the species belong-iug to the Fir and Pine tribe are trees
with erect trunks, regularly furnished with branches from the base
to the summit, which gradually contract in length from the bottom
upwards ; the trees, therefore, present a strictly ])yramidal or
conical outline dui"4ng the period of active growth, which is gene-
rally very rapid up to the time of their maturity. As they
become older, the lower branches, which very rarely attain a
timber-like size, as in many deciduous broad-leaved trees, die off.
Their duration, however, depends much on the situation of the
tree ; if standing solitary, the lower branches are persistent many
years ; but when a number of trees are standing close together,
the lower branches are thrown off at an early period.

In the foimer case, the persistency is favoured and prolonged by
free exposure to tlie air; in the latter, the throwiiiL,' oif is hastened
by the exclusion of it. The height of the trunk is influenced by
the persistency of the branches ; Avhile these remain in health and
vigour, the trimk increases in height less rapidly than Avhen the
lower branches are thrown olF in the early life of tlie tree. Hence
it is evident, that in planting trees of the Fir and Pine trilje for
ornamental purposes, they should have a greatn- space assigned to
them than the area usually covered by the spread of their lower
branches ; but if planted for the sake of their timber, or to secure
straight erect trauks as free from knots and protuberances as possible,
they should be planted not much farther apart than is suflicient to
allow their roots to take a firm hold in the soil.

In their maturity, the Firs, Larches, and Araucarias divested of
their lower branches, are trees with thin spiry tops; the Pines
and Cedars, in their old age, form rounded tops by the branches
near the summit becoming thickened, and by the leader gradually
ceasing to ascend. In Abies the bark is never very thick or
tough, but in several species of Finns, P. pinea for example, it
becomes, on the contrary, very thick, rigid, cracked, and deeply
fuiTowed; in other species, as the Scotch Pine, it takes a reddish
tinge, and in the Lace-bark Pine of China (P. Bungeana), and
also Captain Gerard's Pine (P. Oerardlana), it is grey or milky
white, and peels off like that of the Birch or Arbutus. Aged

60 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFER.'E.

Pines are among the most picturesque objects in park and
landscape scenery.

Tlie geographical distribution of the Abietine^ is almost co-
extensive with that of the whole Coniferous Order in the northern
hemisphere. Tlie Pines are met with everywhere in both the
eastern and western continents between the Equator and the
Arctic Circle^ except in Central Afi^ica^ India, the Tropical Islands of
the North Pacific Ocean, and the treeless regions already mentioned.*
South of the Equator, the Pine has never been found in a wild
state, but it is becoming naturalised at the Cape of Good Hope,
and in some parts of Australia and South America. Of the
genus Abies, the Spruce Firs are spread over the northern portions
of both continents, reaching a high latitude, but rarely extending
further south than the fortieth parallel. Abies Sviithiana, the
Himalayan Spruce, is an exception, but this tree is always found
at from 7,000 to 11,000 feet of elevation. The Silver Firs chiefly
occupy a zone of variable width south of the Spruces, rarely
reaching high latitudes^ A. Sibirica being the only exception, nor
extending further south than latitude 30° N. in the eastern
continent ; but in Mexico A. religiosa is found at a high elevation
as far south as the fifteenth parallel. The Tsuga or Hemlock Firs
have their largest area of distribution in America, where they are
spread over the whole continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
between latitudes 35° and 55° north. In the eastern continent,
they are, so far as at present kiiown, restricted to two localities of
limited extent in Asia, viz. — Japan and Nepaul. The Cedars are
confined to three distinct and almost equidistant regions in the
great series of mountain chains that stretch across the eastern
continent between latitudes 30° and 35° N, from Morocco to
the confines of China. The Larch is a northern tree whose area
of distribution coincides pretty nearly with that of the Spruce
Firs. The Araucarias and Dammaras are the representatives of
the Firs and Pines in the southern hemisphere, the former in
South America, Australia, and some of the adjacent islands ; the
latter in Australia, New Zealand, the East Indian Archipelago,
and some of the South Sea Islands.

Tlie Abietine^e are " social " trees ; they form forests covering

* Sec page 37.

ABIES, THE FIR. 61

immense areas in plains, in valleys, and on tlio sides of mountains
often reacliing the limits of perpetual snow in the liiohcr rani>cs
and covering the summits of those of lower elevation. Several of
the species are spread over a great extent of country, and are
found under many different conditions of altitude, climate, soil,
and aspect ; it is not surprising, therefore, that variations from a
fixed type should be often met with. Such is actually the case,
and many of the varieties, when first discovered, have heeu
named as new species. This has been one fruitful cause of the
numerous synonyms that have found their way into the nomenclature
of Coniferous trees. Besides the varieties that can be referred to
local influences, as those above-named, others are produced l)y
another cause already alluded to, the polymorphous tendency which
is manifested, more or less, in every tribe of the Coniferas,* and
which occurs most frequently in kinds brought under cultivation.
It is much less prevalent among the Abietineae than in the other
tribes; it is, perhaps, most common in some of the Araucarias, but
among the Firs are found some remarkable instances, as Abies exeelsa
inverta and A. pedinata j^^ndida. It is much more rarely observed
among the true Pines, and there are but few very striking departures
from the usual type among the Cedars and Larches.

I.— ABIES (Tournefort) The Fie.

The most obvious characteristics of the Firs are — The habit is
regularly pyramidal or conical; the branches are produced in
whorls ; they are fi-ondose or flat, and furnished with a profusion
of foliage, which is evergreen ; the leaves arise singly from the
branchlets, and not in bundles of twos, threes, or fives, as in the
Pines, nor fasciculated as in the Larch and Cedar; the catkins are
produced along the branchlets singly, or in twos and threes, and
not in clusters as in many of the Pines; the cones are cylindrical
or but slightly tapering, obtusely pointed both at the base and
apex, having brown scales either deciduous or persistent, coriaceous
in texture, not umbonate, and which never become consolidated
into the hard ligneous persistent fruit like the cones of many of
the Pines. The cones attain maturity in one season.

» See page 28.

62 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

Tlio Firs are liiglily ornamental trees. In the landscape their
formal but elegant outline and dark aspect afford a strong con-
trast to the more irregular outline and light foliage of the broad-
leaved deciduous trees. As single specimens for the lawn or park^
the most eligible as well as the most admired subjects are found
among the Silver Firs. Most of the Spruce Firs are highly valued
for their timber^ and some members of the tribe yield in their
secretions resinous products of various economic uses.

The Firs admit of a division into three Sections^ the species
belonging to each possessing some common feature in habit^ foliage,
&c., distinct fi'om the species included in the others. As a separate
and different degree of importance is attached to each of the
Sections in the practical operations of planting, it will be con-
venient to adopt the division into Sections in this place, taking
them in the following order : —

I. Picece — The Spruce Firs.

II. Sapini — The Silver Firs.

III. Tsugce — The Hemlock Firs.

There are two species which cannot strictly he placed in eitlier
section. The Douglas Fir, which, on account of its great size,
general aspect, and for the valuable timber it affords, would he
popularly classed with the Spruces, is, nevertheless, more closely allied
to the Tsuga or Hemlock section. The Foo-chow Fir, discovered by
Mr. Fortune in north China, is anomalous ; having some of the
characters of the Silver Firs, it also has others indicating affinity
with the Spruces,

Abies is the Latin name of the common Silver Fir (A. pedinata);
its derivation from u-n-wg (apios), a Pear tree, is hypothetical.

Section I. — PiCE^. The Spruce Firs.

The Spruce Firs, of which the common Spruce (Abies excelsa), may
be taken as the type, form a well-defined group among Coniferous
trees, easily recognised by their conical or pyramidal habit and
dense foliage. They are distinguished boLh from the Silver and
from the Hemlock Firs —

By their leaves, which are acicular or needle-shaped, more
or less distinctly tetragonal or four-auglcd, with a prominent

PICE^j THE SPRUCE FIRS.

63

decurrent cusliioii at their base,* and sharply pointed at the
apex_, scattered over the stems, or spirally arranged around
them.

They are further distinguished from the Silver Firs —

By their cones, which have a more or less elongated ovoid
form, and are pendulous with their scales, persistent on the
axis after the seed is shed.

Inhabiting generally the northern portion of the temperate zone,
the Spruce Firs are among the hardiest, as they are in some
respects among the most useful of trees. Less striking in appear-
ance than many of the Silver Firs, and, therefore, generally held
in less esteem as ornamental trees, they are of far greater economic
value, both on account of the quality of their timber and for the
many purposes of utility for which some of the species are planted.
The common Spruce of Europe (A. excelsa) and the Black vSpruce
of America (A. nigra), are the most important timber trees known
in their respective regions. From the former is obtained annually
an enormous supply of white deal used in this country and
in other parts of Europe; and from the abundance and cheap-
ness of the timber afforded by the latter, it is more used by the
colonists of British North America and the adjoining districts of
the United States than that of any other Coniferous tree.

The following Table includes all the Spruce Firs at present
known.

SciEMTiFiC Namk. Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

1
ABIES AjANiiN.sl.s Abies Akoquiaiia{}loTt.y

Japan

25 to 50

{Fischer) „ Sitchens-is (Koch)

Picca Jezoensis

(Maximowicz)

ALiiA (Michauj-)

Piims alba (Lambert) The Wliite Spnicu

North America

25— 50

I'icea alba (Camere)'

Abies laxa (Koch;

* Technically called the pidvinus. It is the pulvini with the remains of the sliort foot-
stalks of the leaves, that give tlic bark of the branches of Fir trees its rough surface when
the leaves are shed.

64

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.?!;.

Scientific Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Nanio.

A DIES AlcoquiXna
{Veitch)

Habitat.

Pinus Alcoquiana Sir Rutherford Japan ...

(Parlatore)' Aleock's Fir
' Picea Alcoqiiiana j

I (Carriere) i i

j Abies hicolor ! !

; (Maximowicz) i j

' ,, acicularis (Hort.)! j

ExGELM.vNXi Pimis commutata j Engelmann's Piocky Moun-

{Parnf) (Parlatore)] Spruce tains

Picea Eiujelmanni

(Carriere)

Height

in

Feet.

90—120

,, "lauca Abies Parryana (Hort.)

(Hort.- Picea 2mncjens (Hort.)

' i

EXciasA ' Pinus Abies (Linnaeus)

(De CandoUt) „ excel sa (Lamhert)

,, Picea (Parlatore)

t Abies Picea (Miller)

Picea exeelsa (Link)

! Abies communis (Hort.)

,, Clanbra-
siliana
{Loudon)

, , felegans

(Hm-L)

„ Fiuedon-
ensis
(Hort. Paid)

„ Gregoriana
{Hort. Paul)

, , inverta
(Hort. Smith)

,, monstrfisa
{Loudon)

„ pumila
glkuca
{Hort)

, , pygmaa
{Loudon)

Abies Clanlrasiliana

(Hort.)

compacta (Hort.)
exeelsa dumosa

(Hort.)

Fitiedmiensis

(Hort.)

Gregoryi (Hort. )

The common or
Norway Spruce

Lord Clanbrasil's
Spruce

Europe ...

The Finedon
Hall Spmce

Gregory's Spruce

Garden variety

)> )»

!> >>

inverta (Hort.)j The Weeping

Spruce

liorizontalis

(Hort.)

,, nana (Hort.)
,, minima (Hort.)

The Dwarf

Spruce

60-100

75-130

3 to 5

4— 6

2— 3

>» »>

PICE^j THE SrRU.CE FIRS.

65

SciENnno Naue.

ABIES Glehxii

{Schmidt)

jE2ot:xsi.s

Synonyms.

{Siebold)

Maximowiczii

{Neumann)

MENZii:sii

{Loudon)

NIGRA {Michaux)
OBOYATA {Loudon)

OUIEXTALIS

{Toi.imefort)

POLiTA {Siebold
and Zuccarini)

SCHEENKIANA

(^Lindlcy)

Smithiana

( Wallich)

Piniis Jezoensis

(Antoine)
Ficea Jezoensis

(Carriere)
Pinus Menziesii

(Parlatore)
Picea Maximoiviczii

(Kegel)

Pinus Menziesii

(Douglas)
Abies Sitchensis

(Lindley)
Picea Menzicnsii

(Can-iere)

Pinus nigra (Lambert)
Picea nigra (Carriere)

Piniis ohovata (Autoine)
Picea ohovata (Caniere)

Pinus oi'ientalis

(LinnfBUs)
Picea orientalis (Link)
Abies Wittmanniana
(Hort

Pinus x>olita (Parlatore)
Picea polita (Carriere)

Pinus obovata Schren-
Jciana (Parlatore)

Pinus Schrenkiana

(Antoine)
Picea Schrenkiaiui

(Fischer)

Pinv^ Smithiana

(Lambert)

,, Kliutvov) (Pioyle)
Picea MoriTula (Link)
Abies Khutrow (Hort.)

,, Morinda (Hort.)

Popular Name.

The Jesso Fir

Maximovicz' Fii-

Menzie's Fir

The Black Si^ruce

The Siberian

Spruce

The Eastern

Spruce

Habitat.

Height

in
Peot.

Islands of Yesso [ 20 — 30
and Saghalien

Kortliern Japan

Mantschouria

N. W. America

Schrenk's Spruce

The Himalayan
or Indian Spmce

N. E. America

80—120

50— 70

50— 80

Siberia 50— 80

Armenia ... 50 — 70

Japan ...

80—100

The Altai Moim- 60— 80
tains and Tur-|
kestan

The Himalayas 100-150

6(5 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERiE.

Abies Ajanensis.— A Spruce Fir, resembling tlie common Euro-
pean species, but of more elegant habit. In its native country, it
is a pyi-amidal tree of variable heiglit, according to soil and situa-
tion. In British gardens, it may be recognised by the following
characters :— The bark of the young shoots is pale yeliowish-brown,
marked with oblong, smooth, prominent cushions; the leaves are
spirally arranged, but on the side shoots " twisted at the base so
as to be all in the same horizontal plane; on the upper surface
appressed, parallel to the direction of the branch ; all fiattish,
rather obtuse, dark shining green three-ribbed on the outer surface,
very glaucous and one-ribbed on the side turned from the light."*
The cones are small, oblong tapering bodies, from 1 to 2 inches
long, with undulated scales, notched at the free edge.

Eahitat.—Ja^an (Nippon and Yesso), also the region of the Amour
and Kamtchatka.

Introduced in 1861, by Mr. John Gould Veitch.

Abies Ajanensis microsperma.— I)r. Lindley gave the name of
A. microsjjerma to a Spruce Fir, discovered by Mr. J. G. Veitch, near
Hakodati, in Yesso. By Parlatore, De Candolle's Prod, xvi., p. 418,
tliis Fir is referred to the North American species, A. Memiesii, but
Dr. Masters now identifies it as a variety of A. Ajanensis. It is a
dense medium-sized tree, with smaller leaves tlian A. Ajanensis.

Abies Ajanensis has hitherto been known in nurseries and gardens
under the name of A. Alcoquiana. " This lias arisen from the fact that
Mr. J. G. Yeitcli was not himself able to collect seeds — the country
not being then open to foreigners — consequently, he liad to depend on
others, whose incompetence or veracity, or botli, might not have been
trustworthy. In any case, it is clear that the seeds got considerably
mixed." As an ornamental tree in this country, A. Ajanensis will take
a liigh rank. Its growth is rather slow, especially durmg the first four
or five years from tlie seed, during which time it frequently shows a
tendency to produce rival leaders, Avhich should be reduced to one
Avlien observed.

The specific name Ajanensis is derived from Ayau or Ajan in
Kamtcliatka.

Abies alba. — A tree of medium size, varying in height from 25

* Dr. blasters, in Gardeners'' Chronicle, vol. xiii., p. 115. We take this oiiportuiiity of
expres-sing our wannest acknowledgments to Dr. Masters for the important services he has
rendered by his investigation of the Japanese Abies ; the result of which he has published
in a series of papers in the Gardeners^ Chronicle, from November, 1879, to March, 1880.
AVe have, in the following pages, freely availed ourselves of the valuable information contained
in these papers.

ABIES ALBA, A. ALCOQUIANA. 67

to 50 feet, but at its nortliern limit, a Ioav .scrubby bush. "WHieu
standing singly, it lias a conical outline, and is well furnished with
branches fi-om the ground ; the foliage is lighter in colour than
that of the common Spruce, and slightly glaucous; the leaves are
short, rigid, and thick-set, covering the stem all round and appressed
to it. The cones are small, being not more than 1 or 11 inch in
length, and about half-an-inch in diameter.

Habitat. — British North America, the New England States and
the State of New York. It is most abundant in Canada, Now
Brunswick, and the adjoining provinces ; northwards it occurs more
sparingly.

Introduced into England liy Bishop Compton about the year
1700.*

The "\Miite Spruce is one of the hardiest of trees ; it is useful
in ornamental and landscape planting generall}-, especially in situations
where other less hardy Coniferous trees would not live. As. a timber
tree, it is of little value. " The wood is inferior in quality to tliat
of any of the Spruces. The filires of the roots macerated in water
are very flexible and tough, and were used Iw the Canadian Indians
to stitch their canoes of birch bark. The rate of growth of Ahies alha
in tliis comitry is from 12 to 15 feet in ten years in hglit moist
' soils, but it is slower in dry soils and exposed situations ; it attains
its full size in about thirty years, after wliich it soon begins to show
signs of decay; it is comparatively a short-lived tree."!

The specific name alha, "white," has a relative meanmg only, and
was given in contradistinction to Ahlcs nnjra, with wliich it is
frequently fuuml associated.

Abies Alcoquiana is one of the finest representatives of the
Spruce Firs in Japan, where it is a lofty pyramidal tree, fi-om
90 to 120 feet high. In its maturity, the upper branches frequently
lengfthen and become much ramified, so that the tree then has a
dense rounded head. The leaves are rigid, more or less curved,
distinctly four-sided, flattened, sharply pointed at the tips, and
slightly glaucous on the two under sides. The cones are oblong,
tapering at both ends, from 2 to 3 inches long, with brown, shining
striated scales, slightly rounded, and minutely toothed on the free
edge.

* Loudon, Arb. et FruL, \\ 2312. Many of the dates of introduction given in the srfjncl
are derived from the same authority,
t Jdein.

68 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

Habitat. — Fusi-yama_, in the island of NippoUj Japau^ at 4,000
feet elevation.

Introduced by Mr. J. G. Veitcli in 1861.

Not miTch is kno^^^l respecting the quality of the timber of this fine
tree, but Mr. J. G. A^eitch has inserted in the MS. Notes of his
" Tour in Japan " that it is good, and that numy trees are annually
felled for building and other purposes.

Abies AJcoquiana differs from A. Ajanensis in its more rapid growth,
its less rigid branchlets, in the form and structure of the leaves, the
lighter colour of the foliage, and in the more rounded and less deeply-
toothed cone scales. It is a handsome and stately tree, one of the
best of the Spruces for ornamental planting.

"VMiether Siebold's Abies Jezoensis belongs to A. Ajanensis or to
A. Alcoquiana cannot yet be decided with certainty. A-NHiile the leaves
are spine-tipped, and not unfrequently as four-sided as those of A.
Alcoquiana, the cones brought by Mr. Maries from Yesso may be
pronounced identical Avith those of A. Ajanensis. The Yesso tree,
Mr. Maries informs us, is quite distinct both in habit and aspect from
either, whatever may be its botanical affinity, and we have, therefore,
provisionally retained it as distinct.

Abies Alcoquiana was named by Mr. J. G. Veitcli in compliment
to Sir Rutherford Alcock, British Minister at Yedo at the time of his
visit to Japan, and through whose kindness he was enabled to make
the trip to Fusi-yania, where this and other fine Conifers were first
discovered.

We regret to have to state that two distinct forms have been dis-
tributed by us under the name of Abies Alcoquiana. The cause of
tliis error has been already referred to in the description of A. Ajanensis,
the second of the two species hitherto called A. Alcoquiana. Besides
the error of distrilmting the two species under one name, there has
also arisen a further confusion in the nomenclature and published
botanical descriptions, which is fully discussed l)y Dr. Masters in his
recent paper in the Gardeners' Clironicle, vol. xiii., p. 212.

Abies Engelmanni.— '' In its most favourable localities, this
species makes a stately tree from 80 to 100 feet high, forming
a narrow sharply-tapering spire of a rather darkish hue; on
higher altitudes, it is a smaller nearly round-topped tree, very
much branched; on the highest summits, a prostrate and almost
creeping shrub. The wood is white and soft, neither knotty nor
resinous, and, therefore, esteemed for inside carpentery. The leaves
are variable, stouter than they usually are in A. alba or A. nigra,

ABIES ENGELMANNI; A. EXCELSA. 69

but less SO tliau in A. Mendesii. Cones small, from 2 to 2i
inches long."

Habitat. — The slopes of the Rocky Mountains from New IMexico
to the head waters of the Columbia and Missouri Rivers, occupying
in Colorado a belt between the limits of 8,000 and 12,000 feet
elevation.

Introduced into England in 1864.

The foregoing particulars are taken from a description of the tree
by Dr. Engelniaim, pubhshed in the Tmnsacfioiis of the Academy of
Science of Philadelphia, and reprinted in the Gardenet's^ Chronicle for
1863, p. 1,035.

Since its introduction into Great Britain, Ahies Engelmanni has proved
perfectly hardy. The young plants are distmct, ha\'ing their branches
horizontal and stiff, very thickly covered, especially on the upper side,
with robust rigid sharply-pointed slightly-recurved leaves, more distinctly
quadrangular than those of any other American species. In colour,
the foliage is rather a deep green with much less glaucescence than
is seen in A. Menziesii, to which it appears to be nearly allied.

The specific name was given by Dr. Parry, an American botanist,
in compliment to Dr. Engelmaim, its discoverer, also a botanist and
physician of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., and author of several valuable
papers on the ISTorth American Conifera?.

Abies Engelmanni glauca differs from the type only in the
colour of its foliage, in which the natural green of the species is
merged by glaucescence into a bluish-grey. A strikingly beautiful
tree.

Tliis variety is the most ornamental of all the American Spniccs;
its remarkable colour and regailar outline render it one of the best
of Conifers for the \di\n\.

Abies excelsa.— The common or Norway Spruce. Bciug more
frequently planted in this country for purposes of utility than for
ornament, its fine proportions are not often seen to advantage;
it is, however, under conditions favourable to its development,
one of the handsomest of Conifers for the decoration of the
park and landscape. AVIien standing singly, and till it has reached
its maturity, its lofty trunk is feathered with branches from the
base to the summit, the lower ones decumbent by the weight of
their numerous brauchlets, those higher up being horizontal, while

70 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

the uppermost wliorls are slightly inclined upwards. The aspect
of the tree is somewhat sombre on account of its dense foliage,
Avhich is lighter or darker in colour according to the soil and
situation in which the tree is growing. The height of the tree
is also influenced by similar conditions, and varies from 75 up to
as high as 125 feet, and even more before the period of decay
sets in.

Habitat. — Europe, from the limits of arborescent vegetation in
the north at about latitude 63° to as far south as the Alps and
Pyrenees. With the exception of the last-named mountains, on
which it is not very abundant, it is not known to be native
south of latitude 45"^, and it is not indigenous to Denmark, Holland,
Britain, and Ireland.

Introduced into England at a very early period. It is men-
tioned in Turner's Names of Ilcrhs, published in 1548.

The varieties of the Common Spruce are very numerous, some of
them showing remarkable deviations from the usual type in their
manner of growth. The following are among the most distinct: —

Abies excelsa Olanbrasiliana.— A low compact round bush,
seldom seen higher than 3 or 4 feet. The original plant is said
to have been found on the estate of Lord Clanbrasil, at Moira, near
Belfast.

Abies excelsa elegans. — A dense shrub of neat habit, growing
from 5 to 7 feet high. The branches are very short, and the
leaves more erect than in the common form.

Abies excelsa Finedonensis shows an unusual change of colour
in the young shoots, which, when first formed, are pale yellow,
gradually changing to brown, and finally assuming the normal
colour of the species.

It originated at -Finedon Hall, Xorthamptonshire.

Abies excelsa Gregoryana is one of the dwarfest of the varieties
of the common Spruce. It has small spreading branches clothed
with short stiff leaves placed obliquely round the shoots.
It originated in the Cirencester Nurseries.

Abies excelsa iuverta is a pendulous form in which the branches

ABIES EXCELSA AND VAKIETIES. 71

droop almost close to the trunk ; tlie leaves are somewhat larger
and of a brighter green than those of the type.

It originatoa in the N'urseries of Mr. Ricliard Smitli, at Worcester.

Abies excelsa monstrosa.— In this variety the strength of the
plant seems to be expended in the formation of the trunk and
principal branches at the expense of the other parts ; the branches
are long and stragglings almost without laterals, and covered with
short bristly leaves. It has a singularly grotesque appearance.

Abies excelsa pumila glauca. — A handsome dwarf form, with
deep green glaucescent foliage ; the leaves are nearly erect on the
branches.

Abies excelsa pygmsea is a diminutive pyramidal bush, having
all its branches excessively shortened, with their parts proportionately
diminished.

The economic importance of the common Spruce is doubtless unsur=
passed by that of any other northern tree. Its timber possesses every
quality that renders it valuable for constructive purposes, both for
building and for articles of every day use. Its only availaljle com-
petitor is, perhaps, the Scotch Pine, but the wood of that valuable tree
is coarser in texture, and much more resinous. Ahies excelsa yields
the white deal of commerce, of which the finest is supplied from the
great forests of JSTorway and Sweden, where, owing to chmatal causes, it
attains its greatest perfection. The bark of the Spmcc Fir may be
used for tannmg, but it is inferior in tliis respect to that of tlic
Larch, although superior to that of the Scotch Pine.* Excellent cordage
is made in Xorway of the fibres of the roots. Specimens of this
cordage sent to the London Exhibition of 1862 showed that it is not
inferior in tenacity and strength to the best ropes made of hemp
and other material.

The Spruce Fir is mucli planted for purposes of utility. It is
one of the best of nurses f<jr other trees ; its perfectly hardy con-
stitution, dense habit, and rapid growth, render it capable of affording
efficient protection to less hardy trees during their earlier stages of
growth. It is also one of the best of trees for fomiing a permanent
screen for protection from piercmg winds, for hiding unsightly buildings,
and for shuttmg out of view incongruous objects in the landscai)c.
Its frond-like branches form an excellent protection for the blossoms of
fruit trees on walls from spring frosts, and arc often used as sucli by

* Pindnm Britannicvjii, Abies cxeclsa, p. 12.

72 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFEKiE.

gardeners in the absence of otlicr accommodation ; tliey are also useful
for protecting tender plants against walls or in the open ground. The
Spruce Fir hears the shears well, and makes excellent hedges for
shelter ; but it is surpassed in this respect by other Coniferous trees,
and it is therefore not used as a hedge plant in Great Britain ; but
Spruce hedges are not uncommon in SAvitzerland, Bavaria, and the
Carpathian regions.

The Spruce Fir will grow in almost any soil, and in any aspect.
Very dry soils are, however, unfavourable for it; its growth is then
comparatively slow, its foliage is less persistent, and its appearance is
bare and thin. Eetentive soils, such as clays and loams, and where
the roots can receive plenty of water, are the best for it ; it may even
be planted in peat soils where the drainage is sufficient to prevent
water becoming stagnant at the roots.* The rate of growth of the
SiJruce Fir in this country, under ordinary conditions, " is nearly as
great as that of the Scotch Pine ; for three or foiir years at first, it
does not average a growth of more than from 6 to 8 inches a year ;
but after the plants are 3 feet high, and till they attain a height of
50 feet, the rate of growth is from 2 to 3 feet a year. In ten years
from the seed, the plants will attain a height of 12 or 15 feet in the
climate of London, and in fifty years a height of from 90 to 100 feet."t

The specific name excelsa was substituted by Lamark for the Abies
of Limijfius, in reference to the Spruce being the tallest of European
trees ; tliis name was adopted by the elder De CandoUe, % and has
since been generally but not universally accepted. The Norway or
common Spruce was the Pieea of Pliny ; § it is the Gemeine Ficlite oi
Rothtaune of the Germans, the Pessc or iStqnit rouge of the French,
the Ahefo ros-'^ij or Aheto di Germania of the Italians,

Abies Jezoensis. — A tall, fast -gi'O wing, slender tree, with a
tapering trunk, sometimes attaining a height of from 120 to 150 feet
in the forests of Yesso. The branches and their ramifications are
somewhat slender, horizontal, or slightly decumbent, and the branchlets
elegantly pendulous, and clothed with sharp-pointed needle-like bright
green leaves, with a prominent mid-rib on both sides, close-set and
spirally arranged round the stem. The cones are cylindrical, from
2 to 2^ inches long, and 1 inch in diameter, obtuse both at base
and apex, pendulous, and produced at the extremities of the
branchlets; the cone scales are undulated and erose at the free
edge, like those of A. Ajanensis.

* Pinetum Britannicum, Abies excelsa, p. 15. t Loudou, Arb. ct FruL, p. 2297.

t Fl. Fr. III., 275, ex Cam^re, § Uid. Nat., XVI., 10.

ABIES JEZOENSIS, A. MENZIESII. ?3

The specific name, Jezoensis, refers to the habitat. This tree
should not be confounded with the Foo-chow Fir, introduced by
Mr. Fortune, of which there are specimens cultivated in gardens
under the name of Ahies Jezoensis.

Habitat. — The island of Yesso, northern Japan.

Introduced in 1879 through our collector, Mr. Maries.

Abies Menziesii is a tall strict tree, attaining its largest size
near the mouth of the Columbia Eiver. Its branches are regu-
larly whorled, somewhat stiff, and clothed with foliage by which
this species may be readily distinguished from all other Abies.
The leaves are slender, rigid, and sharp - pointed, light green
above, and marked by two silvery lines beneath ; those above
being nearly erect, those below pointing laterally in two directions.
The cones are small, rarely exceeding 3 inches in length.

Habitat. — North-west America, in the neighbourhood of the Pacific
coast, from about latitude 42° N. in California, to as far north
as latitude 67° in British Columbia.*

Introduced, in 1831, by the Horticultural Society of London,
through their collector, David Douglas.

In Oregon and Washington temtory, Ahies Menziesii, in company
with A. Douglasii and Thida gigantea, is one of the principal trees that
forms the dense coating of vegetation that covers the coast range of
moimtains, but it never attains dimensions so gigantic as those of
A. Douglasii. Its timber is of excellent quality, and is used by the
settlers for various kinds of car})entry.t In Britain the growth and
appearance of A. Menziesii are much influenced by the sod and
situation hi which it is planted ; " it will not tlnivc in light dry
soils ; in such places it becomes half deciduous in very dry seasons,
and hence very imsightly." J Deep, loamy, and moist soils, m such
as it attains its greatest perfection in its native country, are also the
most suitable for it in Great Britain, and when planted in them it
grows rapidly into a fine well-furnished tree, and the silvery glaucous
hue of its foHage is beautifully developed. To secure good specimens
of A. Menziesii, a space ha\dng a radius of not less than 20 feet
must be allowed for it, as the lower branches of some of the finest
in England have attained that length.

* Parlatore adds, "In Siberia orientali, Davurica, Kamptchatka ct in Janoniaj insulis
borealibus Jezo et Karafto et culta in hortis circa urbem Jeddo," thus including under
A, Menziesii the A. microsperma of Lindley.

t Dr. Newberry's Pacific Puiilway Report.

% Mr. Fowler in Gardeners' Chronicle, 1872, p. 76.

74 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

The specific name Menztesu was given by Douglas in compliment
to Mr. Arcliibald Menzies, tlie indefatigable Scotch botanist, who
accomi^anied Vancouver on his voyage of discovery in 1790, during
which this tree was first discovered. Although Mr. Menzies' scientific
laboiu's Avere not especially directed to the investigation of the Coniferge,
liis name has become prominent in connection with them as the in-
troducer of Araucaria imhricata into British gardens; he was also one
of the first who made knoAvn the existence of the gigantic Coniferous
vegetation of north-west America, and thus led the way to the im-
portant discoveries of Douglas, thirty-fi^'c years later. The following
is a brief sketch of his life : —

Archibald Menzies was born at Weims, in Perthshire, on the
ISth of March, 1754, and died in London on the 15th of February,
1842. He was early placed in the Botanic Garden at Edinburgh,
and, through the assistance of Dr. John Hope, Professor of Botany,
he was enabled to prosecute his studies so as to take the diploma
of surgeon. In 1778, he made a tour through the Northern Islands
for the piu'pose of collecting plants for the Botanic Garden. He then'
went to Carnarvon to assist a medical man, and he finally became
assistant-surgeon in the [N^avy. He visited Halifax, Staten Island,
the Sandwich Islands, China, and north-western America. In 1790,
he accompanied Vancouver on his celebrated voyage ; he visited King
George's Island, the south coast of K"ew Holland, and part of New
Zealand, Otaheite, and the north-west of America. He returned to
England in 1795. He made large collections of plants, as well as
of other objects of Natural History during these voyages. Many of
them were ncAv, and have been described by Smith, Brown, Hooker
(Sir W.), and others. He afterwards served in the West Indies.
About the beginning of the century he quitted the Navy, and passed
the remainder of his days in the vicinity of London. His collection
of plants was left to the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh; it consists
chiefly of cryptogamous plants, Grasses, and Cyperacese. (J. H. B.*
in Lnpcrial Dictiouarij of Universal Biography).

Abies nigra. — The Black Spruce in its native forests usually
attains a height of from 50 to 80 feet, and has a trunk small
in proportion to its height, the diameter at the base ranging only
from 12 to 24 inches.f The branches are drooping, like those of
the European species, and are clothed v^itli foliage of a dark sombre
green, with a bluish-glaucous hue, unlike any other Conifer. Tlie
leaves are short, stiff, thick-set, and cover the stems all round.

* John Iluiton Balfour,
t It is covered with a thin greyish bark, slightly roughened with small scales.

ABIES NIGRA AJ<D VARIETIES. ^5

As ill all tliG American Spruces, tlie cones are very small, rarely
exceeding H inch in length; when first formed they are blackish-
purple, and, till their maturity, are of a deeper duller colour than
those of any other Spruce Fir.

Habitat.— North. America, from the Alleghany mountains north-
wards as far as the 65th parallel, and from the Atlantic Ocean
westwards to Wisconsin.

Introduced into England about the year 1700 by Bishop Compton.

The Black Spruce holds relatively the same position, in an economic
sense, among the Coniferous trees of north-east America, as tlic
Xorway Spruce does among those of Europe. Its timber is of
excellent quality, light, strong, and elastic; dural)le when protected,
but decaying rapidly when exposed to the weather. It is more used
in the British Dominion and tlie adjoining portions of tlie United
States than that of any other Coniferous tree ; it is also exported
to Great Britain in large cpiantities, chiefly to the ports of Liverpool
and Glasgow. The consumption of Black Spruce timber is known
to be enormous, many thousands of acres being cleared annually to
supply the demand.

The Canadian French call the Black Spruce " Epinette a la Biere,"
because the twigs of the tree used to be boiled in water with other
substances such as sugar, molasses, &c., and the licpior being casked
and fermented, received the name of Spruce Beer.

The ornamental qualities of Abies nigra are not of a very high order,
although it possesses some very distinctive characters, but these are only
well developed in this country when the trees are growing in retentive
loamy soils and moist places, freely exposed on all sides. In the
Xew England States and adjoining provinces of the British Dominion)
where the Black Spruce is most abundant, it is found to " delight
in cold hilly and mountain regions, attaining its largest size in those
moderate elevations, ridges, or slopes, where the soil has a ready
drainage, and at the same time retains considerable moisture by reason
of its mossy shaded surface and large percentage of dark vegetable
mould. It also grows freely in low sAvampy lands and about
sphagnous marshes, but in such localities it is inferior in size and
quality."

"The Black Spruce is much disposed to be variable. In open
sphagnous marshes, a form occurs so marked in its appearance that
in some localities it has received the name of the Bastard Spnice.
The branches of this variety are generally slender, the intemodes
short, and the leaves pale. The tree has a feeble, starved, and sickly
aspect, and does not attain a large size. Another fonu occurs in the
Adirondack region; the foliage has a silvery or glaucous huo, on

76 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEEiE.

■\vliicli account it is sometimes mistaken for tlic Wliite Spruce. A
large form, witli cones of unusual size and wood of soft texture, was
once described as a distinct species and called Ahles rubra,*' or the
Eed Spruce, but it is now deemed only a variety of the Black
Spruce; its range is northwards. But the most remarkable variety is
found on the highest summits of the Adirondacks. It is the variation
of the tree into a mere procumbent shrub, so small that it offers but
little impediment to him who would walk over it. These bushes are
more or less flattened in outline, the branches issuing nearly from the
opposite sides of the trunk as in the Ground Hemlock. They grow
in dense patches, completely covering the ground, and in numerous
instances with their apices all pointing the same Avay. They have
the short internodes and the short pale leaves of the Bastard Spruce, f
The specific name nigra, "black," refers to the dark and sombre
aspect of the tree, and to the deeper colour of its foliage and cones,
compared with Abies alba.

Abies orientalis is a smaller tree than the common Spruce; it
is rather dense in habit^ owing to the numerous branchlets and
their ramifications^ all of which are clothed with foliage much
appressed to them^ so that they appear more slender than those
of other species. The leaves are close set on all sides of the
branchlets, stiffs, obtusely pointed^ and when mature of a deep glossy
green, the brightest in colour of all the Spruces. The cones are
smallj sub -cylindrical J pointed at the apex^ and from 2 to 3 inches
in length.

Ilahitat. — Mount Taurus and the Caucasian Eegion, where it forms
dense forests. It is abundant in the neighbourhood of Trebizond and
the south-eastern shores of the Black Sea.

Introduced into Great Britain in 1839. J

Not much is known of the economical uses of Abies orientalis. Its
Avood is remarkably durable and tough, § and is doubtless applied to
similar purposes as that of the European species.

Abies orientalis is one of the most ornamental of the Firs. Although
the habit is of the same pyramidal character as that of the other
Spruces, it has its formality much diminished by the projection of

* All the specimens we have seen of this Fir, and they are few in number, are scrubby
bushes, with branchlets more numerous and more slender, and with leaves somewhat
sliorter and more linear than in Abies mg7'a.

t From a Paper on Abies nigra, read before the Albany Institute, by C. H. Peck, Esfi.

+ Lawson's Phietum Brit. Abies orientalis, p. 3»

§ Ausgezeichnet dauerhaft iiud zlihe. Henkel und Hockstetter, ^adelholzcr, \}. 1&3.

Abies oriniMw at Iligluiam Court. J'lVM-iit lu'iylit (1S81) .j.'3 fuct.

ABIES ORIENTALIS, A. TOLITA.

77

many of its slender braiichlets, whicli makes tlio outline peaked and
pointed. Tlie colour of the foliage is not only distinct but also attrac-
tive ; M'lien the buds first cast oil' their scaly protection, and burst into
growth in spring, they are bright yellow, the tender shoots as they
lengthen become a soft delicate green, forming a beautiful contrast to
the rich colouring of the mature foliage. A. orientalls should have a
place ill every collection of Conifers ; it is quite hardy, but of rather
slow growth in dry soils.

The specific name, orientaJis, "eastern," was given by Tom-nefort in
reference to its habitat.*

Co-
Fig. 9.— Foliage of Ahics pnVUa. Fig. 10.— Cone of Abies polita.

Abies polita, according to Dr. Siebokl, is ^'a remarkable tree
entii-ely of the habit of the common Spruce." As seen in its
young state in this country it is one of the most distinct of Firs.
Its habit is conical, with the outline much broken by projecting

* The application of the word orientalis in this instance is indefinite. By the law of
relativity it implies an occulentalis, or western, a name that has not been given to any
of tho Spruce Firs.

78 A MANUAL OP THE CONIPER.E.

branclilets^ wliicli arc remarkably rigid and robust, and covered with
a yellowish cream-colom-ed bark, on wbick the decurrent bases of
the leaves are prominent. The leaves, which are produced on all
sides of the branches and their ramifications rather distant from
each other, are spirally arranged around them; they are short,
erect, rigid, slightly falcate, and very sharp - pointed, distinctly
tetragonal, but compressed, with the faces slightly hollowed. The
cones are elHpsoid, from 3 to 4 inches long, with light brown
coriaceous scales, minutely notched at the edge.

Hahitat. — The mountains in the north of the island of Nippon.*

Introduced in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.

The leading characters of Ahies jyolifa described above do not adequately
convey a just idea of this beautiful Fir, which should have a place
in the most select collection of Conifers. It is especially suitable as a
specimen tree for the lawn ; and, as a picturesque tree for the park, it is
one of the most distinct. Its growth is free, its constitution hardy,
and it would not be easy to name any Japanese Conifer that has better
accommodated itself to the climate of Great Britain than A. polita.

In its native country, as the tree becomes old the branchlets and
terminal growths become flaccid and pendulous, as in Ahies Sinitldana,
to which, by the structure of its cones and other parts, it is nearly
allied. The leaves, too, of old trees are a little longer, less robust,
and more appressed to the branches than those in the young plants.
It has thence actpiired the name of " Torano-wo momi," or the Tiger's-
tail Fh, among the Japanese.

The specific name, ^xVzYf/, "polished," or "adorned," probably has
reference to the lustrous smootluiess of the foliage, and especially of
the scales that protect the buds before they start into growth.

Abies Smithiana, also known among British horticulturists by
its synonym, A. Morinda,\ is a very handsome Fir. Its pyramidal
habit is rendered strikingly beautiful by the terminal and lateral
branchlets being as pendulous as those of a Weeping Willow.
The foliage is dense and light in colour ; the leaves are from
1 to 2 inches long, slender in proportion to their length, ap-
pressed to the branchlets, and curved inwards. The cones are

* Pines and Firs of Japan, by A. Murray, p. 80. SiuboIJ & Zuc, Flora Jap., p. 21.

t From the many Christian and barbarous names by wliich this Fir is known I select
the native one. Morinda, in the native dialect, means "Nectar drops," or "Honey
tears," from tlie resinous drops or tears upon the cones and bark resembling honey. It
is also named Khutrow, which is, doubtless, a misnomer of tlie Silnia vernacular
"Khudrow," or "Noodrow," weeping. — ,ScniUs in Finacca; y. 49,

ABIES SMITHIANA. 79

larger than tlioso of any of the Spruce Firs, being- 6 inches long
and from 2 to 3 inches broad_, nearly cylindrical in form, and
having broad smooth scales of ligneons texture, thick, with entire
edges turned inwards, and of a purplish-brown colonr when mature.

Habitat. — The Himalayan Mountains from Bhotan to Cashmere,
and throughout the whole of the forests from the Knram district
to Senitigah, in Afghanistan, at elevations ranging fi-om G,000 to
12,000 feet.

Introduced into Scotland in 1818 by Dr. Govan, of Cupar, who
sent cones to the Earl of Hopetown. From the seeds of these
cones the first plants, six in nnmber only, were raised.

The economic value of Ah/'es SmWiidiia does not appear to be very
great. Sir J. T>. Hooker notes that " it has white Avood, euiployed
for posts and beams,"* but the timber is soft, and altliougli free from
knots, is very perishable, f Dr. Royle states tliat a very line resin
is secreted in the cones wbicli, no doubt, would yield a superior tur-
pentme. |

In England Ahirs Sinithitaia, when planted in a moist soil, grows
almost as rapidly as the common Spruce ; in dry soils the growth is
slower, and the foliage becomes thin. It is quite hardy, but owing, most
probably, to peculiarities in the climate of the Himalayan region, and
the high elevation at which tliis Fir grows — conditions that camiot bo
secured for it in England— failures are frequent. The plants cannot
receive here so long an annual period of rest as they would do on
their native mountains, where the winter snows cover them for four
or five months of the year ; they start_ into growth • in tlie first mild
days of early spring, and the? tender slioots are often cut off by frosts
later in the season, tlie effect of wliich is to weaken permanently, if it
does not kill, the plants. A north-west aspect, or one shaded or protected
by high trees is recommended for it, provided the soil is loamy and
not too dry. The lower branches of some of tlie largest specimens of
A. Sill if h tana in this country have attained lengths of from 12 to 16
feet, so, that m order to secure a good specimen of this noble Fir, a
space havmg a radius gi'cater than these dimensions must be allowed
for it.

The specific name, SmitJiiam, was given in comi)liment to Mr. James
Smith, gardener to the Earl of Hopetown, by whom the first plants,
above-mentioned, were raised.

The four following are sub-arctic trees, of which the first has not

* Himalayan Journals, ii., p. 45. t Gordon, rinclum, v. 21.

X Botaiiy of the Himalayan Mountains, \}. 352,

80 A MANUAL OF THE CONIPEE^.

yet been introduced. The other three do not appear to accommodate
themselves readily to the milder climate of Britain; they commence
growing early in spring when the weather is mild^ and this pre-
cocious growth is almost invariably cut off by late frosts. This
check gives them a scorched and unsightly appearance^ rendering
them unsuitable for arboricultural purposes.

Abies Glehnii, as described by Dr. Masters, in the Gardmers^
Chronicle for jSIarcli 6, 1880, is a dwarf, dense-growing tree, with small,
curved, sharply pointed leaves, crowded in many rows, and oblong ovate
cones, variable in size, but generally small, or not much more than
1 inch long. It was found on the island of Saghalien by Schmidt,
some years ago, and recently hj Maries on the south-east coast of Yesso.

Abies Maximowiczii. — In 1865, seeds of an Abies, native of
eastern Asia, were distributed under this name by Dr. Kegel, of
St. Petersburgh, but of Avhich nothing appears to be known beyond the
young plants now growing in many gardens. These are stunted,
miserable-looking objects, seemingly unsuited for our climate. They may
be recognised by the following characters: — Branches and branchlets
quite rigid, the former covered with light cinereous brown, and the
latter with light reddish brown bark, much roughened by the decur-
rent bases of the leaves, and Avliich also are rigid, sharply pointetl,
not more than half-an-inch long, erect, and dark green, with little or
no traces of glaucescence.

Abies Obovata resemlJes A. excdsa in its general aspect, l)ut
diflers from it in some of the details, especially in the cones, ■\^']lich
are smaU nearly egg-shaped bodies, Avith tire greater diameter not more
than 2| uiches long. It 'inhabits Siberia, from the Ural Mountains
to Dahurica, and from the Altai Moiuitains — where it forms vast
forests from the base to 4,000 feet of elevation — to the Arctic Regions,
as far as lat. 69^ 30' X. In a climate so severe as that of Siberia
the economic value of A. obovata must be considerable, if used only
for fuel. According to Ledebour it is a tall tree, upwards of 100 feet
high, and doubtless supplies timber but little inferior to that of the
common Spruce.

Abies Schrenkiana is a native of the Altai ]\Iountams and
south-west Siberia. It is said to be a tall tree resembling A. obovata
in its general aspect, but differing from it in having thicker and longer
leaves. Like A. obovata, of Avhich it is considered by the best autho-
rities* to be only a variety, it does not readily adapt itself to the
milder climate of Britain.

* J'rocl, xvi., p. 415. Carriere, Traiti, p. 338,

SAriNI_, THE SILVER FIRS.

81

Section II. — Sapini. The Silver Fivs.

The Silver Firs nro cultivated in (li-eat Britain almost exclnsivelv
for ornamental purjioses, for Avliich lew trees, even amono- the
Conifera^ are more suitable or more admired. Their oxmeral
aspect is foi-mal and symmeti-ieal, owin<^ to their strict conical
habit and the horizontal direction of their branches, which, Avith
all their appendages, are rigid, more or less robust, and raiely
assume the pendulous or sub-pendulous growth common amono- the
Spruc<- and Hemlock Firs. They are further distinguished :—

r,. T

V.K. 11. — Monstrous cone of Ab!e»
Vfilchii, with bracts transfonucl into
foliage leave.", and with tlic axis pro-
longeil into a branclilel with onlintiry
leaves. Natural rize.

By their leaves, which arc linear,
or linear lanceolate, flattened, sessile,
or with very short twisted foot stalks,
grooved above and keeled below, with
a silvery glaucous line on each side
of the mid-nerve ; they are frequently
distichous, or sub-distichous, that is to
say, two-rowed in direction, and point-
ing laterally, rarely scattered ; also : —

By their cones, which are, in most
of the species, more nearly cylindrical
in form than those of any other
family of the Fir and Pino tribe, and
which groAv erect on the branchlots;
scales much broader than in the
Spruces, deciduous, falling off as soon
as the seed is ripe, leaving the axis
on the tree.*

* In all the Fiis the scah^s of the conr-s have on their innler side, an appenilaf'c called
a bract, which vaiies considerably in size i\nd fonii, being in some s])eeies qnile minute
and even rudimentary, while in others it is conspicuously develoi»ed. In ihe Sjiruce and
Hemlock Firs, the bract is shorter tlian the scale and is enclosed by it. In the; Silver
Firs, some species have the bract longer, and others shorter than the scale, while there
are othei-s, as Abies majjnifica, which have the scale and bract of the same length. The.se
bracts are now known to be metamorjihosed leaves. Three abnonual or monstrous cones
of A. Veitchii were recently gathered by ilr. Maries in .lapan, in which the bracts
A\ere distinctly tran.sfonned into more or less perfect foliage leaves. Our illustration
shows one of t/'"se.

82 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

Tlio cones of some of the Silver Firs are among tlie most
remarkable productions of the vegetable kingdom. By the kindness
of the Right Hon. Lady Eolle we are enabled to give full size
engravings of fertile branchlets of two distinct types, both grown
in her ladyship's Pinetum at Bicton, viz., of Abies nohilis, native
of California and Oregon, and of A. Webhiana, which inhabits, at
high elevations, the southern slopes of the Himalayas. A conception
of the extraordinary beauty of these cones is thus rendered far
more clear than could be conveyed by any verbal description.

In addition to the general characters of tlie leaves given above, it
will be observed that those on the erect shoots are not twisted at
the base, and are tliieker and convex above. " Tlie tip of the leaves
of J'oung trees, and of the lower brandies of older ones, is notched
in almost all the species ; the leaves of roljust shoots and of fertile
branches are mostly entire, obtuse in some, acute in others. All the
leaves have stomata on the under side, arranged in a smaller or larger
number of series, forming bands on each side of the keel. On the upper
side of the leaf, stomata are present in some and absent in other species." *

The Silver Firs are, with but few exceptions, not only natives
of warmer climates, but also in mountainous districts they are
found at a lower elevation, and therefore, generally speaking, are
less hardy in constitution than the Spruces ; and although most of
the known species are now thoroughly acclimatised in Great Britain,
or in particular parts of it, there are some that have altogether
failed thus far to become established in this country. The timber
of the Silver Firs is less valuable than that yielded by the Spruces ;
the grain is coarse and irregular, the wood is brittle and splinters
when being worked ; it is also very resinous.

Tlio number of species is greater than that of the Spruce Firs,
but the habitat of each, with two or three exceptions, is restricted
to an area small in comparison with the vast regions over which
the principal species of the Spruce are distributed.

The popular name Silver Fir is referable to the glaucous silvery
lines seen on the under side of the leaves of all, or nearly all, the
species.

The following Synoptic Table includes all the known Silver
Firs : —

* Dr. Engelnianii in Tramnctioni of the Acadcmij nf Science, St. Louis, U.S.A., 1878,

SAPINI, THE SILVER FIKS.

83

SciuniPic N'ahb.

AMIES AMABILIS

(Lindlr;/)

Synonjnis.

Popular Name,

IHcca amaMlis (London) The Lovely Fir
Abic.i grcnulis clcnsi folia
(Eiigplinanii)]

Habitat.

Pinus halsamea \ Tlio Balsam Fir

(MiUn-)] (Linnreus)

Abies balsamifera

(Michaux)
' Picca balsamca {Lomloi})

, , Hudsonica
{Engelmann)

BnACUYPHYLLA

{ifoucimoicicz)

BKACTEATA

(Sir JV. Hoolrr)

, , Fraseri Hudsonica
(Gordon 1
, , Hudson iea ( Hort . >
,, balsamca jn'os-
traia (Iloit.

Ahlcs Hamjana

(JIac Nab)
„ Tschonoskiana

(Kegel)

,, Veitcliii (Hort)

Pinus brachyphjjlla

(Parlatore)

Pinus bracteata (Don)

,, vcnusta (Douglas)

Picea hradeata (Loudon)

The Dwarf Bal-
sam Fir

The Short-leaved
Japanese Fir

Oregon ...

CanadaandN. E.
States

Xew Hampshire

CEPHALf'jxiCA Pinus ccphcilonica

The Santa Lucia
Fir

{Lmidon)

tlLlfUA

{Carribr)

{Lindley)

TheCephalonian
(Endlicher) or Greek Silver Fi
Picea cepluxlonica

(Gordon
Abies ApolUnis (Link)
,, panacJuiica

(Heldreich)

Pinus Abies cephalmiica

(Parlatore)

P«!«sa7iaca(Kotschy)| The Cilician Fir
Picea cilicica (Gordon)'

Abies lasiocarpa (Hort.)
Pinus cvixcoloT

(Parla*^ore)

Picea concolor (Gordon)

,, iMaawa (Gordon)

,, Parsonsii (Hort.)

Abies grandis (Carriere &

CalifornianSeed

Collectors)

Japan 80—120

HciRht

in
Feet

100— L'.O

40- 60

South California

120— L'>0

Greece 50 — 60

Mountains of
^Vsia Minor

California and the
Rocky Mountains

40— 60

120--ir.0

8.i

A MANUAL OP THE CONIPERiE.

SciEKiiFic Name.

ABIES FlRMA

{SiehoUd:

Zuccarini)

Synonyms.

FuAsF.ni

Populur Name.

Pinti^ bifida (Endlicher)
Piceafirma (Gordon)
Pimisfirma (Parlatore)
Abies bifida (Siebold)
,, homolepis

(Siebold)
,, Momi (Koch

Pinus Frascri (Pursli) Frasov's Silver Fir N'orth Carolina

Habitat.

Japan

{Lindley)

GRAXDis {Lindley)

MAGMFICA

{Murray)

MARlkSII

{Dr. Masters)
NoBiLls {Limlley)

NORDMANNIANA
(^S'pach)

Picca Fraseri (Loudon)

Pinics grandis (Douglas)
Abies Gardoniana

(Carriere)
Picca grandis (Loudon)

Abies nob His robusta

(Carriere)
Picea magnifica

(Gordon)
Abies amabilis

(Californian

Seed Collectors)

, , campylocarpa

(Murray)
Pseudotsuga magnifica
(Bertrand)

Height

in
Feet.

100—150

The Tall Silver
Fir

The Stately

Silver Fir

N. California and
Oregon

!> >>

Mr. Maries' Fir

Pintis nobilis (Douglas) The Noble Fir
Picea nobilis (Loudon)
Pseudotsuga nobilis

(Bertrand)

Picea Nordmanniana

(Gordon)
Pinus Abies (Parlatore)

NumIdica Picea Xumidica

{De Lannoy)\ (Gordon)

I Pinus Pinsapo

(Parlatore)
Abies Pinsapo Babo-
riensis (Cossou)

Nordmann's Fir

Tlie Algerian

Silver Fir

Japan ...

N. Californiaand
Oregon

The Crimea and
Caucasus

Kabylia in Algiers

30- 40

150—200

150-180

100-120

200—250

100-125

45— 60

SAPINt, THE SILVER PlRfi.

85

ScirsTinc Xime.

SynonjTus

Populor Name.

Habitat.

Central ami
Southern Europe

ABIES pectinAta j Piniis Picca (Linnseus) The Common

{De CandoUc) „ Abies (Du Koi^ Silver Fir

Picca pedinata (Loudon)
Pinus pedinata

(Lamark)

ri.VDKOW {Spach)\ ^'cca Pi^^row (Loudon) Tlie Indian Silver The Eastern

Pinus Pindrow (Eoylc^ Fir Himalayas

riN.sAi'O ^ Pinus Pinsapo The Spanish Spain

{Boissicr) (Endlichcr) Silver Fir

I Abies hisiMnica

(De Chambray):
Picca Pinsapo (Loudon)^

Height
in

Feet.

100—125

75—100
60— 80

,, Hamoudii
{Eort.)

,, varie^ata Picca Pinsapo variegata
{Carrierc) (Gordon)

CELiciusA ! Pinus religiosa j The Mexican

{Lindley)\ (Humboldt) Sacred Fir

: Picca religiosa (Loudon)
\ Abies hirtcUa (Lindley)

Garden variety

Mountains of

Mexico

100—150

SACHALlKkN.SIS |
{SchmidI)'

TheSaghalien Fir Saghalien& Japan' 60—100

SIBIRICA

Pimispiehta (iischer)

The Sibenan

Siberia

(Ledebour)

,, sibirica

(I'arlatore)
Picca 2nchta (Loudon)
Abies pichia (Forbes)
Picea sibirica (Hort.)

Silver Fir

SUn.VLI'iNA

Abies lasiocar2)a

Oregon and

(Engehnann)

(Hooker)
Pinus amahilis

(Parlatore)

British Columbia

VeItchii

Picea Veitchii (Gordon)

Mr. J. G. Veitch's

•••

(Lindley)

Pinus selenolcpis

(Parlatore)

Fir

Webbiaka

Pinus Webbiana

Captain Webb's

The Himalayan

{Lindley)

(Wall-ch)

Fir Mountains

„ spectabilis

(liambert)

Abies apectahilis (Spach)

„ dcnsa (Griffith)

Picea Webbiana

i

(Loudon)

■

30- 50

60—100

100—120

00— 00

86

A MAifUAL OF THE CONlt'Efe^.

Abies amabilis. — Tlie beautiful Fir cultivated in Great Britain
under this name^ presents tlie following characteristics. The trunk
is covered with smooth cinereous brown bark; the branches are
spreading, the lower ones gently inclined downwards, much ramified;

I'i^'. 12, — Foliage of Abies amahiUs. Natural size.

the In-anchlets rather rigid, their bark furrowed with elongated
i-homboidal pulvini, and thickly covered with small dark hairs. The
foliage is dense and clustered on the upper side of the branches
like that of A. Nordmanniana and A. nohilis. The leaves are longer

ABIES AMABILIS. 87

than those of A. nobilis, straight, glossy green above, with a sunk
line along the middle and Avith two broad glaucous lines beneath.
Tlie general aspect of the finest specimens in England (very few
in number) is dark and massive, but rendered pleasing and even
striking by the feathered decumbent branches and the peculiar deep
bluish green of the foliage.

Hdbitai. — Oregon and British Columbia, from Mount Hood north-
wards ; on the Cascade Mountains as far north as the Fraser river ;
on Silver Mountain, near Fort Hope, at 4,000 to 5,000 feet eleva-
tion.*

Introduced in 1831 by the Horticultural Society of London,
thi'ough their collector, David Douglas.

Much confusion exists respecting tlie identity and nomenclature of
this and other Silver Firs of north-west America. The synonymy has
become especially perplexing in the case of Ah!i'!< iuiuihiU>^. The tree
described above is usually regarded by British horticulturists as the
A. amabilis of Douglas, who gave no further information about it than
the name which he sent home with the cones, none of which ai)p('ar
to have been preserved. In De Candollc's Pfoilromits xvi., p. 426,
the tree descril)ed as A. amahiUs is the A. las!ocarjpa of Sir W. Hooker,
{A. hlfoUa of A. Mun-ay), but which Dr. Engelmann calls A. suhalpina,
while the A. amahilis of Dr. Xewberry, in the Pacific Eailway Report,
is neither of the preceding, but a variety of A. suhalpina, which Dr.
Engelmann calls fallax.i Dr. IVIcXab is of opinion that A. iit(i(jiiijira
is the true A. amahiUs of Dougla.s, J and it is the .seeil of ihis Fir
that i.s frerpiently sent to Europe by the Calif ornian seed collectors under
tlic name of A. amahilix. To add to the entanglement, A. concolor,
which Dr. Engelmann affirms is the correct name of the A. laswcarjia
of gardens, not of Hooker, for they too are quite different trees, has
found its way into European gardens under the name of A. aniahilis.

It is only till quite recently that the identity of the Ahici aniahilisj
described above, with that of Douglas, has been satisfactorily estab-
lislied. In the summer of 1880 Professor Sargent, Director of the
Arnold Arboretum at Harvard, U.S.A., accompanied by Dr. Engelmann
and Dr. PaiTy, eminent American botanists, undcrtoojc a journey t<»
Oregon and AVashington Territory for the jjurposc of investigating the
forests of that region, in the course of whicli they found A. innahlliii
on the Ca.scade Moimtains, anil in otlicr lucnlitics. I'rofcssur Sargent,

• Dr. Engelmann in the Gardeners' Chronicle, 1880, vol. xiv., p. 270.

f Trfnisadions of (lie Academy of Science of St. Louis, 1878.

X Pn-ision of the Species of Abies, \). 702.

88 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEK.i:.

writing to us soon after Ids return, says of it — " It is a northern tree,
not reacliing even tlie nortlicrn boundary of California, l)ut not at all
rare on the Cascade Mountauis of Oregon, and reaching as far north
as the Fraser Eiver in British Columbia. It is the most beautiful of
the genus with which I am acquainted."

And Dr. Eugelmann, in the Gardeners^ Chronicle, Joe. c/'f., writes,
" ( )n the mountain, just south of the Cascades of the Columbia, Avhere
Douglas discovered it, it is a magnificent tree at about 4000 feet
altitude ; the largest specimen growing on the Ijaidvs of a mountain
torrent was prol)abIy 150 feet high, with a trunk about 4 feet in
tUamcter, branching to the ground, and forming a perfect cone of dark
green fuliago."

The locality of the tree being now accurately known, it is quite
reasonable to hopt; tliat a supply of seed will soon be forthcoming,
and that this l)cautiful Aljies will not much longer be so rare in
British giU'dens.

Abies balsamea is a mecTium-sized slender tree, from 40 to
GO feet liiglij but frequently much less, with the diameter of tlie
trunk near the surface of tlie ground not greater than from 12
to 18 inches. The leaves are disticliously arranged, generally in
double rows on each side, notched on sterile and pointed on
fertile branches, but sometimes variable on the same brancli ; they
are smaller and thinner than those of the common European kind.
The cones are from 4 to 5 inches long and about an inch in
diameter.

Habitat. — Canada and the north-eastern States, along the Great
Lakes as far as the Mississippi; also on the Alleghany Mountains
in Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Introduced in 1G97 by Bishop Compton.

Abies balsamea Hudsonica is a sterile dwarf variety found in
iho White Mountains o£ Now Hampshire, above the timber line.*

The specific name Ixihinnro. refers to the valuable Canada Balsam,
prepared from the sap,

Abies brachyphylla.— A Silver Fir of recent introduction, de-
scribed as a magnificent tree 120 feet high, with a somewhat
open aspect, like the A. pedinata of Europe, with rather lighter
green foliage. It is, liowevei", known to be variable, according

* Dr. Engeliuaun iu Transactions of the Acadcm'j of Science of St, Louis, 1878.

Abies BRACHYriiYLLA.

go

as it is met with at a liigli elevation or in tlie plain, in Saglialien
and Jesse in the north, or in Nippon towards the south. The
branches are rigid and spreading, and clothed with coriaceous
smooth, obtuse leaves. The cones are from 3 to 4 inches long,
and purple when mature. The young plants growing in the
nursery at Coombe Wood, have the following characters : — Stem
erect, branches regularly whorled, horizontal in direction, and
covered with light cinereous brown bark, slightly roughened or
furrowed by the decui-rent bases of the leaves ; branchlets distichous
and rigid ; buds covered with pale brown resinous scales ; leaves
linear, spirally inserted round the branchlets,
but pointing laterally in two directions,
owing to a twist above the base, from three-
quarters of an inch to li inch in length, those
below being the longest, obtusely pointed at
the apex or emarginate, bright green above
and marked with two silvery lines beneath.
Hahitaf. — Saghalien and Japan.
Introduced about the year 1870.

Ah/'>'s Jn-i(rliijphijLla is uue uf tlio hardiest us
wi'll as one of the handsomest of Silver Firs,
and cannot fail to be a valuable addition to
our ornamental trees for tlie park and land-
•scape. A correspondent in Copenliagen, who
sent us a brancli for identification, informs
us that it stands tlie Danisli winter iniinjured,
and lliat the tree in his possession was l)rouL,dit
in a young state by the captain of a Danish
trading vessel from the island of .Saglialien.

Tlie si)ecific name hrfirliiiphijlhi, from ftpaxvQ
(liraclms), sliort, and fvXXou (i)liullon), a leaf,
refers to tlie shortness of the leaves, but the
appropriateness of tlie name to this species is
not very apitarent.

Fitr, 13.— Cone of ^liiV* hrachi/-
)iliyll(i (from the Gardeners'
Chronicle).

Abies bracteata is one of the mosl remarkable of the Californian
Silver Firs ; its strict but stately habit, together with its massive
deep green foliage, impart to it a character so distinct, and so
impressive, that we cannot incur reproach for giving a somewhat
full description of the tree. We do so, however, in the words of

do

A MANUAL OF I'HE CONlPEE^.

Sir William Hooker^* who has embodied in his remarks an account
of the tree sent to Mr, James Veitch by WiUiam Lobb, as seen
by him on the Santa Lucia, in south California, and by whose
exertions it was successfully introduced into England in 1853.

Fi^'. 11. —Foliage of Abies bracteata. Natural size.

" Tlic present subject is among the most remarkal^Ie of all the true
Pines, particularly in the nature of its cones. Dr. Coulter first
discovered it on the Andes of Santa Lucia, a mountain range running
parallel with the coast. Douglas met with it at 6,000 feet of elevation
in lat. 36' X. Tlies(! botanists both failed to bring home perfect
seeds, and it Avas left for AVilliam Lobl), Messrs, Veitch's indefatig-
able American collector to succeed in this."

• Botanical Magazine for 1853, Tab. 4740.

fc.-i^.v#^^'

^i^-^. ^w^,..^.. at TortwuiUi Court. I'a-.suit luii,^!,! (lyt<J; -j'J lect.

ABIES BRACTEATA.

01

Mr. Lobb must speak for himself. "This beautiful and singular
tree forms here (he writes from the Californian forests) the most
conspicuous ornament of the arborescent vegetation. On the western
slojjcs towards the sea, it occupies tlie deep ravines, and attains the
height of 120 to 150 feet, and from 1 to 2 feet in diameter; the
trunk is as straight as an arrow, the I(J^ver Ijranches decumbent, the
branches aljove arc numerous, short, and thickly set, forming a long
tapering ppamid or spire, Avhicli gives to the tree that peculiar

appearance which is not
seen in any other kinds
of the Pine tribe. AVhen
standing far apart, and
clear from the surround-
ing trees, the lower
In-anches frequently reach
the ground, and not a
portion of the trunk is
seen from the base to
the top."

" Along the summit of
the central ridges, and
about the highest peaks,
in the most exposed and
coldest i)laces imaginable,
where no other Pine
makes its appearance, it
stands the severity of
the climate without the
slightest perceptil)le in-
jury, growing in slaty
rubbish, which to all
appearance, is incapable
of supporting vegetation.
Li such situations it be-
comes stunted and bushy ;
but even there the foliage
maintains the same beau-
tiful dark green colour, and when seen at a distance, it api»ears more
like a handsomely grown Cedar, than a Pine. No doubt it is one of
the hardiest trees of the Californian Vegetation, and is equally well
adapted for clothuig the mountain tops, as the sheltered valley."

" Tlie cones too are quite as singidar as the ga-owth of the tree is
beautiful When fully developed, the scaleSj as well as the long leaf-
like bracts, are covered with globules of thin transparent resin, presenting
to the eye a curious and striking object. Douglas was mistaken in

Fig. 15. — C'ono of Abies hruvleala. Natural size.

02 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEEJi.

saying tliis Fir docs not occur below 6,000 feet of elevation ; on tlic
contrary it is found as low as 3,000 feet, where it meets Taxodiion,

Sir "\V. Hooker adds : " Perhaps the introduction of no Conifer, not
even that of tlie Deodar, has excited a more lively interest in horti-
culture and arhoriculture than that of the present species with its
porcuinne-like fruits."

In less than three months after the pid)lication of the above, in
the Botanical Mar/a::/'/)/', the announcement of the successful introduction
of Wclliiirifnnia (jlijardea l)y Lobb, appear(Ml in the Gardeners' Chronide,
with Dr. Dindley's description of the tree; the lively interest alluded
to by Sir AV. Hooker was thence innuensely heightened, and at once
transferred to and concentrated on the " Big Tree." Ahies hracteata
receded to the Ijack ground, and has never since been again to the
front; its growth in England in its young state is slow, compared
with that of the AVellingtonia. The introduction of both trees is
still fresh in the memory of hundreds of horticulturists as great events
in the annals of their profession, and they can now look upon large
trees of AVellingtonia groAving in this country ; but there arc no
specimens of the grand Fir from the Santa Lucia that much exceed
the height of 25 feet, , and they are " few and far between." It is
perfectly hardy when planted in exposed and high situations ; if
planted in low and sheltered spots, it starts into growth early in
spring, and the young shoots are frequently cut off hj late frosts.
It does not appear to acquire the vigour natural to it oia its native
mountain until it has been established for some years in situations
favourable to its growth. Unfortunately, too, seedling plants are stili
scarce on account of the difficulty in procuring cones. It is, not
however, too much to affirm, that while the AVellingtonia is looked
u])on with a feeling of interest not unmixed with curiosity, A. hradeata
will always be regarded with genuine admiration.

The specific name hradeata refers to the l)racts of the cone, which
in this species arc developed into long rigid leaf-like linear .spines,
2 inches long, and slightly curved inwards.

Abies cephalonica is a tree of medium size^ not attaining a
height of more than 60 feet in its native country. The branches
spread out to a great distance so as to form a very broad tree in
proportion to its height ; the principal branches are produced in
regular tiers, but the secondary ones branch from all sides of the
primaries. The leaves are very stiff, dagger-shaped, and terminate
in a sharp prickle ; they are closely distributed over the stems, but
both on the lower branches and cone-bearing branchlets they may
be found distinctly two-rowed. The cones, which are scarcely dis'

^^'/Cft' comolor {lamocnrua) at Higlmaiu Court. Present height (1881) 4G feet.

ABIES CONCOLOR. 93

tinguisliable from tliose of A. jjedinata, are fi*om 5 to G inches in
lengtli, and about \h inch in diameter.

Habitat. — Mount Enos (now jNfunte Negro ,i in the island of
Cephalonia, whence its specific name. Also^ throughout all Greece,
on the mountains, fi-oni 2,500 to 5,000 feet of elevation, forming
dense forests.*

Introduced in 1824 by General Charles James Napier, at that
time Governor of Cephalonia.

Many fine specimens of Ahics cc^/luiloiuca are growing in ahiKjst every
]iart of Great Britain, proving that it is rpiite hardy, and that it
flourislies in a gi'cat variety of soils. It is hest planted in a rather
exposed situation to prevent starting into growth too early in spring,
as the young slioots are frequently injured by late frosts, which prove
destructive to so many fine Abies, To secure fine specimens, a space
liavmg a radius of not less than from 25 to 30 feet should lie allowed
for each.

Abies COncolor syn. lasiocarpa, as seen in its maturity in the
Californian valleys, much resembles its great congener A. grandis, and,
like that noble tree, has a tall straight tapering- trunk from 80 to
150 feet high, with a diameter varying from 2 to 4 feet at the
base. Tlie habit and foliage of the young trees growing in Britain
show, however, that it is quite distinct from A, grandis ; the branches
are more robust — they grow horizontally, and sometimes unevenly,
giving the tree an irregular, but by no means an inelegant, outline.
The leaves are distichotisly arranged in double rows, those in the
lower row being the longest, or about 2| inches long, those above
of variable length, but generally about one-fourth shorter than tliose
below ; they are narrow, blunt, or emarginate at the apex, with a
single Hue along the middle, sunk in the upper surface and raised
on the lower one, pale green, and glaucous above, silvery beneath.
The cones are cylindrical, obtuse both at base and apex, variable
in size, the largest from 4 to 6 inches long, with a diameter of
from 2 to 2^ inches, composed of numerous closely imbricated scales,
nearly twice as broad as deep, and enclosing a short truncate bract.

Habitat. — The southern Rocky Mountains from Pike's Peak in
Colorado westwards to the Shasta in California, at elevations from
3,000 to 7,000 feet. It is also spread over pai-ts of New Mexico,

* Piiilatore in Prod., xvi., ji. 422.

94 A MANUAL OF THE CONIPERiE.

Arizona, southern Utah, and the valleys and Sierras of California,
as far north as Oregon.

Introduced by us in 1851, through our collector, William Lobb ;
also in the same year by the Oregon Association of Edinburgh,
through their collector, John Jeffi-ey,* both of whom sent it home
under the name of Abies grandis.

Abies concolor is tlie most widely distributed of all the North
American Silver Firs, Spreading over so extensive an area as tliat
briefly sketched above, and imder many conditions of altitude, climate,
and soil, it is found to vary considerably in height, in size of trunk,
in the colour of its foliage, in the length and form of its leaves,
Szc, and thus the tree received different names according as it was
introduced from different locaHties. The longdeavcd variety from Cali-
fornia, to which the above description is more particularly applicable,
was first sent to us by Mr. William Lobb under the name of A. gmndis,
but the seedling plants showing a marked difference from the A. grantJis
of Douglas, Ave distributed them under the name of A. hidocarpa, in
deference to the source from which we derived it, and that, too, at a
time when scarcely anything was known in this country of the speci-
mens collected l)y Fendler in Xew Mexico in 1847. It is now known
that the tree in question is not the original A. ladocarpci of Sir
"William Hooker,! and, therefore, cannot properly retain that name ; and
the extreme desirableness of freeing the nomenclature of this beautiful
tree from tlie confusion in which it has become involved, Avill lie best
effected by adopting the botanical name to which all the varieties are
now liy the best authorities referred.

The forms known under the names of Jasiocarpu (Hort. Yeitch), with
which Loiriiiii(( (Gordon) is synonymous, and Parsonaii (Hort. Barron),
were introduced from North California and Oregon. The concoJor of
gardens, as distinguished from these, is from Colorado and in its young
state may l)c recognised by the following characters : — Leaves with both
surfaces quite flat, but on the under side the middle nerve may be
distinctly traced ; tlicy are somewhat shorter and more pointed than
in the Californian and Oregon varieties, nuich closer together, the
distichous arrangement nuich less marked, and they are of a paler
green, i The cones of the Colorado tree are smaller than those from
California. A cone from Pike's Peak, kindly sent to us by our friend
and correspondent, Mr. Meehan, of Philadelphia, is less than half the
size of the cones from California.

* The Garden, vol. i., p. 464. (Mr. McNalj).
' + See Revision of the Species of Abies, by Dr. McNab, in the Transactions of (he Irish
Academy, ii., p. 682 ; and Transactions oj the Academy of Science of St, Louis, liy Pr,
Engplmann, reprinted in the Gardeners' Chronicle, 1878, vol. ix., p. 300.

'^ .\nollicv variety is culliviitcd under the name of Alics concolor xiolacca.

ABIES CONCOLOE, A. FIEMA.

95

That the

,oncoW of C.loraao cannot be specifically separated from
'"" the Californian Dm-Hina, &c, seems

to be now conelnsively established,
l.nt whether the tree is spread con-
tinuously through the extensive
region assigned to it by Dr. Engel-
mann, or occurs with greater or less
interruptions between the extreme
eastern and western limits, does not
appear to be clearly made out.
When the region has l)een more
completely explored, it is not im-
probable that other forms may be

met with.

Frecpient importations of seed
from California and other localities
have caused Ahics coucoJor to be
very generally distributed over Great
Britain. It is quite hardy and
grows well in many soils and aspects.
It is a beautiful Conifer for the
laAvn and park, but to secure well-
furnished specimens, a space with a
radius greater than 15 feet should
be allowed for it, as the lower
branches of some of the finest
growing in England have attained
that length.

The specific name concolor "of
similar or like colour" refers to
the leaves, which in the New
Mexican and Colorado varieties arc
very glaucous, so that both sides
are nearly alike in colour,

Abies flrma (hitherto distributed
under the name of A. Ufida), is a
stately tree of the habit of the
common Silver Fir, attaining, in
favoured localities in its native
country, a height of 150 feet. The
, ., ' , u branclies are horizontal, robust, and

Fig. 16.-Coi.e of. li.V* ;;>■'"". from the .ow-lands Uiai v. ,. ,^ 1 V,„^V

of Nippun. Natural tvic. covercd With light browu bark,

sligluly fuvrowea Kv tl,o decvnTont p..lvini or cushions, from ^vl.ich tlie

96 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEli.E.

leaves arise. The leaves are spirally arranged around the branchlets^
but point laterally in two directions; they are from half an inch
to an inch and a quarter in lengthy quite rigid_, coriaceous in texture,
deep glossy green above, paler beneath, with the silvery lines common
to the tribe, but faintly traced. They are very variable in form and
appearance; on young trees, and on the lower and sterile branches
of adult trees they are bifid, the cleft in the larger leaves being so
great as to make them appear bi-cuspid; on the upper and fertile
branches the cleft is much smaller, and frequently absent, so that the
apex is then rounded or obtusely pointed (see figs. 17 to 22). The
cones too are very variable both in size and shape, generally they
are cylindrical or slightly dilated near the base, obtuse at both ends,
from 3 to 6 inches long, and well distinguished by their deep brown
imbricated scales, bearing protruding* keeled bracts, terminatiug in
a sharp point, and with the free edge notched or crenulate.
Ilahitut. — Japan, throughout the whole extent.
Introduced in 18G1 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.

Abies firma is tlie common Silver Fir of Japan ; it is met with
everywhere througliout the coiuitry, both in a wild state, and in
cultivation. Its timber is inferior, and is used chiefly for cases and
boxes for the conveyance of merchandise. A. finna is perfectly hardy
in England ; it grows freely when established, and its erect lofty port,
and richly coloured foliage, make it a tree of great beauty, both fur
the laAvn and the park.

The specific name firma refers to the texture of the leaves (coriaco-
firmis, Sieb. et Zuc, FI. J<ip., ii., p. IT)).

Abies Fraseri closely resembles A. hahaniea, from which it may
be distinguished by the shorter and more oval cones with largely
projecting reflexed bracts. It is a small tree, growing from 30 to
40 feet high, but frequently much less, with branches somewhat more
slender, and leaves smaller than those of A. halsamea. The leaves
are either distichous in double rows, those in the upper rows being-
shorter than those below, or sometimes scattered; emarginate, or
pointed, according as they are on barren or fertile branches, deep
green above and silvery beneath.

Habitat. — The highest summits of the Alleghany Mountains in
North Carolina.

Introduced in 1811 by Mr. Frascr, a Nurseryman of London,
after whom it is .nauaed.

Various forms of foliage of Ahk'^ Jinna.

Figs. 17, 18, 19 are from the lowlands, and Figs. 20, 21, 22 from the highlands of Nippon. Figs. 17 and 20 are from sterile,
and Figs. 19 and 22 from fertile branches. All natural size.

ABIES FEASERI, A. GRANDIS.

97

Dr, Eiigelmann romavks, that "yl. F)'((sor!l is iivul)a1)ly tlio most local
species in the United States, being confined to the tops of tlie highest
mountains of Xorth Carolina, which have an altitude of 6,000 feet,
and the tops of ■\vliich it covers together with A. nii/nt. U is a small
tree, probably never more than sixty to seventy-tive years old. Forms
of A. haUamea in the mountains of Pennyslvania, Vermont, ami other
novthern regions, seem to have been mistaken for this species, and are
in cultivation in European gardens under the name of A. Fraserii"

Abies grandis. — A majestic tree, often towering to a lieiglit of
200 feet, and even more, in the rich alluvial valleys of the Colnmbia

V \\ ^"^

Fig. 23.— Foliage of Ahiet grundit rom a etcrilc l.rancli. Natural size.

and Fraser Elvers; it is also a graceful tree, the branches being
somewhat more slender and less thickly set than in many of the

98

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

Silver Firs, and tlieuce tke aspect is lighter and more airy. It is
rendered very distinct by its foliage, the leaves being ''arranged

horizontally in double rows on
each side of the branchlets in a
more or less pectinate manner on
short twisted foot-stalks/^* those
in the upper row being about
one-third shorter than those below,
which are from 1 to 1| inch
long ; they are cmarginate or
blunt, apple green above and
silvery beneath. The cones are
cylindrical, obtuse at base and
apex, 4 to 5 inches long and
2 inches in diameter.

Habitat. — The littoral region of
the north-west coast of North
America from Cape Mendocino in
California to Vancouver's Island
and the Fraser Eiver.

Introduced in 1831 by David
Douglas.

Ah/'rs grandis takes the first
rank in size among the gigantic
Firs of north-western America.
At McCumLers, and at an ele-
vation of 4,000 feet, it forms a
conspicuous element in tlic mag-
nificent forest composed of this
Fir, the Sugar Pino {Finus
Lamhertiana) and P. ponderom.
The measure of several taken in
this locality, gives the circum-
ference 21 feet, at 3 feet from
the ground, with an estimated
height of 150 feet. In open places, the trunk is furnished with
Ijranches almost from tlie ground ; they are spreading, and give the

* Gordon, Finetum, -p. 217. This description is only a^tplicable to the leaves of specimens
growing in Great Uritain, of which the branches may be presnmed to be sterile. It is
most ])roT)able that, on fertile branches, they will be found somewhat different, and the
formal double-rowed arrangement modified.

Fig. 24. — Cone of Abiea grandis, gathered by William
Lobb in Oregon in 1852. Natural size.

ABIES GKANDIS^ A. MAGNIFICA. 99

tree an extremely elegant feathered appearance, witli but lilllc of tlie
formal conical outline common to inost of tlio Silver Firs. In the
dense forests of the Lower Columbia, it is mucli more slender, and
the branches are confined to the top. The trunk is straight, smontli,
and cylindrical, and furnishes timber of excellent quality. On the
Columbia and Willamette, it is known as "White Fir," to distinguish
it from "Red Fir" {Abifti DuiKjlasii.)*

Ahiv'i (jrandis has proved to be perfectly hiudy in (heat Ih'itaiii. It
is a l)eantiful and distinct tree, but it is ])y no means generally
distrilnited over Great Britain, as seedling plants have been till quite
recently \ery scarce. Mr. William Lo])b, writing from Oregon to
Mr. James Veitch, in October, 1852, says: "The cones of A. grand in
are very difficult to procure ; like most of the tril)e, they are produced
about the tops, and the trees are so lofty and largt^ that it is almost
impossible to climlj them. The scales of the cones, too, are deciduous,
and by felling the trees the cones fall to pieces, and the seeds are
lost."

The specific name gmndix, "tall," refers to the lofty habit of the tree.

Abies magnifica. — A tall stately tree^ attaining a height of
upwards of 200 feet^ w4th the diameter of its trunk near the ground
from 5 to 8 feet, and often 10, on the Californian Sierras. As
Been in England it is one of the most formal of Silver Firs ; its
straight tapering trunk is furnished at short intervals with whorls of
rigid horizontal branches ; each branch is feathered with branchlets
as stiff as the primary, so that the portions of the trunk between
the whorls are fully exposed to view. The foliage is dense, the
leaves being more crowded above than below, the longest fully
1| inch in length, those above erect and incurved, those below
with a distichous expansion ; they are olive green, very glaucous
on the upper surface when young, the colour becoming deeper and
duller by age, and marked with two silvery lines beneath. The
cones are cylindrical, 6 to 7 inches long and 2^ to 3 inches in
diameter, with the outer edge of the scales incurved.

Habitat. — North California and Oregon.

Introduced in 1851 by the Scotch Oregon Association, through
their collector, John Jeffrey.

Abies iiuujnifica is quite hardy, and rarely suffers from late
spring frosts, as is the case with many lint- Abies that start into

• Dr. Newbeny, Pucific Lxiilway lUpmt.

100 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

growth early in the season. The intervals hetween the whorls of

hranchcs indicate a more moderate annual p;rowtli than some of the

Calif ovnian Ahies, l)ut this does not diminish its

f^ V ■ J J> value as a handsome and distinct ornamental tree

«>^"-^-^'^^^ for the lawn and park. A. magnifica is often

confounded Avith A. nohilis, to which, in its young

state, it bears a strong resemblance. Mr, Syme,

- (;' "^ in the Gardenorn' Chronicle for 1875, p. 753, points

ci ^"--.-„, (V out that the two inay be easily distinguished liy

Fig. 25.— Transverse sec- makin"' a tvausverse section of tlicir leaves, wlien

tions of leaves of (1) Ahieg ^ mi i r i ^ i

noMUs, and (2) A. magni- the leaf of A. riVKJlVlJli'd Will Ih' tOUUd to he
fica, X 12 diameters; a, a, . ,' ' i ji j. t a , 7 •/ ■

rosin ducts. souicwhat tetragonal, and that ot A. volnli^

channelled on the upper side.
The .specific name, vii((j)i!jica, " magnihcent," "distinguished," refers
to the stately appearance of the mature tree.

Abies Mariesii.— A new Japanese Silver Fir with the following-
characteristics: — A tall pyramidal tree^ with robust spreading
branches^ the lower ones deflexed and bent upwards at the tips. The
older branches are smooth, but marked with the scars of the fallen
leaves, the younger ones covered with reddish brown bark. The
leaves on the main branches are erect and evenly disposed around
the stem ; on the lateral .shoots they are twisted at the base so
as to be in the same horizontal plane ; on the younger sterile
branches they are pseudo-four-ranked; the lateral leaves spreading;
those of the two central ranks on the upper surface appressed
and parallel to the long axis of the branch, and not more than
half the length of lateral ones ; the longer leaves three-quarters of
an inch long, and the shortest ones not more than one-third of an
inch. The cones are cylindrical, from 3^ to 5^ inches long,
narrowed at the base and apex, and from 1^ to 2 inches in
diameter, blackish purple when mature, and composed of wedge-
shaped scales, sub-orbicular and entire at the free edge.

Habitat. — Japan. At Awomori, and on Mount Nikko, 5,000 — 7,000
feet elevation in company with Abies Veitchii, growing in shallow
peat on volcanic debris.

Introduced by us in 1879, through our collector Mr. Maries,
after whom it has l)een named by Dr. Masters {Gardeners Chronicle,
vol 12, p. 788).

This fine Abies will prove an important additioji to our park ai^d

Fertile lirauclilet anil cone of Ahics nohilis. Natural size. Grown at liicton.

io^

A MANUAL OF THE CONIPERJ!.

country. It is perfectly lianly, and when once established, grows freely
in a great variety of soils, and in many aspects. It produces its
beautiful cones while in a young state, and seedling plants can be
raised without difficulty. The length of the lower branches of the
finest specimens at present growing in Britain, range from 15 to 18
feet, so that a space having a radius greater than these dimen-
sions must be allowed for the developement of its grand proportions.
The resinous secretions of A. nolilUs are very abundant. The bark
of the trunk is generally swollen with numerous l^listers from which
a limpid yellowish fragrant turpentine flows freely when an incision
is made.

The specific name nobilis " noble," is sufficiently explained by the
preceding description.

Abies Nordmanniana is a tree of stately habit, and one of
the handsomest of Conifers for ornamental planting ever introduced.
Although so closely allied to the common Silver Fir, as to be
regarded only as a variety, it may be easily distinguished by
the following characters : — The branches are horizontal, rigid, and
densely clothed with foliage of a beautiful deep glossy green.
The leaves, which are about an inch long, are stiff, coriaceous in
texture, and are either obtuse or emarginate at the apex, those
above pointing upwards and forwards, those below pointing laterally.
The cones are slightly ovoid, fi'om 5 to 6 inches long, and from
2 1 to 2| inches in diameter.

Habitat, — The mountains of the Crimea and the Caucasus. In
the neighbourhood of Aschur, it forms large forests mixed with
Abies orientalis*

Introduced in 1848.

Abies Nordmanniana is perfectly hardy, and thrives in a great variety
of soils, even in dry sandy places where many other Firs become
attenuated and half divested of foliage. It does not commence its
annual growth till summer has fairly set in, when it pushes rapidly
for about eight weeks, completing its growth in time for the young
wood to become ripened before winter. It is rarely injured by the
severest frosts in this country.

Abies Nordmanniana sports into many varieties in the seed bed, the
departures from the usual type being chiefly in the foliage.

It is named after Professor Nordmann, of Odessa, who first discovered
it in the mountains of the Crimea.

* Canieic, Tntili, {>. 277.

AMes noini. at Hi.Jn.uu Court. Trescnt h.W

lit (1881) GO feet.

Abies numidica^ a. tectinata. 103

Abies Numidica. — A medium-sized tree, attaining a lieight of
from 45 to 60 fcct^ witli a trunk about 15 inclies in diameter, well
fm-mshed -with numerous mucli ramified branches, forming a compact
and regular conical pp'amid. The branches are spreading or sub-
erect, the older ones relatively slender, slightly deflexed, and clothed
"SN-ith shorter leaves. The leaves are from haK an inch to 1 inch long,
crowded, keeled beneath, marked on each side of the keel by a
glaucous furrow and thickened at the margin, obtuse or slightly
acuminate at the apex. The cones are erect, often in clusters of four
or five, seldom sohtary, cylindrical, from 5 to 8 inches long, and If
to 2i inches in diameter, and composed of reniform grepsli brown
scales enclosing a scarious bract.^

Rahitut. — Kabylia in Algiers, near the summit, and on the northern
aspect of Mount Tababor at an elevation of from 4,000 to 0,000 feet^
sparingly interspersed with the Mount Atlas Cedar.

Introduced into France, in 1864, by M. de Lannoy, superintendent
of roads and bridges in the province of Constantia; and subsequently
received in England.

Abies Numidica is a beautiful tree easily distinguished by the peculiarly
bright and pleasing green of its foliage. It stood the severe winter of
1879 — 80 at our Coombe Wood Nursery without the shghtest trace
of injury, and its hardiness may therefore be depended on.

Abies pectinata.— The common Silver Fir has a tall tapering
trunk furnished with branches, which, with their branchlets and twigs
stand out quite horizontally, the entire bough having the flat frondose
character common to most of the members of the tribe. In young
trees the leaves are distinctly two-rowed, but as they grow older the
pectinate arrangement is more or less departed from, especially in
the cone-bearing branches. In every stage of growth the leaves are
slightly turned upwards, more so on the older trees and cone-bearing
branches; they are deep green above, and marked by two silvery
lines beneath. The cones are cylindrical, about 6 inches long and
H inch in diameter, obtuse at base and apex; before they are
quite full grown they are of a reddish colour, which contrasts
effectively with the deep green foliage.

Ha 5 (7a^.— Chiefly the mountain districts of central and southern

* Abridged from Carri^re, TraiU, p. 305.

104 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

Europe, as far -westward as tlie Pyrenees, and extending eastward to
the Transylvanian Alps and tlie Carpathians. Its northern hmit is
about lat. 50"^, beyond which, it is found only in cultivation.

Introduced into England in the sixteenth century, the precise date
not known.*

]Mauy varieties of the common Silver Fir have been from time to
time brouglit under the notice of Horticulturists, some of them showing
very remarkable deviations from the usual type. They have been
named respectively, C(jlainnnrii, fasthjlata, inacroiilnjllu, nana, pcmJula,
pijrannda/it:, totiuosa, &c., names sufficiently mdicative of the character
of the varieties to wliich they have been given. These varieties are
all, or nearly all of French or German origin ; fe^v of them are met
with in British Gardens, and these, but rarely.

The Silver Fir forms an important element of the great forests
that cover the moiuitain sides of central and southern Europe, whence
it has spread under cidtivation into all the neighbouring countries.
Its growth during the first fcAV years from the seed is extremely slow,
only attaining the height of a few inches in four or five years, but
after it has become established, its progress is more rapid. About the
twentieth year, and during its full vigour for some years afterwards, the
leader Avill increase from 2 to 3 feet annually, f The height attained
by the tree in its maturity varies much according to soil and situation,
often reachmg from 100 to 150 feet in alluvial valleys, with a
trunk of from 5 to 7 feet in diameter. In England the leader is
sometimes injured by spring frosts, and the branches bared of foliage
by piercing winds, so that when planted for ornamental purposes, it
should liaA-e a rather sheltered situation.

The timber afforded by Abies xjedinata is inferior to that of the
Spruce Fir ; the wood is elastic, but the gram of it irregular ; it is
soft and porous, shrinks considerably in drying, and soon decays on
exposure. In the momitain districts, Avhere it is abundant, it is, how-
ever, much used for carpentry of all descriptions, and it is also burnt
into charcoal. In some parts of Switzerland the bark is used for
tanning. The most important commercial product of the Silver Fir is
Strasburg turpentine, so called from its being chiefly collected in the
forests of the Vosges, and formerly in the Hochwald, near Strasburg.
Substances called colophony and white pitch are also prepared from
the secretions of A. jiodinata. In England the Silver Fir is frequently
planted for purposes of utility, no less than for ornament. *' No Fir
is more useful, either for mixed plantations, groups, beds, or specimen
park trees ; ami for game preserves, thickets, or shelter clumps, few

* It is described liy Gerard, in bis Historie of Plants, 1597, under the name of the Pitch
Tree.

+ Loudon, Ai-l. cL FnU., p. 2'36l.

Abies rmsAro and varieties. 105

trees are better adapted ; for in such situations where a close humid
atmosphere, and drip and shade prevail, it is quite at homo."*

The specific name, pedinata, from pedinarc, and this again from
pcdi'ii, a comb, refers to the comb-like arrangement of the leaves. A.
pedinata is the iXarn (elate) of the Greeks ; the Abies of Pliny ; the
Sapui des Vosges, or Sapin de Xormandie of the French ; the Gemeinc
"Weisstanne and Silbertannc of the Germans ; the Abeto bianco and
Abeto nostrale of the Italians.

Abies Pinsapo. — A large tree of from GO to 80 feet high, of
pyramidal habit, branched almost from the roots_, and clothed with
stiff prickly foliage, having more of the '' noli me tangere ''
character than that of any other Silver Fir. The branches are
not flat or froudose like those of the common species (^1. ])edinata),
but the branchlets are generally wliorled^ growing from all sides
of their primaries, and at right angles to them, forming a dense
plexus of twigs that completely hides the trunk from view. The
leaves are close set all round the stem, erect, rigid, sharply
pointed, and bright green, with very faint silvery lines on the
inner side. The cones are cylindrical, from 4^ to 5^ inches long,
and with a diameter of little less than half the length.

Uabitat. — Tlic mountains in the middle and south of Spain ;
abundant on the Sierra Nevada at elevations of from 1,000 to
6,000 feet, forming large forests.

Introduced into England in 1839.

Abies Pinsapo Hamondii. — A remarkable devia.tion from tlio
species. It has a short stem, with the branches excessively developed
and quite prostrate, spreading over the ground to a considerable
distance. The branchlets and leaves are smaller than in the
species.

It is named in compliment to Mr. W. Parker Hamond, of Pampesford
Hall, in whose fine collection the original plant is growing.

Abies Pinsapo variegata has the tips of the leaves and portions
of the branchlets pale yellow. During the growing season it is
very effective.

Ahies Pinsapo is quite liardy, ami tliriven in almo.-st any soil
* Pinacete, 1>y Senilis, p. 42.

106

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER^!.

not too M'ct and cold ; it is especially suitable for clialk land where
it makes a fine landscape tree, and is the Ijest of the Abies for the
lawn. In such situations it should he. preferred to A. cephalonica, to
Avhicli it has some resemblance, A space having a radius of not less
than 20 feet should be allowed for it.

Pinsapo, the Spanish name of this Fir. The word is compounded
of xnno and scqn'no, which appear to be applied indiscriminately to the
Pine and Fir.

Abies sachalinensis. — A tall pyramidal tree witli robust branches
more or less pointing upwards, and covered witli light cinereous
brown bark, furrowed by the decurrent bases of the leaves. The

Fig. 26.— Fertile branchlet of Abies saclialinemis. Natural size. From the! GarcJeHers' Chronicle.

leaves are close set, spirally arranged round the stem; linear,
falcate, obtuse at the apex, with a sunk line above, and prominent
middle and lateral nerves beneath, from three-quarters of an inch
to little more than 1 inch long and about one-twelfth of an inch
broad. The cones are sub-cylindrical sessile, either straight or slightly
curved, erect, and obtusely rounded at the apex, and composed of

ABIES SACHALINENSIS, A. VEITCHII.

107

liorizonlal semi-lunate scales^ disposed in a very distinct spiral round
the axis, each scale enclosing a membraneous wedge-shaped bract,
witli a protruding edge turned back over the scale.

Habitat. — Northern Japan and Saghalien.

Introduced by us in 1879, through our collector, Mr. Maries.

Ahics sachalhiensi's is a very lianclsoiiie Silver Fir -with sinall narroAv
leaves and small cones, forming, with A. Veitchii, a sub-section of the
genus. The very distinct and graceful aspect of this tree, together
with its hardy constitution, render it one of the most valuable Conifers
of recent introduction.

The specific name refers to the island of Sachalin, or Saghalien,
where it was discovered by F. Schmidt, a German traveller and
botanist, wlio partially explored the island and the district of the
Amour about fifteen years ago.

Abies Veitchii. — A tall, slender, handsome tree, with a trunk
upwards of 100 feet high, thickly furnished with whorls of slightly
ascending branches. The trunk is covered with whitish bark ; that

Fig. 27.— Foliage of Ahiet Veitchii. Natural size.

of the branches is also whitish, and slightly furrowed by the pulvini.
The leaves are rather close set, the lateral ones spreading in a
di.stichous manner, thoso on the upper side much shorter, appresscd.

108

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

and pointing forwards; tliey are variable in length, from lialf an
inch to 1 inch; emarginate on the sterile branches and obtuse at the
apex on the fertile ones; bright glossy green, with a sunk middle
line above, and with a prominent mid-rib and lateral nerves beneath,
between which are two silvery lines. The cones are sub-cylindrical,
erect, purplish-brown, from 2i to 2^ inches long, and from three-
quarters to seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, composed of
horizontal reniform scales so closely packed that the usual spiral
arrangement is not easy to trace, each enclosing a short wedge-
shaped bract, as long as the scale.

Habitat. — Japan, on Mount Fusi-Yama, at from 6,000 to 7,000
feet elevation; also on Nikko, from 6,000 to 8,000 feet elevation.

Introduced by us in 1879, through our collector, Mr. Maries.

This beautiful and interesting tree, which
Dr. Lindley characterised as "a most re-
markable species," and which lie named
after Mr. J. G. Veitcli, by Avhom it was
discovered in 1860, has long been a
desideratum Avliich we have now the
satisfaction of supplying, through the energy
and perseverance of our collector, Mr.
Maries. Although closely allied to Ahies
sachalinensis, described abo^•e, so nmcli so
that by some botanists the latter is
regarded as only a variety — they differ in
a horticultural point of view in several
important particulars. A. Veitclni is essen-
tially an alpine tree, being rarely met with
iu a wild state below 5,000 feet elevation,
attaining its finest proportions on the south
and south-western slopes of the central
mountains of Japan. A. saclialinensis is a
lowland tree, growing in the plains of
Saghalien, and on the south-east coast of
Yesso. It is a larger tree than A. Veitcliii,
having longer branches, so that its pyra-
midal outline appears much broader at the base ; the leaves, too, are
longer, and tlie cones are easily distinguished from those of A. Veitclni
by the more regularly arranged scales, and by the })rotruding reflexed
bracts.

Young plants of Ahies Veitcliii liave withstood the severe Avinter of
1879-80 uninjured, and the hardiness of the species is thence assured/

Fig. 28. — Cono of Ahies Velh-hii, from
Mount Nikko. Natural size.

"

IVrtile bmiidJet and cone of Ah'rs WiUl'mn. Xatural size. Growii at Bicton,

J

ABIES VEITCHII, A. WEBBIANA. 109

Judging from its preference of situation in its native country, it will
prove a suitable tree for elevated spots open to the south or south-
east.

The Silver Fir liitlierto cultivated in British and Continental gardens
under the name of Ahies Veifchii is (juite a different tree from that
described above.* AVe cannot but deeply regret this error in nomen-
cktiu'c on account of the additional confusion thereby introduced into
the sjnionymy of the Japanese Conifero?. The plants of A. hr((t'hi//iJn/N(t
distributed by us as A. VcitcliU, were raised from seed received unilcr
tile latter name.

Abies Webbiana. — A tree of fine proportions^ the outline pre-
sented by it during its growth to maturity being broadly pyramidal.
The branches are horizontal and robust^ the lower ones decum-
bent by the weight of their appendages. The leaves are linear,
bifid, or cleft at the points, coriaceous in texture, and rather rigid ;
on very young plants distichously arranged in two — four rows; as
the tree increases in age and vigour, the foliage becomes much
more abundant and very dense ; the leaves are then produced in
a spiral direction all round the branchlets, but by the twist at the
base, they point laterally in tAvo directions in six or eight rows on
each side, those in the lower rows being fully 2 inches long, while
those above are not more than 1 inch; above they are deep glossy
gi*een, beneath they are marked by two broad silvery lines. The
cones are cylindrical, composed of closely compressed imbricated
scales, from 6 to 7 inches long and about 2^ in diameter, "of an
intense purple, full of resin, which exudes in numerous transparent
globules, yielding by expression a purple pigment.^^ f

Habitat. — The Himalayan Mountains from Bhotan to Cashmere, at
elevations of from 10,000 to 12,000 feet, also in the forests of the
Kuram and Hariab districts in Afghanistan.

Introduced in 1822. J

Ahies Wehhiana fonns forests of consideraT)le extent on the slopes of
the Himalayas at the altitude above-mentioned, where, "notwithstanding
the whiteness of the \mder surface of its leaves, the general effect is
exceedingly dark and gloomy." It attains a large size, from 70 to 90

* See Dr. Master'.s paper, on Abies Vcitcldi, Oardcners' Chronicle, vol. xiii. , p. 275.

+ Loudon, Arh. el Frut., p. 2341.

:J: Seeds liad been repeatedly sent to Enf;land by Dr. Wallich to Mr. Lambert and
others, but none appear to have vegetated till the date al)ove f,'iveii, when some plants were
raised in the Fiilbaui Nursery. — Loudon, Arb. ct FruL, p. 2341.

no A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

foet ill liuiglit and from 5 to 10 feet, or even more, in diameter. At
Tunkra, Sir J. D. Hooker saw trees 35 feet in girth with a trunk
nnbranched for 40 feet.

The economic value of Abies Wehhiana to the inhabitants of tlie Hima-
layas is considerable — "the wood splits well, is white, soft, and liigldy
prized for durabihty ; it is, hoAvever, loose in grain compared with that
of its European allies. A beautiful violet dye is extracted from the
young cones." A. Wehhiana is considered tender in many parts of
England ; it begins to gi'ow early in spring, and this early growtli is
often cut off by frosts later in tlie season ; but if young plants are
protected by a slight covermg at the time these frosts occur — and so
small an amount of troul)le is well worth taking to preserve so beautiful
a tree, the injury may be prevented, and as the plants become established
by age, they also become more acclimatised. Many fine specimens,
growing in various parts of England, attest this ; the lower branches
of the largest of these have attained lengths of from 15 to 18 feet, so
that in selecting a situation for this tree a space having a radius
greater than these dimensions should be allowed for it.

The specific name was given by Dr. Wallich in compliment to Captain
W. S. Webb, " a distinguished traveller and zealous investigator of
Natural History," who first discovered it.

The five following Silver Firs, from causes referred to in the
descriptions, cannot be recommended for ornamental planting in
Great Britain. It is only under very exceptional circumstances,
that any of them have grown into handsome trees in this country.

Abies cilicica. — A tree from 40 to 60 feet high, inhabiting Mount
Taurus, in Cilicia, in company with the Cedar of Lebanon, at an
elevation of from 4,000 to 5,000 feet. It somewhat resembles A.
Nordmanniana but its branches and foliage are more slender. The
leaves are linear, slightly curved or straight, blunt at the apex, those
clustered on the upper side of the branchlets shorter and pointing
forwards, those below longer and pointing laterally. It does not
readily accommodate itself to the climate of England ; it starts into
growth early in the season, and it is frequently disfigured by spring
frosts.

Abies Pindrow is a noble tree inhabiting the Himalayas of
lihotaii, at elevations of from 9,000 to 12,000 feet. It is like A.
Wehhiana in some respects, but may Ije easily distinguished from that
tree by its more tapering habit, longer leaves, which are less glaucous
beneath, and smaller cones. It was introduced into England in 1837,
by Dr. Koyle, but it has generally failed in this country, except in

TSUG-E, THE HEMLOCK FIRS. Ill

very favoured spots ; it begins to grow early in spring, and its tender
shoots are invariably destroyed by frost later in the season.

Abies religiosa is a native of various ])arts of Mexico, between
latitudes 15' and 20° N., but always at a very high elevation, and
in some places at the extreme verge of arborescent vegetation. It
was named relkjiom by its discoverer, Humboldt, on account of its
extensive use in the decoration of churches on particular occasions.
A. religiosa resembles A. bradeata in its tapering liabit and massive
foliage, l)ut the leaves are shorter, thinner, and lighter in colour. It
was introduced by Hartweg in 1838, but has }»roved too tender for the
climate of Great Britain.

Abies sibirica. — A medium-sized tree, witli the habit and general
appearance of A. pectimda, Init " smaller in all its parts." It in-
habits Siberia, from the Ural Mountains to Kamtchatka, but is most
abundant on the Altai and other ranges of mountains that stretch
across the continent from the Caspian Sea to the Sea of Ockhotsk,
forming vast forests at elevations of from 2, -500 to 5,000 feet.
Although it is one of the hardiest of trees, its removal to the more
genial climate of Britain has not proved favourable to its develope-
ment. Its growth is slow, and it is often disfigured by late spring
frosts that destroy the young shoots which have started into gro^\•th
early in the season.

Abies SUbalpina, according to Dr. Engehnann, is clusely allied to
A. halsamea, of which it may be considered the western representative.
It extends from the higher mountains of Colorado northwards to Oregon
and iiito liritish C(jlumbia, always scattered, and never alone forming
a forest. It is a larger tree than A. halsamea, attaining a height of
from 60 to 100 feet, with a diameter of 2 feet; the leaves are like
those of A. halsamea ; the timber is poor and soft. Seeds have been
introduced under the name of A. (jrandis, and it is probably in culti-
vation under that name. It has also been recently introduced under
Dr. Engehnann's name. Its merits as a decorative tree have yet to
be proved.

Section III. — Tsug^. The Hemlock Firs.

The Hemlock Firs include five vv !>ix species cultivated in this
country solely for ornamental purposes. They are trees of graceful
habit, having slender flexible branchlet.s, which in some instances
are more or less pendulous. They are also further distinguished : —

By their leaves, which are linear, flattened, imperfectly two-

112

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERJ;;.

rowed, with very short foot-stalks, obtuse at the apex, and
marked -wdth two glaucous lines on the under surface ; and —

By their cones, which arc pendent, small, not more than an
inch or an inch and a half long, composed of coriaceous imbri-
cated scales, with short bracts, and persistent after the fall of
the seed.

The economic value of the true Tsugse or Hemlock Firs does not
appear to be very great. The wood of the Japanese species is strong,
has a close grain, and is sought after for building purposes : the grain
of the Himalaj'an kind is soft and loose ; the timber of tlie Canadian
or common Hemlock Fir is fomrd to decay rapidly when exposed to
the atmosphere ; it is also coarse grained and poor ; but that of the
Galifomian species is said to be fine grained, strong, and durable.
The bark of tlie Canadian Hemlock Fir is valuable for tanning, but
it is inferior to that of the Oak ; it imparts a reddish tinge to the
leatlier tanned witli it.

Scientific Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in

Feet.

1
ABIES Albektiana

{Murray)

Pimis Mertensiana

(Parlatore)
Abies Mertensiana

(Bongard)
, , Bridgesii

(KeUog)
Tsuga Mertensiana

(Carriere)

Prince Albert's
Fir

British Columbia
and Oregon

100 to 120

Brunoniana

{Lindlcrj)

Pinus clumosa (Don.)
Abies clumosa (Loudon)
Tsucja Brunoniana

(Carriere)

The Indian
Hemlock Fir

Nepaul & Sikkim

60—100

CANADiiNSIS

{ilichaux)

Plnus canadensis

(Linnoeus)
, , americana

(Du Roi)
Tsuga canadensis

(Carriere)

The Hemlock

Spruce

Canada and ad-
joining States

45— eo

, , parvifolia
iffm-t.)

Abies canadensis gracilis
(Waterer)

The small-leaved
Hemlock Spnice

Garden variety...

HOOKEEIANA

Tsuga Hookeriana

(Carriere)
„ Pattoniana

(Engelmann)

...

Mount Baker,
Washington
Territory

60— 80

TSUG.'E, THE HEMLOCK FIRS.

113

SCIESTIFIC NaSTB.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height
in

Foot.

ABIES Pattoniana

rinus Pationiana

Mr. Patten's Fir

California and

80—150

{Bal/aur)

(Parlatorc)
Jbics WiUiamsonii

(Newberry)
,, Hanhuryana

(Hort.)
,, Hookcriana

(]\rnrray)

Oregon

Tsi'iJA (Sichohl)

Pinus tsiiga (Emllichcr)
Tsuga Sicholdi ^L'arriere)

The Japanese
Hemlock Fir

Japan

25— 30

„ nana

,, „ nana

The dwarf

>)

5- 10

(Skbold)

(Caniere)

Japanese Hem-
lock Fir

ABIES DovcLASii

Pin us Douglasii

The Douglas Fir

British Columbia

200 to 300

{Lindlcy)

(Lambert)
,, taxifolia

(Lambert)
Pscudo-tsuga Douglasii
(Carriere)

Oregon, Cali-
fornia

„ pcndula

...

Garden variety...

{Hurl.)

,, Standishii

Psettdo-tsuga Douglasii

Standish's

)) ))

(Gordon)

fastigiata (Carriere)

Douglas Fir

„ taxifolia

Abies Lindleyana

The Yew-leaved

South California

80-100

{Loudon)

(Roezl)
,, Drummoiuli

(Hort.)

Pseiulo-tsuga Douglasii

Uxjiifolia (Carriere)

Douglas Fir

and Mexico

FoRTt'NEI

Abies /esoc?im( Lindley)

Fortune's Fir ...

South Ea.slem

40— CO

(Lindley)

Pinus Fortunei

(Parlatorc)
Kctclceria Fortunei

(Carritrc)

China

Abies Albertiana. — A tall graceful tree, Avith long llexiLle brandies

and pendulous Lranchlets, clothed with foliage so closely resembling

that of the common Hemlock Spruce, as to be scarcely distinguishable

from if. A. Allciiianu may, however, be known l)y its more

I

114

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFEEiE.

robust and rapid groA\i:h, and more spreading branches ; also by its
redder bark, "the more elongated scales of its cones, and the pro-
portionately longer wings of the seeds." It is perfectly hardy in
Great Britain, and it is one of the most ornamental of Coniferous
trees for the park and landscape.

Habitat . — North America. The Pacific coast region, from Mendocino
to Alaska.

Introduced in 1851 by the Oregon Association of Edinburgh,*
through their collector, John Jeffre}", and named in honour of the
late lamented Prince Consort, Patron of the Association.

Abies canadensis, the best known of all the Hemlock Firs.
It is a beautiful tree of pyramidal habit up to about thirty years of
age, after which the top becomes rounded by the gradual lengthen-

Fig. 29. — Fertile branchlet of Abies canadensis.

ing of the upper branches and slower growth of the leader ; its
general habit is then more open and spreading than the other
Firs, and the branchlets more slender and pendulous. The cones,

• An association of noblnmen and gentlemen, chiefly Scotch, formed in 1850 for the
Tuirpose of promoting the Botanical exploration of north-west America, and the intro-
duction into Great Britain of plants and trees, especially Coniferte, indigenous to that
region.

ABIES CANADEXS1S_, A. IIOOKEIUANA. 115

wliicli ai'o smaller than those of any other Fir, have greyish brown
broadly wedge-shaped scales, and are ]')roduced at the extremities
of the branchlets.

Hahitat. — North America, eastern portion, from about latitude
35° N., to Hudson's Bay. It is most abundant in Canada (whence
the specific name) and the New England States, less common
further south, and confined to the Alleghan}^ ]\r(nintains nt its
southern limit.

Introduced intc England by Peter Collinson, about the year
173C.

Abiec canadensis parvifolia is a very distinct variety, with
small pointed leaves not more than half the size of those of the
species, scattered over and appressed to the slender branchlets ;
tliey are also of a deeper green above, and show but faint traces
of glaucous lines beneath.

Tlie common Hemlock Spruce, althougli one of the hardiest of trees,
i-arely assimies in this country the elegant form and luiliit usual to it
when standing singly in its native country. Its trunk frequently
l)ecomes forked and much divided, and the growth of the branches is
irregular, so that it can never be depended on to grow into a
symmetrical tree when planted as a single specimen f(jr ornamental
l)urix)ses. It appears to thrive best in elevated airy situations, and
in such places good specimens may occasionally be seen, nota1)ly at
Norbury Park, near Dorking, the residence of T. D, Grisell, Es<j.,
where are some of the finest trees C)f Ah/cs Cfinadaisi's in Pritain. For
landscape and ornamental planting its near ally. A, AUxr/iaini, slunild
always be preferred to it.

Abies Hookeriana— The late Mr. AndrcAV ]\furray described
this * as an Alpine tree, with a spreading and irregular but
remarkably graceful habit, thickly branched and clothed with
light feathery foliage. " Leaves slightly curved, with a rib in the
middle, and sometimes depressed above so as to give the leaf a
triangular or boat-shaped form, rich grassy-green above, pale green
and very silveiy beneath, except when young and fresh ; closely
but in-egularly set along the young branches, chiefly on the upper
side, except at the extremity of the shoot, where they surround
the whole t\vig. Cones ovoido-cylindrical, from 1^ to 2 inches

* Larson's Pinclum Britannicum, jiart iv.

116

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

loug, and half an inch in diameter; pendent and dark purple before
they are mature, and when ripe pale fawn coloured.'^

Habitat. — According to the same authority, California, the Cascade
Mountains, Scott's Mountain, nnd the Sierra Nevada, at altitudes
of from 4,500 to 6,000 feet.

Introduced in 1854, by Mr. Wilham Murray, and named in
compUment to the late Sir William Jackson Hooker.

Abies Pattoniana, as described by Dr. Engelniann,* is ^'A tall
strictly pyramidal tree, 100 to 150 feet high, and 2 to rarely 4 feet
through ; in high altitudes only a shrub of graceful habit, with
slender pubescent branchlets and light green foliage; bark thick,

Fig. 30.— Foliage of Abies Pattoniana. Natural size.

Fig. 31.— Cone of Abies Pattoniana.

much cracked and apt to scale off, reddish grey; leaves 6 to 12

lines long (half an inch to 1 inch) angular, acutish, attenuated at

base, often curved; cones cylindrical oblong, 2 to 3 inches lonc^^

o'

* Gardeners' Chronicle, vol. xii., p. 75G.

ADIES PATTONIANA.

117

llahitat. — The liiglicr regions of the Sierra Nevada at 8,000 to
10,000 feet altitude. From Ebbett's Pass northwards through the
Cascade Mountains to British Cuhnnl)ia.

Introduced in 1851 by the Oregon Association of Edinburgh,
through their collector, John Jeffrey, and named in compliment to
Mr. Patton, of the Cairnies, afterwards Lord Justice Clerk, one of
the leading members of the association.

r>y Parlatorc and T)i'. Iv^fclmann, tliis and llic preceding ai'o both
refciTt'd to and de.scril )L'd as one .si)eries, viz., PaUoiiidiia. Carriere
includes both in his description of llniikcrhnKi. I'xitanically, then,
the two trees are considered to be but one sjiecie.s ; Init as tlicre
are two liorticulturally distinct forms in cultivation, for which dis-
tinguishing names are necessary, wc liavc retained both the names

Fig. 32.— Foliage of Ahk» Huokeriana of gar-lrnf. Nulurnl si/.c.

in question. There appears to us to be no doul)t that Murray's Al/irs
Ilookeriana nnist sink to a synonym of A. Pidtouidna, and that uiany
of the plants in cultivation under the name of A. Ilooken'ann arc not
the A. Hookeriwm of Murray, but another form more distinct from

118

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

A. ruttoniinin tlian tliat descrilx'd by liim, and wliicli probably is
Jelfrcy's first tliscovcry of this Hemlock Fir on Mount Baker, near
the British line, in latitude 49° X. The A. Hoolicriana of gardens
has its branchlets shorter and more crowded, and its leaves smaller
and more closely set thiin tlinso of A. Paftoniuva described above.

Abies tsuga is a small but elegant tree having the habit and
general appearance of the Canadian Hemlock Fir^ with foliage of
a briofhter and more cheerful colour. It also differs from it in " the

Fig. 33, — Foliage of Alios Uuga. Natural size.

Fig. 31. — Cone uf Abies tst'.ga.

leaves being emarginate instead of being simply obtuse without
emargination, and the scales of the cones orbicular and not wedge-
shaped." *

Habitat. — Japan; common in the mountain forests from 3,000 to
C,000 feet of elevation.

Introduced into Europe in 1853 by the late Dr. Siebold.

Abies tsuga nana is a slow-growing variety, with small leaves,
and not attaining a greater height than from 4 to 5 feet in Japan,
where it originated.

* A. jrnrr.iy, rincx and Firs of Jajmn, p. 88.

ABIES BKUNONIAKA^ A. DOUGLASII. 119

Abies imifia is (juite lianly in England. It is a 1)oautif\il tree for
small hums, Avliere tlie larger Coniferce wonld l)c inappropriate. T^iifja
is the Japanese name of the tree.

Abies Brunoniana. — The Himalayan Hemlock Fir is " a beautiful
species, which forms a stately blunt pjTamiJ, with branches spreading
like the Cedar but not stiff, and drooping gracefully on all sides. It
is \mknoAvu on the outer ranges of Sikkim, but in the interior it
occupies a belt aliout 1,000 feet lower than the Silver Tir, A. Weh-
hlnna. It here attains a height of 120 feet, with a girth of 20 feet.*
A. Brunonirina has longer leaves than any of the Hemlock Firs ; they
are disposed in irregular double lateral rows, those in tlu> lower row
1?eiug about an inch long, those al)ove one-third shorter, and all very
glaucous on the under side. Although found at elevations of 8,000
and 9,000 feet, this beautiful Fir has proved rather tender in this
country."

Abies Douglasii " is one of the grandest of the group of giants
which combine to form the forests of the West. It attains a height
of 200 and even 300 feet, with a diameter of 10 feet at 4 feet
above the ground. In its most favoured habitat, about the mouth of
the Willamette, it forms forests of which the density can hardly be
appreciated without being seen. The trees stand relatively as near
each other, and the trunks are as tall and as slender as the
canes in a cane brake. In this case the foHage is confined to
a tuft at the top of the tree, the trunk forming a cylindrical
column as straight as an arrow, and almost Avithout branches for
200 feet." t Such is the Douglas Fir as seen in its native home.
In Great Britain some of the older specimens are also rapidly
growing into dimensions that will, in a short time, surpass every
native tree, and the Douglas Fir may even rival the Wellingtonia
in height in this country. As a landscape and park tree A>
Douglasii is decidedly handsome ; its tall straight trunk^ when the
tree is standing alone, is feathered from the base to the top with
branches gradually decreasing in length, and thus producing an
clong-ated pyramidal or spiry outline. The foliage is of a deep
but cheerful green ; the leaves are about an inch long, two rowed

* Sir J, D. Hooker's Himalayan Jouriials, vol. i., p. 209.

t Dr. Newberry, Pacific FMilway Eejwrt, p. 55. A horizontal section of the tnnik of a
Douglas Fir 6 fee't in diameter was exhibiteil in th<- liritish Columbian Court of the London
International Exhibition of 1862. The height of the tree from which it was taken was
309 feet, and its age, according to the rings, 364 years;

120

A MANUAL OF THE CONlfEK^.

on the older branclilets, but on the younger ones they are also
produced plentifully along the upper side. Tlie cones are pendulous,

from 2 to 3 inches
long ; the scales
thin and leathery,
persistent after
the fall of the
seed, and with
narrow, protrud-
ing, tricuspidate
bracts, the middle
process much
longer than the
two lateral ones.

Habitat. —West-
ern North America,
as far north as
Sitka to the Keal
del Monte in
Mexico, but not
continuous through
the territory. "It
forms the chief
ingredient of the
vast forests that
extend from British
Columbia to the
Fig. ^o.-Ahies Douffiacii. Sliasta Mouutaius

in California. It is abundant along the coast range from San
Francisco to the 35th parallel." It occurs on the Rocky Mountains,
with some interruptions, from at least latitude 52° N. to as far
south as New Mexico, about latitude 32° N.

Discovered by Archibald Menzies in 1795, and introduced by
David Douglas in 1827.

Abies Douglasii pendula is a striking departure from the
normal habit, in which the branches droop downwards quite close
to the trunk.

ABIES DOUGLASII. l21

The parent i)lant growing at Woolvorston Park, iioar Tiiswich, tlio
seat of John Berners, Esq., is an exceedingly picturesijuc tree, npwards
of 50 feet liigli; the diameter of the spread of its liranches, near tlic
ground, is only 10 feet, or ahout one-fourth of that of trees of the
usual haliit of the same height.

Abies Douglasii Standishii. — A remarkable variety, raised from
Eng]i.sli saved seed gathered from a Douglas Fir gro'VN'iiig iu close
proximity to some large Silver Firs. It lias the habit and general
aspect of the species, but the leaves are larger, deeper green above
and quite silvery beneath, like those of a Silver Fir.

It originated in the Xursery of the late ^[r. Standisli at Ascot.

Abies Douglasii taxifolia is a variety found in Oregon, and,
according to some writers, also on the Real del Monte in Mexico.
The branches are stouter than those of ^1. Douglasii, and the leaves
longer. It does not attain more than half the height of the species,
and the habit of the largest specimens growing in England is more
broadly pyramidal, and the general aspect darker and more massive.

Ahi'p.'^ DoiKjlasii is one of the most important of Coniferous trees as
regards its economic properties, hut, owing to the remoteness of the
forests in which it abounds, its value cannot yet he said to have been
much developed beyond the limits of its habitat. " The tindjer is heavy,
finn, and of as deep a colour as the Yew, with very few knots, and
not in the lea.st liable to warp.* It is clean grained, strong, elastic,
and acquires large dimensions in unequal climates ; t it is very resinous,
and fonns excellent firewood even when green ; in dead trees, the
bark and wood are often so full of resin as to bum like a torch,
and. from its combustability extensive tracts of forest get burnt every
year. | Tlie amount of timber on one acre in the forest of Douglas Fir
near the mouth of the "Willamette, very nmch exceeds that of a
similar area iu the tropics. Were it not that vegetable tissues will
bum readily, the immense mass of it that encumbers the surface of an
orcUnary fami on the banks of the Columbia, would bid defiance to
any efforts that one man could make for its removal during the time
of his natural life.§ The British public have had, for some yeara
pa.st, an opportunity of forming nn idea of the stupendous dimensions
attained by *his tree. In the Royal Gardens at Kew is erected a
flagstaff of Douglas Fir, brought from Vancouver's Ishuid. It consists of

• Dr. Lindley in Enfjlish Cyclopedia, p. 12,

t Idem, in Gardeners' Chronicle, 1862, j). 451.

t Lawson's Pirvetum Brilannicum, A. JJouylasii, p. 3.

§ Dr. Newb' iTy, Pacific PailViay Hcporf, p. 55.

122 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

a single piece 159 feet in Ifiigtli, 22 inches in diametiT at tlie Imse, taper-
ing to 8 inches at the summit ; its Aveight is tlu'ce tons, and it contains
157 cubic feet of timber. Tlie tree from wliich tliis flagstaff was made,
was two luindred and fifty years old, as indicated by its concentric rings.*

The Douglas Fir thrives generally in Great Britain, except in the
extreme north and in wx't marshy places where its roots would get
water-logged. Its rate of growth differs considerably in different parts
of the country. In Cornwall and Devonshire, the average annual growth
is quite 30 inches ; in Hampshire and other southern counties it is
somewhat less. At an elevation of 600 feet in Perthshire, the observed
annual growth of a particular tree Avas aboitt 18 inches; that of
another tree in another part of the same county was found to be 22
inches. In the South of Ireland, the rate of growth equals that in
Devonshire, and an instance is recorded of a tree in the county of
Meath having made an annual growth of 33 inches. Wlien planted
for ornamental purposes, the Douglas Fir should have a clear space
M'ith a radius of more than 30 feet assigned to it. In an open place,
admitting of a free circulation of air, it is found to retain its lower
branches in health and vigour for an almost indefinite period — a cir-
cumstance which greatly enhances its value as an ornamental tree.

The specific name was given to commemorate the services of David
Douglas, who successfully introduced the tree into Great Britain. It is
called the Ked Fir by the settlers in British Columbia and Oregon.

Our article on the Douglas Fir would be incomplete without some
further notice of him Avhose name it bears. It has been said that
" there is scarcely a spot deserA^ng the name of a garden, either in
Europe or in the United States, in which some of the discoveries of
David Douglas do not form the chief attraction." The frequent mention
of his name in these pages as the discoverer and introducer of
some of the finest Conifers that adorn the lawns and parks of Britain,
affords abvmdant evidence that the above quotation contains "\'ery much,
if not the whole truth, and that to no single individual is modem
horticulture more indebted than to David Douglas. His imtimely end,
the unfortunate circumstances that prevented the publication of his
journals, together witli. the length of time that has elapsed since the
introduction to gardens of his finest discoveries, have aU tended to dim
the memory of his great achievements. The noble Fir that properly bears
his name Avill, it is true, perpetuate it to distant ages ; but it is,
nevertheless, due to a brave and good man, that something more than
the mere name should be kept in remembrance, and therefore, brief
and inadequate as it is, the insertion in this place of a sketch of his
life needs no apology.

David Douglas was born at Scone, near Perth, in 1799, where
his fatlier was a Avorking mason. He received a plain education at

* Gardeners' Chronicle^ Mny lltli, 1861.

PAVID DOUGLAS. 123

the parish school, and at an early age showed a strong; iiiflination for
ganlening, which led to his lieing apprenticed in the gardens of the
Eiirl of Mansfield, at Scone Palace, for a term of seven years. DaA'id
Avas fond of books and the study of plants, and during this ix-riod
lie made liimsclf Avell acquainted with the native and exotic i)lants
within his reach, and acquired an elementary knowledge of IJotany.
He greatly improved and extended this knowledge during the two
years he served with Sir Robert Preston, of A'allcyfield, where he
went to live after the completion of his apprenticeship. The garden
at Yalleyfield was, at that time, celebrated for its choice collection of
exotic plants. Douglas was treated with great kindness by ^Ir. .Stewart,
the head gardener, who procured for lum access to the P)Otanical
Library of Sir Robert. In 1820, he removed to Glasgow, where he
was employed in the P>otanic Garden of the University. Here he
greatly enlarged his knowledge of Botany, and attracted l)y his intel-
ligence the notice of Dr. (afterwards Sir AV. J.) Hooker, at that
time Professor of Botany in Glasgow University, and who made him
bis companion in his botanical excursions to the Highlands and other
parts of Scotland for the purpose of collecting materials for his Flnrn
Srt>tlcii. By Sir "William Hooker he was recommended to the Horti-
cultural Society of London, and thus he became known to Mr. Sabine,
at that time the able and enlightened Secretary oi the Society, through
whose influence he was appointed Collector to the Society. His first
destination was China, but owing to the unsettled state of the country,
that rich field, afterwards partially but successfully explored by
Mr. Rol^ert Fortime under more auspicious circimistances, was abandoned
for a time, and Douglas was sent to the United States in 1823,
whence he made many valuable additions to our hardy fruits, besides
l)rocuring sevend fine plants till then unknown to British Horticulture.
In 1824 it was' resolved to send him to the Columbia River, on the
western side of the Continent, to explore the vegetable })roductions of
the country adjoining, and southwards to California, of which scarcely
any thing was at that time known, although a glimpse of the forests
of gigantic Conifene covering the coast range had been obtained by
Archibald Menzies a quarter of a centiiry previous, when accompanying
Vancouver on his interestmg voyage. An opportunity occurreil through
the agency of the Hudson's Bay Comi)any, and he landed at Fort
Vancouv'er, on the banks of the Columbia River, for the first time
in April, 182.5. From that time till his return to England in 1827,
he sent home many beautiful plants, with seeds and dried specimens.
Among his earliest introductions were Abic^ Donr/hmt, Pinns pon-
derosK, and /*. Lainhertlonn. In the spring of 1827, he went from
Fort Vancouver across the Rocky Mountains to Hudson's Bay, where
lie met Captain (afterwards Sir John) Franklin, Dr. Richardson, and
Captain (afterwards Sir George) Back, retummg from their second

124 A MAKUAL OF THE CONIFER^:.

overland Arctic Expeaition. With tlicse travellers he returned to England,
bringing with him the results of his researches. He remained in
London two years, and sailed again for the Columbia River in 1829.
In addition to his mission as a collector for the Horticultural Society,
he Avas employed by the Colonial Office to take observations on
magnetic and atmospiieric phenomena, the department supplying him
with instruments and contributing towards his expenses. He reached
the Columbia Eiver in June, 1830, and spent the remainder of the
year in exploring the neighbouring country, and made some valuable
additions to the Pinetum, the most important being AhU-s nohilis and
A. Mcnzicaii. The next year he travelled southAvards into California,
then a comparatively unknoAvn land, Avhere he found a rich harvest
of noAv i)lants. In 1832 he visited the SandAvich Islands, and returning
to the Columl)ia River in the same year, undertook an expedition to
the Eraser River, Avhere he had a very narroAv escape of his life,
and lost many valuable papers. He finally quitted north-western
America in 1833, having previously resigned his appointment as collector
to the Horticultural Society, in consequence of a revolution in the
affairs of the Society, Avhich led to the resignation of Mr. Sabine,
the Secretary, Avith Avhom Douglas identified his interests. He sailed
fur the Sandwich Islands, Avhere he had remained some months,
Avhcn an accident put an end to his existence. The natives of the
Sandwich Islands Avere in the habit of making pits in Avliich they
caught Avild cattle. In one of his excursions, Douglas fell accidentally
into one of these pits, in AAdiich an infuriated animal Avas already
trapped; the animal fell upon him, and he Avas found, dreadfiUly
mangled, and quite dead, July 12th, 1831.*

Abies Fortunei.— A remarkable species presenting many charac-
ters, or rather a combination of characters, that render it unique
among Firs. It is a large tree Avith horizontal branches, wliicb in
maturity and age are rigid, and give it the aspect of a Cedar,
but in young trees the branches are less formal and the branchlets
sub-pendulous, so that the habit is then more like that of an
Himalayan Spruce clothed Avith the foliage of a Silver Fir. Tlie
leaves, Avhich are not very closely approximate, are either scattered
or spirally arranged round the branchlcts, someAvhat sabre shaped,
about an inch in length, sharply pointed, marked Avith a single
middle vein and bright green above, paler beneath, AAdth tAVO shalloAV
furroAvs as iu the Silver Firs, but not glaucous. The cones are
erect as in the Silver Firs, sub-cylindrical, or slightly tapering from
the base to the apex, fully 6 inches long, and composed of broad
• Chiefly from Loudon's Arh. d Frut., vol. i, p. 123;

LAEIX, THE LARCH 125

concave scales tliat are persistent after the fall of the seecl_, as in
the Spruces.

Habitat. — South-eastern China. Abundant on the mountains to the
north of Foo-Chow, intermixed with Finvs sinensis.

Introduced by the late Mr. liubert Fortune, in 1846.

Tht" interest attached t(i Abies Fortunci is almost purely scientific. In
its native coimtry, its aspect is peculiar rather than luuulsoiue, and it is
only this peculiarity that woidd make the tree acceptable for British
gaixlens. The few plants raised from the seed sent home by IVlr. Fortune
have, however, generally faded ; the only living one we know of is in
our Xui-sery at Coombe "Wood ; it is a stunted bush only a few feet hi-h.

II.— LARIX {Tournefort) The Larch.
It IS not easy to specify generic characters in the Larch, derived
from the organs of fructification alone, that shall clearly distinguish
it from the Fir; the flowers are almost identical in structure,
and the smaller cones differ but little except in shape and in
a few other minor particulars, a difference of degree rather than
of kind. In all the species, or so-called species, except one, the
scales of the cones are persistent after the fall of the seed, as
in the Spruce and Hemlock Firs, but in the Chinese Larch they
are deciduous, as in the Silver Firs. The cones attain maturity
in one season. In their vegetation, however, the Larches possess
characters manifestly distinct from the Firs, especially in the leaves,
which are "clustered or fasciculated in consequence of the universal
non-developement of lateral branches, so that the leaves themselves
make their appearance without a perceptible central axis."* More-
over they are deciduous and soft in texture, whde in the Firs the
leaves are evergreen and stiff. The Larches are northern trees
whose area of distribution coincides pretty nearly with that of the
Spruce Firs; they are, therefore, all hardy in Great Britain.

The tindjer afforded by the Larches is of excellent (piality. The
wood of the common or European species is said to be more durable
than that of any of the Fir and Pine tribe, and is in universal
reciuest ; the wood of the American or Black Larch is not surpassed
in strength and durability l^y that of any Coniferous tree growing in
the same region, and is preferred in Canada ami the adjoining s'tates
for radway sleepers, &c. Excellent charcoal is m.-ule from the wood
of the European Larch j Venice turpentine is procured from its resinous
* Pr. Liadley, in EiujUsh djclopicdia, \\. 12.

126

A JJAXUAL OF THE CONIPEK.E.

l)roduot:5, aiul aiiutiiy lla- Swiss ami Tyrok'Si- Alps i]w Imrk nf \i)\w^
Larclu'S is used in tanning leather.

Larix is the Latin name of the common Larch ; the derivation
of the word is uncertain^ bnt it is believed to be allied to a
Celtic word Jar, fat, in allusion to its abundant secretions.

()f the seven or eight species of Larch described by Botanists, the
European is the only one planted in this countrj' for purposes of utility,
and, with the exception of the l^eautiful Chinese Golden Larch, which
should have a place in every collection, it is the only one that can be
reconnnendod for the landscaj^e, the park, and other ornamental planting.

Scientific Name.

LAEIX Eunori:A

{Dc CandoHc)

GllIFFixHII

{^Hooker fil.)

KffiMPFERI

{Fortune)

LEI'TOLKl'IS

{Gordon)

Lyalli

(Parlatore)

Sjnonynis.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Pimis larix (Linmeus) The European or
Abies larix (Lindley) common Larcli

Abies Griffithiana The Sikkim

(Lindley) Larch

Plnus Griffithiana

(Parlatore)

Abies Kcrmpferi

(Lindley)
Pinus Ka;mpfcri

(Parlatore)

Pseiido-larix Kcempfcri

(Gordon)

Abies leptolepis

(Siebold)
Larix japonica

(Carriere)
Pinus leptolepis

(Endlicher)

Pi'nwsZyrtZ// (Parlatore) Dr. Lyall's

Central Europe &
Northern Asia

The Himalayas

The Chinese Northern China

Golden Larch

The Japanese

Larch

Larch

Japan

Oregon, Cascade
ilountains

siiCROCAEPA ! Larix Americana

{Fo7'bes)\ (Michaux)

,, pendula (Salisbury)
Pinus pendula

(Solander)
,, microcarpa

(Lambert)
Abies microcarjxt

(Lindley)

OCCIDENTALIS

(NuttaU)

The American or , N. America, from
black Larch \ the Potomac to
I the Hudson's
Bay

Pinus Nuttalliana

(Parlatore)

The Western Oregon
Larch I

Height
in

Feet.

80-100

20— 40

80—120

30— 40

40— 50

50- 70

100—150

LARIX EUROPJiA. 127

Larix europaea.— llio common Larch is well known iis a tall
slender tree, with horizontal branches and pendulous branchlets
clothed wiili tufts of linear leaves, but which are often scattered
on the youngest growth. " In the spring, when the young leaves
have just burst into life, the Larch has a peculiar bright yelloA\4sh
green tint, which is possessed by no other tree of our forests,
and for this reason alone it should be planted with other trees,
sparingly in the shrubbery, and in groups or singly in the
park." *

Huhitaf. — The Alps and central Europe, chiefly at altitudes of
from 3,000 to 5,000 feet, forming dense forests, often intermixed
with the Spruce and Silver Firs, and sometimes with the Cembra
Pine. Also Siberia, from the Ural Mountains to Kamtchatka.

Introduced into England prior to 1029, in which year it is
mentioned by Pai'kinson in his Parnasus.^

Lan'x davarica and L. Ledehourl take the place of tlie European Larch
in northern Asia, of which they are considered by good authorities to
be varieties J — the charactei"s in which they diifer from it bein^
assigned to geogi^aphical position only. They are of no value to British
arboriculture, but in the dreary iuliospitable regions in which tliey
abound, they add to the scanty resources of the inhabitants in various
ways — in supplying fuel logs for their huts, &c., and "from the boiled
imder-bark mixed Avith rye flour, and afterwards buried for a few
hours in tlie snow, the hardy Siberian liunters prepare a sort of
leaven with whicli tliey supply the place of common leaven, when tin;
latter is destroyed, as it frequently is, l)y the intense cold to wliicli
hunters are exposed in pursuit of game."

Larh- laroptea pendula is a weeping variety, originally brou'^lifc fiom
the Tyrol. Tlie branches, as well as the branchlets, are pendulous.
Other varieties have also been met with in cultivation. IJy far the
most remarkable deviation from the usual type with ^vhich we are
acriuamted, is one growing at Henham Hall, .Suffolk, the seat of the
Earl of Stradbroke. In this variety the branches are excessively
developed, apparantly at the expense of the trunk, which is only
11 feet high; they cover a space 100 feet long by G3 feet wide.

The common Larch ha.s been more extensively planted in Great
Britain for purposes of utility than any other tinilx-r tree. It giows

• Dr. Lindley, in English Cyclopccdia, p. 12.

t IcUm,

X By Parlatore they are described as distinct species. De Candolle, Prod, xvi., 410.
Dr. Kegel reduce? Larix LedeUari to L. europcm, but makes L. davuricu, a specicij.^
Journal of Bolany, iv., p. 138,

128 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFER-?:.

freely on steep hill sides inaccessible to the plough ; it may be planted
on poor exhausted soil, where other crops Avould fail or prove unpro-
fitable, -with the double advantage of yielding excellent timber itself
and fertilising the land by the annual deposit of its leaves. Xo
tree is better adapted fur covering used-up gravel pits, brick-yards, and
such like places than the Larch, and it shoiild also be mixed with
Scotch and Austrian Pines and Spruce Firs when planted for screens
and nurses for more tender trees. The rate of growth, according to
Loudon, in the climate of London is from 20 to 25 feet in ten
years, and it is nearly as much on tlie declivities of the hills in the
HiglJands. In tlie course of fifty years the tree will attain a height
of 80 feet ; in favourable soils it is said to be fit for every useful
purpose in forty years, while the Scotch and Spruce Firs require nearly
double that period to form timber fit for building.* The wood is
very durable, strong, compact, and easily worked. It is most used for
rural purposes generally, as rails, fencing, poles, structures exposed to
the weather, &c. ; it is also preferred for railway sleepers.

L^nfortimately, the Larch is subject to a disease called the Larch
rot, wliich we have already adverted to at page 3L It destroys the
heartwood and renders the tree attacked by it wortUess. Thousands of
valuable trees have been lost through the disease, and Avhole planta-
tions swept off as by an epidemic. The nature of the Larch rot was
investigated some years ago (18.59-6-3), by the Kev. M. J. Berkeley, who
published, during that period, the results of his researches in the
Gardeners Chronide, and pointed out some of the causes of the disease,
showmg that in some circumstances at least, it is quite possible to
prevent it. As these papers, or even the substance of them, are too
long to be reproduced here, we can only refer the reader, desirous of
further information, to them.

Larix Grifflthii grows to a height of GO feet in the deejj
valleys of the interior Himalayas, but much less on the rocky
steeps higher up. It is a tree of very slender habit, sparse
foliage, and very long, lithe, cord-like, pendulous branchlets. The
erect cones are much larger than those of any other Larch, and
further differ from all others in their numerous scales, and in
their long reflexed persistent bracts.t

Eahitaf. — Tlie Himalayas of eastern Nepanl, Sikkim, and Bhotan,
at from 8,000 to 12,000 feet of elevation.

Introduced in 1850.

* Ark d Frut.,\}. 2354.
t Sir J. D. Hooker, Illastratioiis of Ilimalayan Plants, xxi.

LAEIX KiEMPPERI. 129

Named in compliment to "William Griffith, a Surgeon and Naturalist
in tlie service of the East India Company, and for some time Professor
of Botany in tlie Medical College at j\Iadras.

Larix Ksempferi is the most ornamental of all the Larches. It
is a moderately vigorous growing tree of pyramidal habit. The
branches and branchlets are like those of the common Larch, and
the leaves are fasciculated in the same way as in that tree, but
they are longer and broader ; at first they are of a light yellowisli
green, with a soft pleasing tint, peculiarly attractive in the spring
mouths; as the season advances they become much deeper and
duller in colour, and in the autumn finally change to a bright
golden yellow. "The cones are pendulous, about 3 inches long and
2g inches in diameter, with excessively deciduous scales, diverging
like those of an artichoke head, to which, on a small scale, the
whole cones bear no little resemblance. The seeds are exactly the
size of the scales, two of them occupying the whole inner face with
their wings. The least touch suffices to break up the cones, when
the scales fall asunder."*

ITahitat. — Eastern and northern China.

Introduced in 18iG by Mr. Robert Fortune.

Tliis beautiful tree was first made known to Europeans by Engelbert
Kaempfer, a native of Detmold, in Gennany (a.d. 1651 — 1716), the first
European naturalist wlio visited Japan, wliieli lie did, in 1690, in the
capacity of physician to tlie Dutch Endjassy. lie made notes of ever}--
thing he saw, Avhich he afterwards pul^lished in a book called Amceni-
tates Exotica;, in winch the first mention of this tree is niade.f
Notliing more was seen or heard of it till Mr. Fortune's visit to
China, wliere, lie infonns us,f he frequently met with it in a dwarf
form in gardens, but not in a wild state, till February, 1854, when
he found some trees near a Buddhist monastery in the western part of
tlie maritime province of Che-kiang, which lies immediately south of
Shanghai. These trees are remarkably fme specimens, their stems
being fully 5 feet in diameter at 2 feet from the ground, and the
estimated height from 120 to 130 feet.

The Chinese Larch is appropriately dedicated to Krempfcr, in re-

* Dr. Lindley, Gardeners' Chronicle, 1854, p. 255.

t In these words, " Seosi vulgo Kara MaaJ.z Komi, Larix Conifera nucleis pjTamidatis,
foliis deciduis." The vagueness of this description has given rise to a doubt whether
Larix Kcrmpferi is the tree refen-ed to, it being almost equally probable that the Japanese
species, L. lcptole2ns may have been the tree noticed.

X Gardener^ Chronicle, 1855, p. 242.
K

;^30 A MANUAL or THE CONIFERiE.

mombrancc of his early discoveries and valuable contributions to Natural
History 8cionce.

Larix leptolepis.-A low or medium-sized t.ee closely resembling
the Brn'opoan species, to which it is inferior, both as an ornamenta
and a timber tree. It bears small ronnded ovate cones from one-half
to three-fourths of an inch in diameter.

H.,;„-W.-Japan, between latitudes 35° and 40° N., especially on
the mountains of Nippon.*

Introduced in 18G1 by Mr. J. G. Veitcli.

The specific name refers to the scales of the cone; it is compounded
uf XtTTTk (leptos) thin, and Xeirk (lepis) a scale.

Larix microcarpa.-A tall slender tree, attaining a height of
from 70 to 90 feet in some parts of the region over which it is
distributed, but considerably less in England, its trunk having a
diameter of not more than from 24 to 30 inches. It has an inelegant,
awkward habit, its branches growing in all directions, some at acute
angles to the trunk, others horizontal, and others again quite drooping.
The foliage is somewhat more sparse, and duller in colour, than
that of the Em-opean species.

TIaljitat— North. America, the eastern portion of the continent from
the river Potomac northwards to Hudson's Bay, and from New-
foundland westward, to Wisconsin.

Introduced in 1739 by Peter CoUinson.

Larix microcarpa is the American or Black Larch; it is called
Tamamc, or Haclcmatac in Canada and the United States. It gi-ows
in clumps in low lying ground, generally in the vicinity of lakes and

swamps.

The specific name refers to its small cones, ^a-poe (mikros) small,

and Ka^TTbQ (karpos) fruit.

Larix Lyalli.— A species, is described liy Professor Parlatore under
this name, but which has not yet been introduced into Europe. ^ It
is said to be found on the eastern slopes of the Eocky Mountains,
on the Cascade and Galton range at an elevation of from 6,000 to
7,000 feot. It is a remarkable tree on account of the cobweb-like
wool that clothes the leaf buds and young shoots, and the long fringe
of the scales of the former. It grows from 36 to 45 feet high.*

Larix OCCidentalis is described by Dr. Newberry as "a small
* Dc CandoUe's Prodromus, xvi., p. 412.

THE CBDAES. 131

slender tree, witli short hraiiclies and thin foliage, very unlike the
Tamarac of the eastern States ; the leaves are long and more slender
than in any other species. It grows scattered along the hanks of
streams rising to the height of 150 feet, with a diameter of from
2 to 3 feet. The foliage is light and feathery, and the cones longer
than those of L. microcarjxt."* It is a native of California and Oregon.

m.-CEDRUS {MiUer). The Cedar.

Although the Cedars are among the most majcstiq trees in Nature,
and also among the most distinctly defined as regards their port
and aspect, the rank of a separate genus has been denied to them
by many eminent Botanists, as will be seen in our next Synoptic
Table. When the organs of fructification alone are considered, it is
difficult to find in the Cedars any clearly distinctive characters
separating them from Abies or Larix ; but, as in the case of the
latter, they have a vegetation and habit so strikingly peculiar to
themselves, that in a horticultural, that is to say, in a practical point
of view, their claim to generic rank is fully ebtablished.f Besides
their noble trunks furnished with wide spreading branches, which in
their maturity attain timber-like dimensions, and in which they differ
from ever}' other Coniferous tree growing in Britain, except the
common Yew ; the Cedars possess the following obvious characters :

The leaves, which are evergreen, are sub-quadrangular, or some-
what four-sided and compressed, stiff, sharp-pointed, fasciculated
or in bundles, as in the Larches, but in the young growth
frequently scattered as in the Spruce Firs.

The cones are erect, very obtuse both at the base and apex,
ovate, or spheroidal in form, with the scales broad and truncated,
coriaceous in texture, and very closely pressed against each other
in an oblique spiral direction. They attain maturity in two and
three years.

The geographical distribution of the Cedars is remarkable ; they
arc confined to three separate regions in the great mountain chains
that cross the ea.stem continent between latitude 28'^ and 35" N.,

• Pacific Paihcay Erport, p. 60,

t In Benthaip and Hooker'.s Ocncra Plantarum, vol. III., pars. 1, p. 430, the Cedars
are constituted a separate genus.

132 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

^vith but little interruption ^ fi-om the Atlantic Ocean to the Chinese
Sea. The three species, if species they are, occupy positions nearly
equidistant, the Cedar of Lebanon being in the middle, with the Hima-
layan Cedar (C. Deodara), and the Mount Atlas Cedar (C. atlantica),
east and west of it respectively, and separated from it by an interval
of from 1,200 to 1,400 miles. Their habitat is thus restricted to a
portion of a zone, the limits of Avhich are included within 7° or 8"^
of latitude. The Cedar of Lebanon and the Deodar have been asso-
ciated from remote antiquity with sacred objects and the religious
worship of the people inhabiting the region where they abound, caused
doubtless by the venerable aspect of the aged trees.

If the generic distinction of the Cedars is apparently so manifest,
it is by no means easy to frame specific characters 1)y which the
three trees from the three distant regions above-named may be clearly
distinguished from each other. In the Nufnriil Hiduvy Review for
January, 1862, Sir Joseph Hooker, after giving a general description of
the three Cedars in their several hal)itats, observes — " That as species
the three Cedars cannot be distinguislicd, and that they must all have
been derived from one common stock. It should be added that,
besides the differences in habit, habitat, and colour of foliage, there are
no other distinctions whatever between them — of bark, wood, leaves,
male cones, anthers, or tin; structiu'e of these, nor in their mode of
germination or duration, the girth they attain, or tliuir hardiness. Aiso
that aU are very variable in hal)it; so much so indeed is this the
case with the Deodar, which is the most distinct of all in habit, that
there are several distinct varieties sold liy nurserymen, some as stiff
leaved, others as dark coloured, and others as short leaved as the
Lebanon Cedar. Also, that though the differences in the shape of the
seeds and scales of Libani and Deodara are very marked, they vary
much ; many forms of each overlaj) ; and fiirther transition between the
most dissimilar may be established l)y intercalation of seeds and scales
from Cedrics atlantica." Nevertheless, they may be regarded as three well-
marked fonns Avliich are usually very distinct, and of which each has
its own separate importance in the practical operations of })lanting.

Cedrus, from KBcpog (kedros), the Cedar, but often applied by the
Greeks to trees belonging to the Juniper family, prcjbaljly Juuiperus
2j7iosm'cea and J. cxcdsa, just as Cedar is often applied at the present
time to the Virginian Juniper (Red Cedar), to Ciipressus tliyoidei^
(White Cedar), and ]>y the Canailians to the coiimiou Arljor Vitie
{Tliida ocddcntalls).

CEDEUS ATLANTICA.

133

Scientific Kame.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

CEDRUS ATL.VxTicA j Cednis africana \ The Mount Atlas

Q/amtli) (Govdou) or African Cedar

Abies atlantica

(Lindley)
Pinus atlantica

(Endlicher)
,, Cednis atlantica
(Parlatorc)

DeODAPvA

(^Loudon)

argentea
{Uort.)

crassifoliit
{Hort.)

„ Dcodara [ The Indian Cedar

(Roxburgh); Tlie Deodar
Abies Dcodara (Lindley)
Cednis indica

(De Chambray)

robusta j Calms Dcodara gigantca

{Uort.)

viridis
(Hort.)

LiBAKI

(Knight)

tenuifolia
(Knight)

Lai-ix orientalis
(Barreliire) (Toumefort)

Pinus Ccdrus (Linnanis)
Larix Cednis (JNIiller)
Abies Cedrus (Lindley)

argentea
(Loudon)

Ccdrus Lihani glauca

(Parlatore)

The Cedar of

Lebanon

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

The Atlas Moun-| 80 to 100
tains, Algeria

The Western 150-200

Himalayas

Garden variety

>> )>

Lebanon and
Taurus in Syria

60— 80

Cedrus atlantica.— A large tree of broadly pyramidal habit, scarcely
distinguishable iu its maturity from the Cedar of Lebanon, except
that the branches are shorter and less tabuliform ; the leaves also
are shorter, thicker, and more prickly, "llic African Cedar further
differs from that of Lebanon in having a perfectly erect rigid leader
and straight stiff ends to the branches, all which in the Lebanon
plant droop more or less. There are two forms of Cedar in Algeria
as in Taurus, and characterised by the same differences in each
country, viz., a green long-leaved, and a more silvery shorter-leaved
variety. Nevertheless, it is generally easy to distinguish the Atlas

134 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFER.^.

Cedar from the Lebanon one, and in beds of young plants the
differences arc very marked."*

Rahitat. — Mount Atlas in northern Africa^ at an elevation of from
6,200 to 7,200 feet, forming the prevalent arborescent vegetation
throughout the province of Constantino on the eastern Atlas range.

Introduced into Europe in 1841, and subsequently into England.

The African or Mount Atlas Cedar was first mentioned liy Guisej^pe
^lanctti, an Italian Ijotanist, in a Catalogue of Plants in the Botanic
Garden at Monza, near Milan, published in 1841 ; tlic precise date of
its introduction is not kno"\vn. Its growth in England is rather more
rapid than that of either Cedrus deodara or G. Lihcuii. It is quite
hardy.

The specific name, Atlantka, refers to its hal)itat (Mount Atlas).

Oedrus Deodara. — The Deodar in its native forests on the slopes
of the Himalayas, is an immense tree, often seen from 160 to 200
feet high, with a trunk from 26 to 30 feot in girth. No adequate
idea of the grandeur of an old Deodar can be formed from the
young specimens growing in Britain, as the trees vary much in
appearance during growth. In its maturity, ''the branches of the
Deodar spread out in horizontal expansions, rising flight above flight
in successive steps into a rounded or slightly flattened top. The
slightest trace of decay is seldom or never seen in the trunks and
the tree^ except when growing in very exposed situations, never
puts on the depressed tabulated character of the Cedar of Lebanon."!
In this country, in its most familiar aspect, the Deodar is a beautiful
tree, with an elongated pyramidal or conical outline broken here and
there by projecting branches, with a pendulous leader and drooping
branchlets, and clothed with a profusion of light glaucous foliage,
which becomes a deep grass green by age. Many of the older
Deodars in Britain are gradually growing out of their youthful habit
and yearly assuming, more and more, the Cedar character as seen
in the native forests, and into the stately majestic forms of which
they will, doubtless, ultimately dcvelope.

Ilahitaf. — The Himalayan Mountains, in 'a continuous forest from

* Sir J. D. Hooker in Katural History Review, January, 18G2.

+ Lawson's Pinclum Britannicum, Cedrus Deodara, p. 3. But in tlie Kuram district ill
Afghanistan, Dr. Aitclieson remarks, that "It is curious to note that trees here all, more ot
less, run to trunk, the l)Vanchcs scarcely alTord timber at all ; and this is especially remarkable
dn the Ilazardaracht lUver, where tho branches are extremely short and very small in calibte.'*

^■•

C"dni.H D'-o.hirn at iJropmoro, Ijucks. I'n.sent li.-i-lit (ISSI) (W k-et.

O'dni^ ijeodam at Tortworth Court, GloucesterHlnie. Present liei.^lit (1881) 41 feet.

CEDEUS DEODAEA. 135

Afghanistan to Nepaul, from longitude 68° to 85° E., at various
elevations between 6^000 and 12^000 feet.

Introduced into Great Britain_, 183 1_, by the Hon. W. Leslie
Melville.

Varieties. — Since its introduction^ some varieties of the Deodar have
originated iii British Nurseries, which have been named respectively : —
argeniea, in which the glaucescence of the fohage is heightened to
almost silvery whiteness; crassifolia, the leaves stouter and shorter;
rohusta, the branches and their appendages larger and stouter; viricUs,
the foliage of a deeper gi'cen than in the ordinary type.

The introduction of the Deodar marks an ci)Och in the annals of
British arboriculture. Its graceful and beautiful form in its young
state, and its grand and imposing aspect in its maturity, place it in
the highest rank as an ornamental tree, its value as such being greatly
enhanced liy the readiness with Avhich it accommodates itself to almost
all sitiiations. Xo position anil no variety of soil appears to come
amiss to it ; on lime or sandstone, rock or clay, it grows with orpial
facility,"* but in very dry slialloAV sandy land it becomes stunted and
half divested of foliage, in retentive clays it grows into a dense
compact tree. The habit, as regards the spread of branches, varies
consideral)ly ; some specimens spread out their branches horizontally,
Hke the Lebanon Cedar, Avhile in others they are comparatively short
and more or less decumbent. To seciu'e fine lawn and park specimens
the space to be allowed for the free growth of tlicir lower branches
may be regulated by the progress of the tree. The lower branches
of some of the oldest Deodars in England extend, at the present time,
30 feet from the trunk, while others, of greater height, have their
lower l^ranches not more than half of that length. The rate of growth
in Great Britain, after tlie plants are established, ranges from 16 to 21
inches annually.

There is a pbysiological circumstance conunon to the Cedars and
Larches, which hi the Deodar especially is a most valuable provision,
viz., the fasciculation of the leaves, which is reaUy an arrested bud,
so that when the leader or tenninal branchlets have not ripened their
wood sufficiently to enable them to pass tlirough a severe winter
without injury, or wlion injured by other causes, a new leader and
fresh branchlets are formed from the arrested buds in immediate
proximity to the injiu-ed part. The repair of injuries by the Deodar
is very rapid. Another interesting feature may be observed in the
pendulous leader which changes its direction every year. "It makes a
complete revolution in three years, and so ascends like a screw."!

* Earl Ducie in Trans. Scotch Arb. Sue, 1874. t Lawsou's Pinctum Briiunnicum,

136 A MANUAL OF TBtE CONIFER^.

The strenglli and durability of tlic timber of tlic Deodar lias been
already adverted to.* In addition to these q^ialities, the grain is fine,
and bears a higli polish; the wood is also delightfully fragrant, and
free from the attacks of insects. So highly is Deodar timber prized
by the iidiabitants of the Himalayas, that "although having within
their reach every variety of tree and its tind)er, they select that of the
Deodar, and prefer it to all others for the construction of their
houses, temples, and bridges. It is used not only as timber is
commonly used, under cover, but for the verandahs, and the roof,
as well as the exterior frame-work of the roof. Their bridges are
Avooden bridges, formed of Deodar timbers overlapping each other,
imtil they meet in the centre, the other ends l^eing steadied l)y
being sunk into tlie bank, and kept down hj a great weight. In
Caslunere, the Deodar is also employed for making the piers of the
bridges on Avliich the arches rest, as well as for building houses and
mosques." t

The excellence of Deodar timber is proved beyond aU douljt ; but
the inaccessible situation of the forests, and the cost* of transport, are
at present insuperable obstacles to its general use in this country.
Whether the trees, growing in Britain will yield timber as good as
that afforded by native trees, can only Ije determined by time, and
as yet, no trees of sufficient age and size exist in this coimtry to
furnish any criterion of the quality the timber may prove to possess
in its maturity. It must be remembered also, that the Deodars in
Great Britain are growing imder climatal conditions very different from
what they are on the Himalayas, Avhere " for nearly half the year
they are enveloped in snow, and where from the middle of March
to the middle of June there is considerable dryness in most of the
situations; from the middle of June to the middle of September there
is a cloudy atmosphere, almost continual rain, and great moisture of
the climate ; in autumn there is fine clear weather," J These changes
in the seasons of the Himalayan regions are said to recur with tolerable
constancy year after year; whereas, in Britain, in no two consecutive
years are the seasons precisely alike; often they are very different. But
while the extremes of temperature occurring in the Himalayan regions
enable the Deodar to bear all the vicissitudes of our chmate, it cannot
be safely inferred tliat tlie tind^er of the trees ga-owing in this country
will ecjual that of the native forests.

The specific name Deodars or Devadara, is a native word indicative
of the connection of the tree with sacred objects and Avorship. It is
said to be derived from two Sanscrit words: deva, a deity, and daixi,
Avood.

* See page 17.

t Report of Dr. Iloyle to Her Majesty's Commissioners of Works.

X Dr. Koylu, idem.

iiiiaiiiiiiiiii'i 2 s

III!! .- _

'''iiii:§i .

CEDEtS LIBANt. 137

Cedrus Libani. — The Cedar of Lebauon lias been called "The
Patriarch of the Tribe/' and there are few persons who have once
seen it when it has reached an age sufficient to develop its majestic
form that would deny the appropriateness of the title. Its pecu-
liarly distinct aspect renders it one of the most easily recognized of
all trees. The trunk is massive and much branched, attaining but a
moderate height; the branches are horizontal^ rigid, tabuliform, dis-
posed in distinct whorls or stages, and long in proportion to the height
of the tree, so that the habit is spreading and quite different from
the pyramidal spiry growth of the Firs. The branchlets grow from
their primaries in a flat fan- like manner, and are very numerous
and thickly set. The foliage is dense, and at first of a bright green,
which changes, by age, to a deep grass gi'een and slightly glaucous;
but sometimes the glaucous hue is gradually heightened, year after
year, till the leaves become almost of silvery whiteness, imparting to
the tree a truly venerable and hoary aspect. The leaves are straight,
slender, about I inch long, on short foot-stalks, tapering to a point,
and persistent about two years. The cones are ovate oblong, from
3 to 5 inches long and from 2 to 2| inches broad.

Eahitaf. — The mountains of Syria and Asia Minor, especially Lebanon
and that portion of the Tamic range which extends through Cilicia.*
Also in the island of Cyprus on the mountain near Khrysokus-t

Cedrus Libani argentea differs from the common form only in
its highly glaucous foliage, as described above. It occurs in a wild
state (on Mount Taurus) as well as in cultivation.

Several specimens of extraordinary beauty are growing at The Poles,
near Ware, Hertfordshire, the residence of Eobert Hanbury, Esq., long
knoAvn as a liberal patron of horticulture. The foliage of these trees
is of silvery Avliiteness, and presents a striking contrast to the green
of the surroiuiding trees.

The date of the introduction of the Cedar of Li'l^anon into England
cannot be fixed Avith certainty; it is not mentioned in Evelyn's >V/7/,v/,
written in 1664, but there is evidence to show that its introduction
was effected very shortly afterwards. One of the oldest Cedars in
England is standing in Bretby Park, Derbyshire ; this is known to

* In Monte Tauro praisertiin cilicio sylvcos vastas conatmena.^-Prod., xvi., p. 408.

t The discovery of the Cedar in Cyprus is quite recent. It appears to be confined to
one spot, and to difl'er from the known fonn in havin;^ shorter leaves and smaller cones. —
Sec paper by Sir J, D. Hooker in the Journal of tJoc Linnccuni Societj, vol. xviii., p. 517.

138 A MANUAL OP THE C0NIPER2E.

have been planted in 1676. There are many other old trees in England
and among them, some of the finest in Enrope.*

Tlic economic value of tlie Cedar of Lebanon in modern times,
otherwise than for ornamental planting, is inconsiderable; the timber
of trees felled in Britain is inferior; "the wood is light, soft, brittle,
apt to warp, and hy no means durable."! There are, however,
grounds for believing that the Cedars growing under very different
circimistances of climate in proximity to the snows of Lebanon and
Taurus yield timber of the finest quality. In the expedition to Mount
Lebanon, undertaken by Sir J. D. Hooker, Captain Washington, K.N".,
and other gentlemen, in the autumn of 1860, " a section of the
lower limb of one of the oldest trees (which lay dead on the ground)
Avas procured, which gave a totally different idea of the hardness of
Cedar-wood from what English specimens do." |

The secretions of the Cedar of Lebanon are not alumdant, Init they
appear to possess very remarkable properties, some of which were
kno'svn in very ancient times ; the Egyptians are said to have used its
wliitish resin in embalming their dead ; and Pliny states that books
Avere sometimes perfumed with it.§ The most recent notice of these
properties appears in Mr. Smee's entertaining book, Mi/ Garden, p. 429 :
" The wood of the Cedar contains a volatile essential oil, Avhich has
tlie curious property of unsettling printers' ink and making it run.
Some years ago a Bank of England note was offered to the cashier with
its printing disturbed. In(|uiry was set on foot, and it was traced to
several individuals who satisfactorily explained its custody and possession.
It was then brought to me, when I suggested that the detectives
should inquire whether it had been kept in a Cedar box ; it was
then discovered that the last possessor had kept it in a new Cedar
box, which she had recently liought, and thus the mystery was solved."

The specific name Lihani refers to the ancient mountain with Avhich
the tree has been associated from remote antiquity, and especially in
the Sacred Writings. The Cedars on Mount Lebanon have thence
acquired a separate and special interest throughout the Christian Avorld.
Since the Reformation they have been visited from time to time by
travellers from western Europe, most of whom have left some account
of the trees they found standing at the time of their visit. These
accounts agree as to their majestic proportions and venerable aspect;
they also contain evidence that the once famous forest, which clothed
the mountain side, has diminished to a small gi'ove, whose extent can

* The Cedars at Syon House, Warwick Castle, Linton Park, Cliiswick, Goodwood Park,
Gunnerslniry, Blenheim, &c.

t Loudon, Arh. d Frut., p. 241?.

X Gardeners' Chronicle, p. 67, 1862.

§_ Eesinam albidam olim sub Cedrise noiiiino ad libros ccdratos et ut vidctur, ad cadaveia
antirpioruni /F.giptiorum preservanda usitatisstiiiam scatens.— Pml, xvi., J). 40S. Llbri cedl-ati
occurs in Plimj, 1.3—27, but the rfeadibg is disputed.

CEDRUS LIBANI. 139

be traverstnl in a few hours, and every indiviJnal Cedar witlun it
measured and its position mapped down. The information given in
these reports further leads to tlie conchision that the number of Cedars
will continue to diminish till the grove itself has become extinct.

From the account of the expedition to Mount Lebanon, above referred
to, published by Sir J. D. Hooker in the Natural Histunj Review, for
January, 1862, we obtain the following very interesting particulars : —

" The Cedars are confined to one spot at the head of the Kedisha
A'alley ; they have, however, been found by Ehrenberg in valleys to
the northward of this. The Kedisha Valley, at 6,000 feet elevation,
terminates in broad, shallow, flat-floored basins, and is 2 to 3 miles
across ; it is in a straight line 1 5 miles from the sea, and about
3 or 4 from the summit of Lebanon, which is to the northward of it.
"The Cedars form one gi'oup, about 400 yards in diameter, with
an outstandmg tree or two not far from the rest, and appear as a
black speck in the great area of the corry and its moraines, which
contain no other arboreous vegetation, nor any shrubs, but a few small
Berberry and Eose bushes, that form no feature in the landscape.

"The number of trees is about four hundred, and they are disposed in
nine groups; they are of various sizes, from about 18 inches to upwards
of 40 feet in girth ; l)ut the most remarkable and signiificant fact
connected with their size, and consequently with the age of the grove,
is, that there is no tree less than 18 inches in girth, and that we
found no young trees, bushes, nor even seedlings, of a second year's
growth. We had no means of estimating accurately the ages of the
youngest or oldest tree. It may be remarked, however, that the wood
of the branch of an old tree, cut at the time, is 8 inches in diameter
(exclusive of bark), })resents an extremely firm, compact, and close-
grained texture, and has no less than one hundred and forty rings,
which are so close in some parts, that they cannot be counted without
a lens. Calculating only from the rings on this branch, the youngest
trees in Lebanon would average one hundred years old, the oldest
two thousand five hundred years old, both estimates, no doubt, widely
far from the mark. Calculating from trunks of English rapidly grown
specimens, their ages might be estimated as low respectively as five
and two hundred years ; Avhilc from the rate of growth of the Chelsea
Cedar, the youngest tree may be twenty-two, and the oldest six to
eight hundred years old.

"The positions of the oldest trees afforded some interesting data
relating to the ages of the different parts of the grove, and the direction
in wliich it had lately spread. There Avere only fifteen trees above
15 feet in girth, and these all occun-ed in two of the nine clumjis,
which two contained one liundrcd and eighty trees. Only two others
exceeded 12 feet in girth, and these Averc found in immediately
adjoining clumps, one on one side and one on the other of the above

140 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

mentioned. There were five clumps, containing one hundred and sixty-
six trees, none of wliich were above 12 feet hi girth, and these
were all to the westward of the others. On this side, therefore, the
latest addition to the grove had taken place."

A journey to the Cedar Grove on Mount Lebanon was undertaken
in the autumn of 1878, hj Captain Oliver, late Eoyal Artillery, from
whose narrative, puljlished in the Gardeners' Ghronide, for August,
1879, we extract the following paragraph: — "There are exactly three
hmidred and eighty-five trees, large and small, but the smallest must
lie at least from fifty to eighty years old, and no younger trees are
springing up. At this time of the year innumerable seeds, Avhich are
scattered everywhere beneath the trees from the fallen and expanded
cones, are germinating, scattered by the winds ; these germinating seeds
extend far beyond the actual area covered by the remaining trees ; and
if it were not that they are trodden under foot, or what is still
more destructive, eaten by the goats, a few decades of years Avould
soon see a fair sprinkling of healthy young Cedars enlarging the
borders of the grove. At present, for want of proper protection against
the goats, and thoughtless tourists, the present grove is dwindling
away ; and another generation will exclaim against our supineness in
thus allowmg a relic of the past to die out prematurely."

IV.— PINUS [Unnceus). Tue Pine.

The Pines are mostly tall trees with rounded tops^ and with branches
generally shortened ; they are easily recognised by their long needle-
like, semi-terete, or triquetral leaves, which are produced in bundles
of twos, threes, and fives, enclosed at their base in membranous
sheaths that are deciduous in some species and persistent in others.
All the Pines are evergreen, the foliage of some kinds remaining on
the trees for several years. The male flowers are produced at the
extremities of the branches, frequently in dense spikes or clusters;
the female flowers are also terminal, sometimes solitary, but not
unfrequently in whorls or fascicles. The cones of the different
species differ considerably in size and shape, but all have persistent
scales and remain on the trees for a long period after they have
shed their seed, which, in most species, is ripened in the second
season. Each scale produces two seeds, which in some species are
winged, in others not.

The cones of Pinus arc distinguished from those of Abies by the
hard ligneous texture of their scales, and which, iu most of the species,

THE TRUE PINES. 141

are nuicli tliickoned or swollen at their exterior tenninal part.* Tlio
form tliis part assumes difters in tlie different species, and is, therefore,
regarded hy I)<3tanists as an important character in the determination
of species. In some species this exterior terminal part of the scale is
regularly })}Tamidal and sharply pointed, sometimes it terminates in
hooked prickle ; in others it is simply a rounded protuberance or uniho,
while in the Strobus and Cembra sections it is almost smooth,

The Pines include more species than any other genus in the Order,
and are distributed over a greater geographical ai-ea. Not many-
more than half of them are hardy in Great Britain, and the number
available for planting may be diminished by the rejection of several
kinds, chiefly American, that possess no qualities to recommend them
for horticultural or arboricultural purposes.

The economic value of the Pines is very great. Many species
afford timber of the highest importance in constructive work, and Pine
timber is the staple article of commerce with many ports of northern
Europe and British Xorth America. The secretions of many species are
also very abundant, from Avhich pitch, tar, turpentine, and resin are
obtained in immense quantities. The products and principal uses of the
nio.st important species will be noticed under their descriptions. In
arboriculture, as in landscape planting, some of the most ornamental and
picturesque of trees are to be found among the Pines, while other
species are greatly valued as 7mrs<'!i for more tender trees — for forming
screens, &c. So various are the soils and situations in Avhich the
different species occur in their native countries, that there is scarcely a
spot for which one or other kind is not suitable ; thus, the Scotch or
wild Pine grows on the l)leakest hills ; I'/'/n/H Pi/iasfn- flourishes in
.shalloAV sands near the sea-shore ; I'. rlijidK attains its gTeatest per-
fection amidst the Cedar swamjis of A'irginia ; P. poiidrrofia grows
in the arid plains of Utah, where no other vegetation exists ; and the
Send) Pine (P. Banlmatia), straggles over the rocks in the cold and
sterile countries east of Hudson's Bay.

The Pines admit of a division into three Sections, according to the
number of leaves in a sheath, thus —

1. BiN^, with two leaves in each sheath.

2. Tern.'r, with three leaves in each sheath.

3. QuiNJ;, with five leaves in each sheath.^

• This part is called, in the language of Botany, the ajwphysis.

t We adopt this Sectional Division on account of its oljvious simplicity, and as being
that most available for practical uses. The true allinitics of tlic Pinus will Ije best souglit
for in the fructification, to whicli the number of leaves in a sheath can oulj be regarded as
a subordinate diaractep.

142

A iMANUAL OF THE CONIFERiE.

Piuus is the Latin name of the Pine, and was applied indiscriminately
by the Eoman authors to the species indigenous to Italy and southern
Europe. Pinus is derived from or allied to the Greek T^irvQ (pitus),
which has for its root ;pi or pin, meaning richness or fatness, whence
pitus, in reference to the abundant secretions of the Pines,

Section I. — Pines with Two Leaves in a Sheath.

This section includes several species valuable for their timber, not
only in the countries of which they are natives, but also as supply-
ing a large proportion of the timber of commerce ; as the Scotch
or Wild Pine of northern Europe, the Corsican Pine of southern
Europe, and the Yellow Pine of America. Others are ornamental
and highly picturesque trees, as the Pyrenean Pine and the Italian
Stone Pine. The greater number of them have rigid greyish foliage,
comparatively short leaves, and small ovate cones of a dull ash-
brown colour. Pinus Pinaster and P. resinosa have long leaves ;
P. 2)y'i'^naica, P. halepensis, P. contorta, and one or two others have
bright green foliage ; and P. jiinea has large yellowish-brown cones.
With the exception of P. Merhisii, all the two-leaved Pines are
extra-tropical, and are generally distributed over the northern portions
of both hemispheres. All the European species^ except P, Gemhraj
belong to this section.

SCIENTIPIO NamK.

Synonyms,

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height
in

Foot.

PINUS AustrIaca

(Hoss)

Pinus nigra (Link)

,, Lancia austriaca

(Endlicher)

The Austrian

Pine

Austria

75—100

))

, , nigricans
(Parlatore)

»

Banksiana

{Lambert)

hudsonica

(Poiret)
riqKstris

(Micliaux)

Sir Joseph Bank's
Pine

British North

America

5— 12

Poland KRi

{Parlatore)

Bolander's Pine

California

12— 15

CONTOETA

{Douglas]

>>

Boursieri

(Carriere)

...

M

25— 30

riNUS. SECTION I,, BINi^.

147

Height

SciENiiFio Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Namo.

Habitat.

in

Feet.

PINUS densifl6ea

Pinus japonica

The Japanese

Japan

40— 50

{Siebold)

(Antoine)

Pine

HAtEPkNSIS

The Aleppo Pine

The Moditerra-

40— 45

(Alton)

noan region

ixops {Solaruler)

>>

virginiana

(Miller)

variabilis

(Lambert)

The Scrub Pine

Eastern United
States

25— 40

LARtoio (Poird)

)>

corsicana (Hort.)

The Corsican

Pine

Southern Europe

100-140

,, caram.inica

)>

caramanica

...

...

25— 40

(Loudon)

(Hort.)

> ' rygniiva

>>

Laricio nana

The dwarf

...

6— 8

{liauch)

(Hort.)

Corsican Pine

Massoniana

Thiinbcrgii

Masson's Pine

Japan

70— 80

(Lambert)

(Parlatore)

MiTis (Michauj)

echinata (Miller)

The Yellow Pine

Eastern United

50- 60

j»

variabilis (Pursh)

States

MONOPHYLLA

»i

Fremontiana

...

California

20— 25

(Twrrcy)

(Eudlicher)

MONTANA (Dicroi)

>»

Pumilio (Htenke)

The Mountain

The Alpine

5— 15

>>

unc inula

(Raymond)

Pine

regions of
Europe

>>
I)

Miujhus (Loudon)
humilis (Link)
obliqua (Sauter)

i>

MKg'ino5a(Wimmer)

>>

carpatica (Hort.)

MUKICATA (Dm)

)i

Edganana

(Hartweg)

Murruyana

(Balfour)

The Bishop's

Pine

California

25— 40

Pallasiana

>>

LaricioPallasiana

The Crimean

The Crimea

60— 80

(Lambert)

)»

(Loudon)
taurica (Hort.)

Pine

Pinaster (A Hon)

1)

maritima

(Lamark)

The Cluster Pine

S.& S.W.Europe

40— 60

,, brutia

>)

brutia (Tenorc)

The Calabrian

Calabria

60- 70

(Sprengel)

Pine

,, Hamiltonii

)i

Escarena (Hort.)

Lord Aberdeen's

Piedmont

30- 40

(Lindley)

11

Eamiltanii

(Tenore)

Pine

144

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFEK^.

BeiEKHFic Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

HaUtut.

Height

in
Feet.

PINUS rixEA

The. Stone Tine

Sonthern Europe

60— 75

{Linnccus)

rCXGEX.S

The Table

Virginia & North

40— 50

{Mlrhau.r)

Monntain Pine

Carolina

I'YKENAICA

Pinus Mymnica (Cook)

The Pyrenean

The Pyrenees &

CO— 80

(Lapcyrousc)

Pine

Spanish Sierras

RESIN USA

,, ruh)-a (Miehaux)

Canadian Ped

Canada to

GO— 80

(Solandei-)

Pine

Pensylvania

.SIXKKSIS

„ Mossoniana

Tlie Chinese Pine

China ...

40- GO

(Lamhcrt)

(rai'latorc)

SYi.vi;sTr.is

The Scotch or

Northern Europe

rr.-ifo

{Llmiaus)

Wild Pine

and Asia

, , argentea

...

Garden variety

{Hort.)

„ aiirea

...

...

>> J)

(Hort.)

,, horizon talis

...

"WiUl variety ...

100—120

{Don)

'

Pinus austriaca. — A tree of rapid
growth, with stout branches, rather longer
in proportion to the trunk, than in most
of the Pines in this section. The whorls
of branchlets are densely clothed with
blackish green foliage; the leaves are rigid,
sharp-pointed, rough at the edges, rounded
on one side, slightly channelled on the
opposite, and from 4 to 6 inches long.
The aspect of the Austrian Pine is sombre
and massive, whence it obtained the name
of rinus nigra*

Habitat. — The mountains of Carniola, lower
Austria, Moravia, Transylvania, and other
provinces of the Austrian Empire.

Introduced into Great Britain in 1835,
by Messrs. Lawson, of Edinburgh.

* The Austrian Pine is described by Parlatore as a
Fig. 36.-Conc ol liuu. au.tnaea. variety of Pm«s Laricio, - foliis crassioribus rigidioribus
Natural size. iusco-viridibus. Frod, xvi., JX oo7.

riNUS BOLANDERI^ I'. C'OKTORTA.

145

Tlio wood of iho Aiistnan Pino is viy ivsinoiis, c;tron-, an.I touoli,
Imt coar.^o in grain and kiioKy; it is iiifcj^i..!' to tliat of tlio Scotch
or Corsican Pine, Imt nscfnl for out-of-door
carpentry, as fencing, c^c. As a fast growing
dense habited tree, it is one of tlie best of Piiies
for forming screens, and for "nursing" more
tender trees. It is perfectly Iiardy, and tlirives
in any soil not too wet ; it also grows Avell on
chalk hills Avhere many other kinds fail, Ijut it
should not be planted in proximity to the sea.

Pinus Bolanderi.— A low tree, rarely exceed-
ing 15 feet in height, much branched, and densely
clothed with foliage. The leaves are about 2
inches long, rather rigid, twisted, sub-erect, and
palish grass-green in colour; the cones are small,
ovoid, about 2 inches long, and are produced
in whorls of four — five.

Habitat. — California, on the upper portions of
the coast range, in the neighbourhood of Cape
Mendocino.

FhiKs Bolanderi is closely allied to, and much
resembles P. muricata, of which it is probably
only a local and smaller form. Its dense brancli-
mg habit and bluish grey glaucescent foHage
render it distinct as a low shrubbery tree, and
useful for thick screens; it sliould not be
planted in exposed situations.

Fig. 37.— Fertile branchlet of
Pinut auttriaca. One-fourth
natural rizo. (From the
Gardenert' Chronicle.)

Pinus contorta. — A tree of moderate or small size, of conical
outline, with numerous sub-erect or spreading branches. The leaves
are small, not more than from 1 to 2 inches long, closely resemblino-
those of the Scotch Fir in form, but of a brighter green ; the cones
are ovoid, almost spherical, about ]^ inch long, and persist for
several years.

Habitat. — California and Oregon, abundant on the Cascade Moun-
tains, and on the banks of the Klamath and Columbia Rivers.-

Introduced by David Douglas in 1831.

Pinns contorta is a hardy useful Pine for the park and landscape,
* J'acific Haihcay Jlqwrf, p. 34.
L

146 A MANUAL or TUE CONIFERS.

and also for lawn?, wlioro nmeli variety is desired. In its yonng state
in this conntry it is a compact, pyramidal, densely branched tree, Avith
the branches much twisted or gnarled, and Av<dl furnished with grass-
green foliage.

Dr. XcAvherry (Pacific Rdhray Report) thiidvs that the specific name
ccnitorta Avas suggested to Douglas by the curious appearance of some
of the dead trees standing on the pumice plain A\diich lies IjetAveen the
Klamath lake and the Des Chutes EiA^T ; the branches of these trees
curA-e doAVUAA'ards and iuAA^ards, thus rcA'crsing the natural ujnvard curve
of their extremities Avhile living.

Pinus densiflora. — A tree of medium height, Avith a tapering
trunk, covered Avith rough furroAved bark. The branches of the
young trees groAving in Great Britain are robust, ascending, and
clothed with dusky brown bark, roughened Avith the bases of the
persistent scales. The leaves are from 3 to 4 inches long, rather
stiff, rounded above, channelled beneath, slightly scabrous or roughish,
bright green, and crowded toAvards the extremities of the branchlets.
The cones are about 2 inches long, somewhat smaller than those of
the Scotch Fir, and with thinner scales.

Eahitaf. — Japan, common in the islands of Nippon, Kiusiu, and
Sikok.

Introduced into Europe by Siebold & Co., of Leyden, in 1854.

Pinus densiflora and P. Massoniana, ai^e the common species of
Japan ; their Avood is not distinguished by separate names, both are
IcnoAvn as ]\Iats, Avhich is the Japanese name for Pine. The tind^er is
of good equality, and much used in constructive Avork. So highly are
these trees esteemed by the Japanese that they represent them on
lacquer and porcelain Avare ; they plant them in their gardens and by
the sides of the pidjlic roads. {See notes on P. Alassoniana p. 149).

The specific name densiflora refers to the male catkins, Avhich are
clustered into a thick cylindrical spike 2 to 3 inches long.

Pinus halepensis. — A tree of medium height, Avith a spreading open
head and slender branches covered Avith smooth cinereous bark. The
leaves are from 3 to 5 inches long, slender, and rather light green
in colour, clustered at the extremities of the branchlets, not unfre-
quently produced in threes, and persistent not more than two years,
from Avhich cause the trees have a rather bare and thin appearance.
The cones, Avhich are produced while the trees are quite young, are
at first acutely conical, from 2^ to 3 inches long, but after the fall

PINUS LARICIO, 1.17

of tlie seed much sliorteued and rounded tlirouo-li shriukino-. The
scales are broad^ flat^ smooth, and yelIowish-browu_, with a greyish
tinge when mature.

Habitat . — The Mediterranean region, from Portugal to the Levant ;
also western Asia as far as Georgia and even Persia ; on Mount
Hebron in Palestine, and other parts of Syria.*

Introduced into England in 1G63, by Bishop Compton.

The wood of the. Aleppo Pine is wliite and fine in .L^ain ; it is
umch used in joinery tlu'oughout tlie extensive region in wliich it is
ahimdant. The secretions are very copious, and tlie tuvpentiiKi and
resin procured from them are preferred to those obtained from
Finns Piit(i!<f('r, the common Pine of tlie south-west of Europe. In
some parts of Italy, especiall}' in the Riviera, the leaves are used by
the people of the country in their stables instead of straw.

Pimi-s halepensis thrives among the rocks on the Mediterranean shore,
where comparatively few other trees find subsistence ; the stems and
branches often assume the most fantastic contortions, from the direc-
tion given to the south-west wind Ity rocky angles exposed to it. In
England it rerpiires a sheltered situation.

Pinus Laricio. — A tall, fast-growing tree, with a straight trunk
furnished with comparatively few and short branches, and which,
when standing singly, has a very elongated pyramidal outline. The
leaves are of variable length, the longest being about G inches, and
frequently twisted. The cones are about the same size, and closely
resemble those of P. ausiriaca. (See fig. GG.) This Pine is easily
recognised by its strict, erect habit, shortened branches, which some-
times show a tendency to curve in a direction round the tree and
upwards, and by its large twisted glaucous foliage.

Habitat. — Southern Europe, and many parts of western Asia; the
islands in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly Corsica, Sardinia, and

Sicily.t

Introduced into England in 1759, under the name of Pinus sijlvestris

mantima.

Pinus Laricio caramanica is said to attain scarcely half the
height of the common form. As seen in British gardens it is a
low tree with a divided trunk, much branched, and of rather dense

habit.

* Carriere, p- 5*^6.
t Very ponimon on ^lonnt Etna, from 4,000 to 6,000 feet elevation.

148 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER-E.

Pinus Laricio pygmaea is a dwarf dense bnsli ^Yit]l all its
branches and their ramifications much shortened^ and with the
foliage clustered in thick tufts at their extremities.

Other varieties of Pimis Laricio have received the names of coiii'
imcta, contorta, nana, 2^6ndida, &c.

" The Corsican Pine is well ailapted for profitable planting in this
country. For cpiality, rpiantity, general utility, and early maturity it
may have eipials, hut no superiors among tlie true Pines. It is con-
stitutionally harjy, of very rapid growth, surpassing its congeners, and
a rival t(3 the now diseased Lareh ; of large dimensions, attaining
heights of from 80 to 130 feet ; arriving at maturity in sixty to
eighty years, hut will produce timber fit for any purpose in about
thirt}' or forty years. It is not fastidious as to soil or situation, and
excepting in spongy marsh or soft peat, there is no description of
soil not surcharged with stagnant water in Avhich it would not grow
and produce wood of as good quality and equal quantity, and }'ield
as quick and profitable a return as any timber tree extant.

" Its Avood when young, or newly cut, is creamy Avhite ; when
matured and seasoned, brownish yellow ; very resinous, elastic, and
tough ; very durable, long grained, and [though a little coarse in texture,
is easily worked and capaljle of receiving a tolerably good polish. It
is less subject to the ravages of insects, fungi, game, or vermin than
an}' other Pine, which may be accounted for by the bitter aromatic
flavour with which its juices are impregnated."

It is a sparse tap-rooted Pine when in a young state, but it is.
not on tliat account bad to transplant. If the seedling plants are
transplanted in the autumn or winter, after their first sunnner's growth,
and again every succeeding autumn or Avinter till removed to their
permanent quarters, the failures are nil."*

The specific name Laricio is the common name of the tree in
southern Europe. It is often called the Corsican Pine in England,
for no assigned reason, except that considerable quantities of seed have
been received from the island of Corsica.

Pinus Massoniana is usually described as a larger tree than
P. densiflora, Avith Avhich it is associatodj and Avhich it closely
resembles. The trunk attains a greater height^ the branches are
longer and more spreading, the branchlets stouter^ and the foliage
of a brighter green. The leaves are from 4 to 6 inches long,
rounded or convex above, channelled beneath, abruptly pointed,

* Senilis in Gzrdcmrs' Chronicle of 1865, p. 891. See also Proceedings of the Scotch Arhori-
cuUunil Sociclij, 1873, ■wliorc Pinus Laricio is reconmiended as the best substitute for Larch
Avhere the latter fails in coiise(|ueiice of disease,

PINUS MASSONIAXA, l49

twisted, and deep green, the edges slightly scabrous. The cones arc
among the smallest in the true Pines, and arc not distinguishable
in stnicture from those of P, densi flora.

Habitat. — Japan, throughout the whole extent.

Introduced into Europe by Siebold & Co., of Leyden, in 1851.

The folIoAving extract from .SieLuLrs Flora Jtiponica gives a liiglil.V
interesting description of a practice peculiar to Japanese horticulture,
"wliicli appears to have been in vogue for many years, probably for
centuries past.

" The art of the Japanese gardener has exhausted itself iu the
cultivation of this Pine and rinus (Icnsiflnra. They clip and cut tlieui
in all mamier of Avays ; they stretch out the branches like a fau,
upon horizontal espaliers, or give to the liranches the form of a flat
plate. In that artificial culture extremes meet — surprise is e(pially
sought to be gained by specimens of immense extent as Ijy others
reduceil to the most minute dimensions."' During Siebold's sojourn at
Osaka, he went to see the celebrated Pine before the Xaniwaja Tea-
house, of which the branches, artificially extended, have a circuit of
135 paces. Another remarkable instance of this artificial cultivation
Avas seen by ^Mr. Maries at Lake Pi-wa, near Ivieoto, in Xippon.
The main trunk of the tree is 28 feet iu circumference. At about
10 feet from the ground, this divides into three primary brauches,
Avhich have been made to .spread out horizontally, and the circular space
covered by them and their appendages is fully 60 yards in diameter.
On the other hand, they showed him, in Jeddo, a dwarf tree in a
lacrpiercd box of which the branches did not occupy more tbau '1
square inches.

" The wood of Plnus Massonlana is resinous, tenacious, and durable ;
it i.s chiefly used in the constraction of buildings. The Japanese also
make charcoal of it. The soot Avhich they procure from it by burning
its resinous roots with the oil of the Turnip (Dra>;^lca orientah's), is
said to be employed in making the famous Chinese ink, Avhich is
manufactiu-cd principally in the convent of X'ara, in the province f>f
Janato."

Siebold and Zuccarini have described and figured Finns drnsijhira,
and F. Massoniana in their Flora Japonica as two distinct .species, in
which they are folloAvcd by ^Nfunvay {Pinp>f and Firs of Japan) and
Parlatorc {D. C. Prod., xvi., p. 388), except that the latter autluM- has
named the second of the two F. Thnnherrjii, and applied tlie name
Massoniana to the F. sinensis of Lambert. Mr. :Mun-ay remarks that
" it is not Avithout great hesitation that he has recorded the tAvo as
distinct," and points out the characters by Avhich they may be dis-
tinguished, but Avhich appear to haA'e been derived chiefly from an
examination of dried specimens, or from Sieljold's figures. Our collector,

150 A BlANUAL OF THE COiMPEE.l-;.

Mr. !Maric's, during his recent innels in Ja])an, hail ami)le o}ipoi'iunities
of ol)serving the common Pine of the country, hoth in its wild state
and in cultivation, hut failed to distinguish two Avell defined forms or
species. Individual trees, and of these not a few, were to he met
with full}' answering to the general description of P. donsiflora, and
others that of P. Ma><S())iian<(, hut the intermediate forms immensely
outnumher them, so that it is impossihle to say which of them should
he caHed P. dcm/'jfur" and which P. Massom'ana. Like all Conifers
that have heen long under cultivation, the common Pine of Japan is
polymorphous, a property the Japanese horticulturists have not failed
to ohscrve and to take advantage of, and have distinguished varieties hy
specific names, as is frecpiently done hy European horticulturists in the
case of other Coniferse.

The common Pine of Japan has proved quite hardy in Great Britain.
It is more nearly allied to the Pinaster than to any other of our
connnou Pines, hut Iteing (juite distinct hoth from the European and
from the AnuTicau types (if the Pinaster section, it is a useful
addition to our hardy I'ines fur the park and landscape, and fur
planting in proximity to the sea coast.

The specific name Massoniana was given hy ]\Ir. Land)('vi:, in com-
pliment to Mr. Erancis Masson, who lirouglit the first dried specimens
to Europe from the Cape of Cuod IIo])e, ohtained from }ilants raised
from seed which had heen sent from China ; l)ut it is far more
prohahle that these were Pinus slucn^lx, an<l hence the change in
nomenclature made hy I'arlatore.

Pinus monophylla is one of the smallest of the Califoruian Piues.
It is au Alpine species, rarely exceeding 20 feet liigh, and has a
dense bushy head and glaucous foliage; the branches are very numerous
and slender; the leaves, one to two inches in length, thick at the
base, attenuated towards the extremity, and terminating iu a sharp
point. The leaves of P. monoplnjlla present a curious anomaly not
met with in any other true Pine; in young plants, and on the young
growth of older ones, ihey arc solitary, but they are subsequently
produced in twos, and even in threes. The cones, which are about
21 inches long, are composed of thick ligneous light brown scales,
each containins: two larsfo ovate wingless seeds that are edible and

O CD O

have a pleasant flavour.

Hah Hat. — California, abundant on the Sierra Nevada.
Introduced by Hartweg, in 1847.

The specific name inonoplujlbi, from ixovoq (monos) " single," and (bvXKof
(phullon) "a leaf," refers to the peculiarity of the leaves noticed ahovcj

PlNtrS MONTANA^ V. MUEICATA. 151

Pinus montana is a dwarf^ densely brauclied^ busliy Alpine tree,
variable in lieiglit and appearance. The lower branches are generally
decumbent, but those above are ascending* or quite erect ; the leaves
are short, stiff, close-set, of a dull green, and slightly glaucous; the
cones are small, ligneous, ovoid bodies, about H- inch long, with
a pyramidal protuberance on each scale on the outer or exposed
side.

Habitat. — The sub-Alpine regions of central Europe, at elevations
between 4,000 and 7,500 feet; also on the Carpathian Mountains and
the Pyrenees.

Introduced into England in 1779 by John Blackbm'n, Esq., of
Warrington.

This Pine is known in gardens l)y several names, as Phins MiKjhn^
P. 71 lie! lu da, P. Pain! I in, &c., that were in the first instance j^ivcu to
the forms occurrmg iu llie diHercut mountain rcgioiis over -wliieli it is
spread ; but all these forms are now acknowledged to be 1 uit varieties
of one species.

The specific name rnoittana refers to its habitat.

Pinus muricata. — A very distinct Pine, of medium size, rarely
found to exceed 40 feet iu height, but generally much less. Its
habit is somewhat irregular, owing to the branches not being numerous,
and their growth unequal. The foliage is dark green, Avith a slight
glaucescence which gives it a bluish tint. The leaves are from 4 to
G inches long, rounded or convex on one side, slightly concave on the
other, obtusely pointed, and Avith rough edges ; in the young plants
they are thickly set and spreading; on the older plants shorter, more
ngid, and more erect. The cones arc produced at a very early age of
the tree, either singly or clustered round the stem in Avhorls of from
three to seven or eight like those of P. Pinaster, and persist several
years.

Habitat. — California, on the coast range in the neighbourhood of
Saint Louis and Monterey, at an elevation of from 3,000 to 4,000
feet.

Introduced into England by Hartweg, iu 1846.

The specific name muricata, furnished witli sharp ])oiiils or prickles,
rdfer.S to thfe cohe, many of the outer scales of whicli terminate in
a sharp hooked spine.

Vrl A MANUAL OF THE CONIFi:[i.f:.

Pinus Pallasiana. — A tree of the P. Laricio type, with the pyra-
midal outline less elongated, owing to the lengthening of the branches,
and a corresponding diminution in the height of the trunk. It is well
furnished with shining deep green foliage, the leav^es being about
6 inches long, rigid, erect, or sub-erect, and thickly set towards the
extremities of the branches. The cones are somewhat larger than those
of P. Laricio.

Habitat. — The Crimea, forming forests of considerable extent on the
slopes of the mountains in the neighbourhood of the south coast.

Introduced by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, in 1790.

Altliougli Pi II /IS Palhisiana can only lie regarded liotanically as a variety
of P. Laricio, it is, in a horticultural sense, quite distinct, and as an
ornamental tree for tlie park and landscape it sliould be preferred to
P. Laricio, but never substituted for it if planted for tlic sake of its
timber. According to Loudon, * who quotes Professor Pallas, the
discoverer of this Pine, and after Avhoni it has lieen named, the wood
is A'ery knotty and resinous, and very duralde, but dithcult to fonu into
good planks on account of the number of the knots.

Pinus Pinaster. — A beautiful tree, of pyramidal habit, attaining a
height of from 60 to 80 feet, well distinguished by the following
characters: — The bark is coarse and deeply furrowed, even in the young
trees, and especially towards the base; the leaves are stiff, broad, stout,
from 8 to 12 inches long, and of a pleasing bright green colour; and
the cones, which when mature are of a yellowish-brown or fawn colour,
are produced in dense clusters ai'ound the base of the shoots of the
cm'rent year.

Habitat. — The Mediterranean countries of Europe, chiefly in the
neighbourhood of the coast, also in Algiers. It is particularly abundant
in the south of Portugal, in many parts of Spain, and in the west and
south of France.

Introduced into England by Gerard, in 1596.

Pinus Pinaster brutia. — Although occasionally met with in collec-
tions, it is not sufficiently hardy for general use. It is a medium-sized
tree, with spreading branches and slender wavy leaves, 9 inches long.

It is a native of Calabria, in the south of Italy.

Botanists are not agreed as to Avliich species the Calabiian Pine

* Arh. ct FruL, p. 2209,

PINUS PINASTER. 153

Ix'lungs. Lambert doscvibcs it as distinct under Tenore's name, in Mliieli
lie is doubtfully followed Ijy Loudon, -wlio would refer it to Pinus
L'vic/'o. Parlatore l)rings it under P. pijreitalca, and Sprcngel under
P. Plnmtcr, to wlucli its long leaves and clustered cones seem to
indicate the nearest affinity.

Pinus Pinaster Hamiltonii is one of tlio best of the numerous
varieties of P. Pinaster. In its maturity in this country, it is an
elegant well-furnished tree, with rounded top, its leaves Lciug shorter
and paler in colour than those of the species.

It was introduced in 1825 by the Earl of Aberdeen, from the neigh-
bourhood of Nice.

The timber of P/'nus Pinaster is of little use; the wood is soft and
sorai decays. The resinous products are, however, of great value, and
the procuring of them is an important branch of industry in tlie
province of Guienne and other parts of France. 80 profitable is this
source of wealth, that, notwithstanding the abundance of the P. Plnader
throughout southern Europe, it is extensively cultivated on the sandy
tracts adjoining the Bay of Biscay, Avhere it grows witli great rapidity,
and soon yields an ample return for the labour bestowed upon it.

" In the departments of the Gironde and Dordogne, the Pine woods
afford a most efficacious protection against the encroachments of the
sea. Some fifty years ago great apprehension existed of the destruction
of the Medoc country liy inundation, as the l)anks of sand, which are
the only barriers against it, were observed to l)e yielding. The idea
then occurred of planting Pinus Pinaster, in order to bind the sand,
and the result has Ijeen most satisfactory." *

In Great Britain Pinus Pinaster is only useful as an ornamental
tree and for shelter, especially in proximity to the sea, as it will grow
not only under exposure to the sea breeze, l)ut also in shifting sands,
which it is enabled to do by the form taken by its roots. These
roots are, as Loudon points out, ditierent in some respects to those of
any other Pine in cultivation. " There is a more decided tap root,
and Avhen the soil is dry and sandy, it descends perpendicularly into
it ; in proportion as the perpendicular roots are stronger than those
of other Pines, the horizontal roots are weaker, a disadvantage as
regards transplanting, but which is more than counterbalanced by its
tinu hold in the soil, whence it is seldom torn up by the roots by
storms." t

There is probably no single species of Pine that has become more
widely distributed over the globe than Pimis Pinaster, and which has
adapted itself more readily to the various conditions of soil and climate

• Gardeners' Chronicl-, 1871, p- 137. t Loudon, Arb. d Frul., p. 2219;

154 A MANUAL 01" THE CONIPEEJIO.

ill the different coinitrie.s into wliicli it has Ijocn introduced. At the
Ca])o of Gootl Hope, it has made itself at home as nmcli as any indi-
,qenous tree, spreading spontaneously over the saudy plains in tlic
neighbourhood of Cape Town, and in other parts of the colony. It
has become quite a common tree in many parts of Australia, Xew
Zealand, &c. It has also found its way into China, Ja]ian, northern
India, and many other places, whence it has been frequently re-intro-
duced into England as new species under the following names, which
sufficiently imlicate their origin : P. nqx(Ic?i(i/s (Royle), P. chi'iienaiK
(Knight), P. japoniea (Hort.), P. Novoi Hollandue (Loddiges), P. Nuixe
Z''((l(in(lki'. (Hort.), P. Sanda Ildenica (Loudon).

PiiiKsti'v, literally " Pine-star," in allusion to the rayed arrangement
of the cones on the branches.

Pinus pinea, commonly known as the Stone Pine. In southern
Europe it is usually a tall and picturesque tree^ with a trunk clear
of branches to a height of 50 or 60 feet. The branches arc spread-
ing, and the branchlets generally ascending, which being confined to
the top of the tree, give the head a parasol-like form. The leaves
are about G inches long, semi-cylindrical^ rather rigid, with the edges
slightly scabrous, and of a deep green colour. The cones, which
are from 4^ to 6 inches long and about 3 inches in diameter,
are composed of stout hard ligneous scales, each containing two
edible seeds enclosed in a very hard horny shell; they are of a
shining fawn or yellowish-brown colour, attain maturity in the third
season, and are persistent several years.

Habitat. — Italy and the Mediterranean region generally, both in
Europe and Africa; also Portugal, Madeira, and the Canary Islands.

Introduced into England prior to 1548, as it is mentioned in
Turner's Booh of Herbs, published in that year.

The wood of Pinus pincit is whitish, moderately resinoUs, and very
light; it is used in Italy and the south of France for joinery anil
other constructive work. Tlie edible seeds are much used by the
Italian peasantry.

The extremely i)icturesque appearance of tlu; HUnw. Pine in its
maturity, has caused it to be much planted in public and private
gardens in the south of Europe, and especially in Italy, from a very
early period. In the neighl)ourhood of Rome are many fhie and
venerable specimens from 70 to 75 feet high, which always attract
the attention of visitors. Artists have frequently availed themselves of
its peculiar and striking forin to give it a prominent place in the
foreground of their pictures ; and thus we often find it associated with

riNCS riNEA.

15^

porticos, Ionic i>illars, fraL^-inents uf old tcmiilc^, and other classic
t»l)jccts in the ItaHan landscape*

Although one of the iirst of exotic I'incs introduced into England, tlic
Stone Pine is hy no means common, owing to its slow growth and
comparatively tender constitution. The few specimens that have survived
the severe winters that occur at intervals in oar climate, show hut
imperfectly the striking characters that renders the tree so picturescpie
in southern Europe. The oldest trees in the most favoured spots in
this country have not attained half the height natural to the species
in warmer climes, and they have the aspect of })remature old age and

Fi-. 38.— The Stone Pine ftt Glcnthonic.

decay. The finest specimen of Plnm xniion wc liave seen is at
(Ucnthonie, in Xorth Devon, the seat of "W. IT. Hallitlay, Esq., to
whose kindness wc are indehted for our illustration. It is 33 feet

* Sec the picture of Lake Avcnio, in the Vernon Collection, in the National (lallery,
and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage in the Turner Collection, also No, 306 and No. 312 ui
the same Collection, and many others.

15G A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERJ^.

high, tlie diameter of the head is 22 feet, and the trunk is clear of
l)ranclies for 15 feet.

The specific name j;/«''v/ -was donhtless sehicted l)v Linnfeiis, to
express the high estimation in which this Pine is hehl. Pi mis piiwa.

is literally " Pine of Pines," The common name 8tone Pine Avas

prohahly given to it on account of the hard shell that encloses the
seed.

Pinus pyrenaica. — A handsome tree^ of rather rapid growth, form-
ing, in a few years, a fine ornamental specimen with a regular
pyramidal outline, and densely clothed with bright deep green foliage.
The branches are numerous, and the branchlets close set, the bark
of the young growth being of a bright orange colour, by which the
species is easily recognised. The leaves are from oA- to 4^ inches
long, often longer on young plants, thin, smooth, and shghtly scabrous
at the edges. The cones are from 2-^ to 3 inches long, and about
li inch in diameter at the thickest part, slightly curved and
tapering to a point.

Habitat. — The Pyrenees, chiefly on the Spanish side; also in many
places on the Sierras stretching across the Peninsula ; in the south
of France, especially in the department of Gers.*

Introduced into England in 1834 by Captain Cook (afterwards
Captain Widdrington).

Pinus sylvestris. — The Scotch or Wild Pine, one of the most
widely distributed and, at the same time, one of the most useful of all
Pines. The trunk is erect, often attaining a height of from 80 to 100
feet, and covered, with reddish bark ; the branches are spreading,
but short, the lower ones dying off at an early age, even on trees
that stand singly. The leaves on young vigorous-growing trees are
from 2 to 3 inches long, but on old trees much shorter; they are
at fu'st always of a glaucous green, the glaucescence gradually
becoming fainter by age and. disappearing in the second year, when
they are of a deep sombre green. The cones ripen in the autumn of
the second year, and shed their seeds in the following spring.

Hahitat. — Central and northern Europe including Great Britain; the
Siberian forest region as far as the Amour River.

* And according to Pailatore, " In nomoribus Calabrife ad 2,400—3,000 ped, liinc indc
solitaria ; in insula Cypro, insula Crcta, fier^uens in Monte Tauro Caramanico ad 2,500 — 5,000
ped ; in Syria et in Bytliinia ubi vastas conficit sylvas." — Frod. xvi., p. 384.

PINUS SYLVESTEIS. 157

Many varieties of the Scotch Pine have been met with, some in
a wild state,, otliers in cultivation, all showing some greater or less
departm-e from the usual type. From among the garden varieties
we select the following as being the most ornamental : —

Pinus sylvestris argentea, which has the outer halves of tho
leaves of all the young shoots creamy white, and P. sylvestris
aurea, which has its foliage golden - yellow. In both cases tho
variegated portions revert to the normal colour in tho second season.

Among the wild varieties, that called Plivis h<)i'i::ontaU>i is tho most
valued as a tiniLer tree. It is distinguished by its more rapid and
more robust growth, bj' the horizontal direction of its branches, by its
broader and more* glaucous leaves, and by its producing cones less
freely than the common forms. This variety is believed to have been
the prevalent form in the ancient Pine forests of Scotland.

" Although native, and Avith evidence that the greater part of Scotland,
north of the Grampians, was covered with the Avild Pine at no ^-ery
remote period, forests of incbgenous Firs are at the present time inv,-
and far between. The chief remaining ones are to be found alxjut
the heads of the vallej's of the Dee in Aberdeensliire, and of tlu;
Spey in Invernesshire ; whilst another, equally beautiful, but perliaps
not so well known, lies on the shores of Loch Kannoch, one of tlie
tributar}' lochs of the Tay . in Perthshire. The latter, from its sombre
appearance is called by the natives the Black "Wood. It Hes on the
south side of Loch Eamioch, and extends along the shores of the loch
for about 2}y miles with an average breadth of about 1 mile ; this
is about tho extent of the dense part of the wood, but including
the outlying parts, the length is nearly 7 miles and the greatest
breadth .5 miles. In altitude above the sea level the Avood lies
between 700 and 1,.500 feet."*

There is another remarkable natural forest of Scotcli Pine at
BaUochbuie, on the Braes of ]\Iar, Avhich has now become the property
of Her Majesty the Queen, and thus "a guarantee is afforded that it
AA'iU be permanently preserved as a Avorthy renmant of those magni-
ficent Pine forests Avith Avliich the Highland glens and mmmtains Avero
once so Avidely clothed"!

The Scotch Pine, from its hardy constitution and rapid groAvtb, is
a useful tree for fornung screens, and as a nurse for more tender
trees. As a tree for planting m poor dry soils and in exposed situations,
it is equalled only hy the Larch ; Avhen planted as a screen for sheltei-,
it is best mixed Avith the connnon Spruce and the hanUer rapid-

* Dr. F. Buchanan White, in Gardeners' Clironiclc, 1876, part ii., p. 822.
t "William Gonie, Es^i., Address (o the Hot. >^'oc. of Edinhunjh, 1880,

158 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFER.?^.

grooving tleciJuoiis trees. Its rate of groAvtli in tlio climate of Loiulon,
according to Loudon, is from 20 to 25 feet in ten years, and from
40 to 50 feet in twenty' years.

The economic value of the Scotch Pine, as a timber tree, is probably
not surpassed, in the aggregate, l)y that of any other tree kno-\ni. It
supplies the yellow deal of connnerce, the staple article of trade with
niany of the lialtic and other ports of northern Europe. Although
highly valued as a timljer tree in this country, the quality of the
timber of home grown trees is inferior to that imported from northern
Europe — it is coarser in gi'ain, and much less durable. This inferiority
is believed to Ije due to climatal causes ; the long and severe -winters
of the north are succeeded by short and hot summers, and under
these conditions the trees have periods of rest and activity in their
growth Avhich they do not get in the more erj^imblc diuuite of Great
Britain, and the texture of their Avood is affected in a corresponding
degree.

The followiog Pines_, belonging to this Seetion^ cannot be recom-
mended for ai'boricultnral purposes in England : —

Pinus Banksiana. — A low, scrubby, straggling tree with tortuous
trunk and branches, which are sparingly furnished Avith short greyish
green leaves ; it attains a height of from 5 to 8 feet in its native
country, but somewhat more in Great Britain. It is the outcast of
the family Ijanished to the dreary aud inhospitable Labrador and
neighbouring countries.

Pinus inops. — An inelegant straggling tree 25 to 40 feet high,
with s[avading or drooping branches ; the yoimg shoots are covered
with a i)urplish glaucous bloom ; the leaves are short and glaucous,
and the scales of the cones tipped with sharp }irickles. Eound on
sterile and barren hills from Xew Jersey southward to Kentucky.
It is known in America as the Scrub Pine.*

Pinus mitis. — An erect tree from 50 to GO feet high, producing
durable, fine-grained, moderately resinous timber, valuable for flooring ;
the leaves are from 2 to 3 inches long, soft, slender, and dark dull
green. It is a native of the northern iS'ew England States and west-
ward as far as Wisconsin; also common southwards as far as Georgia. f
In America it is called the Yellow Pine.

Pinus pungens.— A tree 40 to 50 feet high, with the haljit and
general a[)pearanc(' of the Scotch Pine ; the leaves are short, stout,
much crowded, and Ijluish green ; the scales of the cones are armed
with a strong hooked spine. Found on the Alleghany ISIountainsj

* Dotany of the United States, by Dr. Asa Grnj', p. 470, t Jdan,

riNE3 WITH THREE LEAVES IN A SHEATH. 159

Gspeciallj' abundant on tlie ]51ue Ridge in Virginia and north Carolina.
In America it is generally known as the Table Mountain Pino.

Pinus resinosa. — A tall tree of tlu^ P. Lan'riu type, GO to 80
feet high, with reddish smooth hark ami dark green leaves 5 to G
inches long, collected in hunches at the extremities of the branchlets.
It occurs in Canada and tlie adjoining States, where it is commonly
knoAvn by the name of the Red Pine. " The timber is very duraljle,
its abundant secretions acting like paint in preservijig it from decay.
The old roots and knots of this Pine, which are of great weight
and completely saturated with resin, burn liercely, give a brilliant light,
and are nmch used for torches." *

Pinus sinensis. — The common Pine of south-eastern China. It is
spread over the country Avliere it can be allowed to grow for the
supply of timljer and fuel, from Canton to the Yang-tse-Kiang ; it
occurs plentifully on the mountains north of Foo-chow mixed Avith
Ahi'f's Fort unci It grows from 40 to 60 feet high, with the aspect of
the Japanese P. densijlora, but far inferior to that useful Pine. The
leaves are in twos, but occasionally in threes, very slender, fronr
4 to 6 inches long. The cones are those of a Pinaster Pine and are
among the smallest in the section.

Section II. — Pines with Three Leaves in a Sheath.

Of the twenty-four or twenty-five Pines belonging to this section,
not more than ten or a dozen are available for planting in England,
and these for ornamental purposes only. A few species of remarkable
aspect have been introduced from the alpine regions of Mexico ; but,
notwithstanding the high elevation at which they are found in their
native country, they have proved to be generally too tender for the
climate of England, and, except in Devon, Cornwall, and a few
other places, rarely attain the dimensions of large or even medium-
sized trees. Very noticeable features, both in these and in some of
the more hardy kinds, are the great length of the leaves and the
large size of the cones, composed of solid hgneous scales, in many
of the species terminating in a sharp point or prickle; but there are
some species with short leaves and small cones, as Pinus Biinrjeana,
P. ceralrovles, and P. cdidis.

The Pines in this section are very unequally distributed over the
Northern Hemisphere ; two-thirds of them are confined to North
* Rowan's Emigrant and Sportsman in Canada.

160

A MANUAL OF THE CONIPERJ;.

America between latitudes 18" and 45 ^ tlie most northern species in
the eastern part of the Continent being the Pitch Pine, Finns rigida,
and in the western part, P. iionderosa. Of the six species known in the
Eastern Continent, three occur in the Himalayan region, and one in
the north of China, the other two are insular species, P. canariensis
on Mount Teneriffe, and P. insularis in the Philippine Islands.
The wood of some of the species is useful for constructive purposes
and is known to be very durable, but at present only two supply
timber for commerce, the Pitch and southern Red Pines of North
America, The resinous products of the same two, and of P. Tccda,
are procured in immense quantities, of which a large proportion is
exported to Europe.

SciEXiiFic Name.

Synonyms.

riNUS AUSTRAI.I.S ' Finns imlustris (Miller)
{MichauxY

IjUNREANA

{Zuccarini)

Popular Name.

Habitat.

CEIIEROIDES

(Gordon)

ED U LIS

{Engelmann)

Gerardi.vxa

( Wallicli)

ixsiGNis {Douglas)

Jeffreyi

{Balfour)

LONGIFOI.IA

{Roxburgh)

MACROCAIIPA

{Lindlcy)

lATULA (Schicde)

Finns Llaveana

(Sehiede)
, , fertilis (Ecezl)
, , Parry ana

(Engelmann)

The swamp Pine S.E. United I
States,

Tlie lace-bark ; Northern China
Pine

The C'embra-like South California
Pine] and Mexicol

New Mexico ..

Capt. Gerard's

Western

Pine Himalaya.'

Finns radiata (Don) The remarkable i California

Pinei

Jeffrey's Pine ; California and

Oregon

The long-leaved
Pine

Fimis Coultcri (Don) The large-coned
or Coulter's Pine

Height

in
Feet.

60 to 70
60— 75
20— 30

25— 30

40— 50

40— SO

100-150

The Himalayas . . ' 60—100
California ... 75—90

Mexico ,.,

GO- 80

riNUS BUNGEANA.

IGl

SCIBSIIFIC Xame.

Synonyms.

PIXUS FONDEROSA

Pinus Bcnthamiarut

{Douglas)

(Hartweg)

>>

Sinclairiana

(Hooker)
Tarryana

(Gordon)
Bcanlslcyi

(Jliirray)

"

deflcxa (Torrey)

nir.inA {Miller)

"

Frnscri

(Loildigos)

Sabin'iaxa

{Douglas)

T.EDA (Linnmcs)

Pimu

serotina

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Thelieavy-wooded, Western North
or "Western Pitch America

Pine'

Heifilit

in
Feet

100-150

and
upwards.

The Piteli Pine

The Nut Pine Calilorni:

Tlie Eastern
United States

Teocute

{Schiede)

TOEREYANA

{Dr. Parry)

(Michaux)
,, ElUotti

(Engelmann)

Pimis lophosperma

(Lindley;

TUBERCULATA ,, ralifomim

{Don) ' (Hartweg)

Tlie Torch or
Loblolly Pine

S.E. United

States

Me.xico ...

Dr. Torrey's Pine South California

The tuberculated; California
or Monterey Pine!

50— 75

40— CO

50— SO

CO— 120

25— 40

Pinus Bungeana.— A beautiful and distinct Pine, attaining a
height of from 70 to 80 feet. The trunk is erect, and in the
mature tree, clear of branches to a considerable part of the height,
the branches above being long and slender. The bark is smooth,
ash-grey on the young shoots, whitish on the trunk, peeling oft'
like that of the birch; the leaves are from 3 to 3^ inches long,
thickly placed along the young shoots, pale but bright green, rigid,
triquetral or three-angled, compressed and sharply pointed, and with
short deciduous sheaths.

Ilahitat. — Northern China.

Introduced into England in 184G, by the Horticultural Society of
London, through their collector, Robert Fortune.

:Mr. Fortune gives the following description of this Pine in liis
M

1G2 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.E.

Yedo and Pcl-liKj. " Xenr the royal tombstones (at Pekin), I o1)served
a species of Pine tree liavinc;' a peciiliar liabit and most striking
appearance. It liad a tliick trunk ^vliicli rose from the ground to the
height of 3 or 4 feet only ; at tliis point some eight or ten branches
sprung out, not liranching or bending in the usual way, but rising
perpendicularly as straight as a Larch to a height of 80 or 100 feet.
The bark of the main stems and secondary stems was of a milky-
white colour, peeling like that of the Arbntus, and tlie leaves, which
were chiefly on the top of the tree, Avere of a lighter green than
those of the common Pine. iVltogether this tree had a very curious
appearance, A-ery symmetrical in form, and the different specimens
Avhich evidently occupied the most honoural)le places in the cemetery,
Aveve as like one another as they possibly could be. In all my
Avanderings in India, China, and Japan, I had never seen a Pine
tree like this one. What could it be 1 "Was it ncAv 1 And had I
at last found something to rcAvard me for my journey to the far
north. I Avent up to the spot AAdiere tAvo of these trees Avere standing
like sentinels, one on each side of a grave. They Avere both covered
Avith cones, and, therefore, Avere in a fit state for a critical ' examina-
tion of the species. • But although almost unknoAvn in Europe, the
species is not neAv. It proved to l)e one already knoAvn under the
name of Pinus Banrieana."

This remarkable Pine is still comparatively rare in Ihitish gardens.
It much resembles the Himalayan, P. Gerard/ana, Ijut is superior to
it as an ornamental tree. It is quite hardy.

Pinus Bunijeana is named after Alexander von Bunge, a Eussian
Botanist, Avho accompanied Ledebour in his travels through Siberia,
and Avho Avas afterAvards (18.30) sent by tlie Eussian Government as
naturalist Avith a mission to Pekin, Avhere he llrst met Avith this
Pine and many other plants not previously knoAvn to Europeans.
He subsequently (1836) succeeded Ledebour as Professor of Botany
and Director of the Botanic Garden at Dorpat.

Pinus cembroides.— A low Alpine tree, with the trunk often
tortuous. The branches and tlieir ramifications are very nnmerous,
imparting a dense liabit to the tree; the leaves are about 1^ inch
long, triquetral and compressed, rigid, erect or sub-erect, and light
glaucous green. Cones ovoid, 2 to 2^- inches long.

Hahitat. — The mountains of Orizaba and the Real del Monte in
Mexico, at elevations betAveen 8,000 and 12,000 feet; also in south
California.

Introduced by Hartweg in 1846.

On the mountains of Orizaba tliis Pine is said to attain a height

riNus gekaudtaka, r. ixsiaxis. 1G3

of 30 feet. In I'nglaml it.^ gvoAvlli i.^ very slow ; all the specinion>^
Ave have seen of it are much branched and twiggy, well furnished
•with foliage, hut of irregular shape. It is a very distinct rin(>, and
tolerably hardy.

Pinus Gerardiana. — A medium-sized tree with a conical outline,
attaining a height of from 40 to 50 feet ; the bark is smooth,
greyish, and peels off like that of P. Bungeana. The branches arc
generally ascending, but the lower ones are spreading, and the
branchlets short and somewhat slender. The leaves are from 4 to
5 inches long, rather rigid, three-angled, abruptly ]oointed, and of a
glaucous yellowish-green ; the sheaths are deciduous. The cones are
sub-globose or ovate oblong, with the greater diameter 4 to 5 inches,
composed of thick spiny scales, each with two large edible seeds.

Habitat. — The Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Nepaul^ at elevations
between 8,000 and 10,000 feet.

Introduced into England about the year ISoO.

Dr. Aitchison (Journ. Lin. Sac, Xos. lOG — 107^, thus dei^crilxs
Pinus Gerardiana as seen in the Kurani district in Afglianistan : —

"A very handsome tree that does not In'aneh as Pines usually ilo,
the trunk and branches being more like those of a well-formed Oak.
It is easily recogaiiscd at a distance by its nearly white, ash-grey bark,
which, on close exammation is seen not to be of one colour, but
consists of patches of all tints, from light green to autumnal reds
and browns ; this is due to the peculiar Avay the bark exfoliates.
The nuts are a large article of diet amongst the villagers of the
district in wdiich the Pine grows, and a luxiuy in north-west India."

Xamed by Dr. "NVallich in compliment to its discoverer, Capt. (leranl,
an officer in the Bengal Native Infantry. It is tolerably hardy, but
its groAvth in England is .slow. Several Ijeautiful specimens, however,
are to be met with in the south and west of England, among the
fme-st of which, one in the Pmetum of T. Gamljier Parry, Esq., of
Higlmam Court, near Gloucester, is deserving of especial mention.

Pinus insignis.— A beautiful tree, generally of medium height.
When young it is very densely branched, and clothed with a pro-
fusion of handsome grass-green foliage ; in its maturity it has a
rounded top, and long spreading branches with the foliage clustered
at the extremities. The leaves are slender, thread-like, twisted, and
from 4 to G inches long ; the cones, which are also very handsome
appendages of the tree, arc from 4 to o inches long, obtuse at the

164

A MANUAL OP THE CONTFER.'K.

baso^ pointed at the apex, and with greater developement on the

outer or exposed side ; the scales are spineless, smooth, and of a

glos3y orange-brown colour.

Hahitat. — California, in the neighbourhood of the coast, from

Monterey to San Antonio, and a few other places.
Introduced in 1833 by David Douglas.

This Pine varies mucli
in liabit, according to
the soil and situation
in which it is groAving.
In the close forests in
the neighbourhood of
Monterey, it is drawn
up to a height of 60
feet witliout a liranch ;
on tlie outskirts of tlie
woods, and Avhen stand-
ing far apart, it grows
a handsome tree, with
wide spreading branches
from tlie ground to the
suumiit. At its northern
Hunt, when growing close
to the sea-shore, and
exposed to the prevailing
north - Avest Avinds it
scarcely exceeds the
height of a tall-groAving
slu'ub.

Piiniii hi^HjiLix is one,
(if the iiiost ornaniental
of all the Pines, but it
cannot l>e said to lie
sufficiently hardy in
England, except in the
south and south-Avest, to
be relied on as a per-
manent decorative tree.
In the severe Avinter of
18G0-1 more than tAvo-
thirds of the trees of
this species then existing in Great Britain were killed; and in ordinary
Avinters it does not ahvays escape injury ; the foliage is often broAvned
and rendered unsightly liy frost and piercing Avinds, and unripened

Fit'. 39.— Cone ana lervves of Piniis insignis. Natural size.
(From the Gardener »' Chronicle.)

riNUS JEFFEEYI. 165

shoots are frequently killed. To secure fine specimens of P. /usif/iii's
the young plants must have a sheltered situation or be "nursed" l)y the
more hardy Pines and Firs. As the lower hranches of the largest and
finest specimens in this country have attained a length of upwards of
30 feet, it is evident that a space having a radius (/mafrr than this
should he provided to allow the tree to develope its line proportions.
Bemg found on the Californian coast close to the heach, P. Insignis
is one of the few Coniferous trees that will grow under the influence
of the sea breeze, but never under exposure to cold winds. Tiiis Pine
frequently suffers much, especially in its young state, from the attacks
of the Pine Beetle ( Hylurgus irlnipcvdo )^ which seems to jirefer it to
all others. Bee page 34.

The specific name insUjuh, "remarkable," was selected liy Douglas
to designate this noble Pine.

Pinus Jefifreyi. — A tall tree,, attaining a height of upwards of 150
feet. In its young state in this country^ it is a moderately fast-
growing Pine^ with leaves about 9 inches long, rigicl^ spreading, and
glaucous green. In its maturity in the Shasta valley, it is said to be
irregular in outline and bare in appearance, owing to the foliage being
tufted or clustered at the extremities of the branches. The cones are
large and handsome, 8 or 9 inches long, tapering, more developed
above than beneath : yellowish -brown in colour, and with closely
adherent scales, which have a projecting spine or umbo.

Halitat. — The Shasta Valley and Scott Mountain in California.

Introduced in 1852 by the Scotch Oregon Association, through their
collector, John Jeffrey, by whom it was discovered, and after whom
it is named.

The above description of the cones is taken from those sent to us many
years ago from California, l)y William Lobb, and preserved in the
IVIuseum attached to the Xursery at Chelsea. "We ha^•e also examined
cones produced by some of the oldest specimens of Pinns Jeffreyi
growing in England, and find that they vary much both in size and
shape. AVe also find variations in the size and shape of the cones of
P. ponderom groAvn in England ; forms of the latter closely approach-
ing forms of the former. In their general aspect P. Jeffrey!, and P.
ponderom are scarcely distingaiishablc, and the leaves of the two arc
identical in all their essential characters. It has long been suspected
that P. J'ffrz-yl is nothing more than a local variety of the Avidely
distributed P. ponderosa, and experience of the tAVO in this country
tends to point to their specific identity, so that Ave believe P. Jeffreyi
must idtimately sink to a synonjin of /'. x^onderoscu An examination

160 A MANUAL OP Till-: CONIFEK.E.

of the infloresconco, which we have imt yet seen, Avill dnuhtk'ss decide
the point.

As Jeffrey's name .stands i)runiinent aniony those who have been
instmmental in introducing new and tine Conifers into Great Britain,
tlie following particulars of his life and character, from Lawson's Pinrftuit
Britannkini), will be read with interest.

" John Jeffrey was a young gardener of Fifeshire, honi on the
estate of Lochore, the maternal patrimony of the late 8ir "Walter Scott,
and employed in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, Avhere he attracted
the attention of Professor Balfour and Mr. McXab by his zeal and
intelligence, and had carried off the prize offered to practical gardeners
for the best collection of dried plants made in the neighbourhood of
Edinburgh. On the recommendation of Mr. jMcXab, he was appointed
collector for the Oregon Association in the Spring of 1850. He left
England in June of that year in one of the Hudson's Bay Company's
vessels, bound for York Factory in Hudson's Baj'. On his arrival there
he accompanied the Company's dispatch brigade, which was then wont
every year to cross the continent in winter, and proved that he possessed
at least one important recpiisitc of a collector liy the readiness which
lie bore the hazards, the labours, and exposures of the Avinter journey.
He was on his ground in the spring of 1851, and for the Avhole of
that year he devoted himself zealously to exploring and collecting. The
first really new introduction of Jeffrey was Abies magm'fica Avhich he
sent home under the name of A. amahilis, believing it to be identical
with the A. amabiUs of Douglas. Other fruits of his first year's collec-
tion were seeds and cones of A. Alhertiana and A. Paffoniana also
new, A. Dowjlasi'i, A. Menziesii, and Piuus flexilis, at that time still
very rare. In the following year, Jeffrey went further south and sent
home seeds of many of the Californian Pines, and among them the
sjDecies that bears his name. His collections, however, scarcely kept
pace with those of his first, year; and in the third year, a very marked
falling off in the consignments, accompanied by a total cessation of
correspondence, led to his engagement being brought to a termination.
"Wliat became of Jeffrey afterwards is not knoAvn. He was last heard
of at San Francisco, where, it was said, he IukI joined an American
Expedition to explore the Gela and Colorado. His fate will probably
ever remain a mystery."

Pinus macrocarpa. — A large tree^ with rounded top and long
spreading branches^ with the extremities ascending and the young
shoots covered with a glaucous violet-brown. The leaves are from
9 to 12 inches long, ratlier stiff, three-angled and flattened^ more or
less incurved^ and of greyish glaucous green; they are persistent from
two to three ycars^ and thus always appear clustered at the extremities

riNus roNDEKosA. 167

of the branchlets. The cones are lai'ger t])au those of any other
Pine^ being from 10 to 12 inches long^ -with a diameter of about
6 inches at the broadest part_, and weighing from l to o lbs. ; the
scales are very thick^ firmly adherent^ of exceedingly hard ligneous
texture^ armed with a strong hooked spine, smooth, polished, and of
a yellowish-brown colour.

Habitat. — California, on the Santa Lucia, at 3,000 to 4,000 feet
eleration ; also on the coast range as far as latitude 37" N.

Introduced by David Douglas in 1832.

Xolliiny is kno^^l of tlic ccouomic uses of this tree ; the seeds are
large, and like those of the closely allied species Pinus Sahiniana,
edible.

In England its growtli is comparatively sIoav ; although it has been
introduced nearly half a century, the oldest trees are, with rare excep-
tions, but of moderate dimensions, and present no special feature of
attraction ; the foliage is tufted at the extremities of the shoots givmg
the branches a very naked aspect ; but, for the sake of its extra-
ortUnary cones, P. macrocarpa should be planted in every collection
where space can be found for it, and which should have a radius not
less than from 2.5 to 30 feet.

The specific name macrocarpa {^.taKpoo), " large," and {Kaprruc), " fruit,"
was appropriately selected by Dr. Lindley, on account of its remarkable
cones ; it is that by which tliis Pine is best known in this country ;
but the name Coulteri, given by Professor Don, in comphment to the
discoverer. Dr. Coulter, is said to have priority of designation.

Pinus ponderosa. — A large massive tree, varying in dimensions
according to situation ; on the slopes of the Califomian mountains
attaining a height of from 150 to 200 feet, with a gu-th of 18 to
24 feet, but considerably less in the arid plains . of Utah and in
the higher latitude of Oregon. The bark is a very noticeable and
distinctive character; in the mature tree it is yellowish - brown,
and divided into large flat smooth plates, from !• to 8 inches in
breadth. The branches are regularly whorled, at first growing
horizontally, but becoming decumbent by their own weight. The
leaves are confined to the extremities of the branchlets, radiating
in all directions, and varying in 'length from 6 to 12 inches,
rather rigid, three - angled, compressed, with roughish edges, and
deep glaucous green. The cones are ovoid, from o to G inches in
length, Avith the scales terminating in a short spine or umbo.

168 A MANUAL OV TJIK CONIFEK.T-;.

Ilahitaf. — Western America, from British Columbia southwards to
the Mexican boundary, and eastwards from the Sien-a of Cahfornia
through Nevada, Utah, Colorada, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Introduced by David Douglas, from Oregon, in 1827, and twenty
years afterwards by Hartweg, from California, under the name of
Fintis Benthamiana.

The economic value of Finns poiuhfrosa is very considerable to the
inhabitants of the Pacific States of IS'orth America. The wood is very
resmous, and heavy ; it is also brittle, and has the grain much twisted.

Pinus ponderosa is spread over a greater area, and occurs in greater
al)undauce than any other Pine in western America. On the Sierra
Nevada, between 4,000 and 6,000 feet elevation, mixed with P. Lam-
heiiiana, it forms the forest, and on the slopes lower down it is
predominant, but intermixed with Ahlcs (jmndis, Liboccdrns deciirrens,
P. Sahin/'ana, and other trees. " In the sterile regions of the interior,
whole day's marches may be made in forests of P. ponderox", of
which the absolute uionotoiiy is unbroken, either by other forms
of vegetation, or the stillness by the flutter of a bird, or the hum of
an insect. In this region it is a noble tree, although never rivaUmg
the gigantic dimensions attained in more favoured localities."*

In a range so extensive, Pinus ponderosa is found to show some
variation, but no more than might Ije accounted for by difference of
soil and situation. Generally speaking, in the southern portion of 'its
habitat it attains a larger size, and the leaves are somewhat longer
and more closely set than those of the more northern trees.

Among the most distinct forms we liave met Avith in cultivation
is one in the Pinetum at Highnam Court, near Gloucester, named
Pinus Parnjana, in compliment to the proprietor, Mr. Gand^ier Parry.
It has a more striking aspect tlian the common form ; the branches
are more iiumerous, and better furnished with foliage, and the leaves
longer and more pendulous. Another in the collection of Mr. AY.
Parker Hamond, at Pampesford Hall, near Cambridge, called P. Sin-
dairiana differs from the usual type in having niunerous sub-erect
branches, clothed at their extremities with thicker and shorter leaves
that are rpiite glaucous.

In England, Pin/is j^onderosa is rpiite hardy, and its growth moderately
rapid, but owing to the Ihnited persistency of the leaves, it has a
rather tufted and l)ar(; appearance. It is, however, a useful and distinct
Pine for the })aik and landsca})e.

The specitic name pond'-ros'i, " lieavy," was given by Douglas, on
account of its dense heart-wood, which is so heavy as scarcely to
float in water. It is called by the settlers "Pitch Pine," from its

* Dr. XewLerry, I'acijk llailwai/ lic^wrt.

PlNUS RtGIDA, r. SAUINIAXA. 169

rcsciuLlanco to Pitiits riijidii of tlie eastern Slates ; it i;? also com-
monly known in California as " Yellow Pine."

Pinus rigida. — A medium-sized tree, its habit much modified by
the influence of soil and climate ; ou the summits of the Alleghany
mountains, it is a mere scrub, in more favourable spots it is npwards
of 70 feet high. In England it is generally from 30 to 45 feet
high, much branched at the top, forming a dense head ; it is also
easily distinguished by its very rough dark bark. The leaves are
from 3 to 5 inches long, rigid, triquetral, with roughish edges,
sharp pointed, and light green. The cones are , ovoid, about 3
inches long, with the scales terminating in sharp hooked prickles ;
they remain on the tree many years.

Habitat. — North America, the eastern States from New England
to Georgia, not extending west of the Alleghany Mountain region.

Introduced into England about 1759.

The economic value of rinn^i vUjida consists chiefly iu its resinous
products, which are very abundant, Avhence this tree has obtained tlie
name of " Pitch Pine," a name also often applied to the southern Red
Pine, P. widrnlk. The timber is knotty, heavy, hard, and resinous, but
of little value. The gi-owth of P. ri<j!iht in England is rather rapid ; it
is a sturdy accommodating kind, growing in Avet damp places where no
other Pine will live; it should be planted for landscape purposes only.

The specific name rhildd, " stif}'," refers to the leaves, but the
appropriateness of the designation is not very manifest. There are
other Pines that have stifier leaves than P. rigida,

Pinus Sabiniana. — A medium-sized or small tree of spreading
straggling habit in its native country, with foliage clustered in double
tufts at the extremities of the branches, the young growth of which
is covered with a violet glaucous bloom, as in P. macrocarjm, but
lighter. In England the trunk grows erect and the branches hori-
zontal in direction, but crooked, and always with a bare unfurnished
appearance, in consequence of the foliage being persistent but two
years. The leaves are from 10 to 12 inches Jong, rather flaccid,
pendulous, slightly twisted, rounded on outer side, with a prominent
rib on the inner side, and glaucous bluish-green. The cones are from
7 to 0 inches long, and 5 to 7 inches in diameter, very resinous,
and composed of large, hard, strong, scales, terminating in a sharp,

170 A MANUAL OF Tilt CONlFER.i:.

liard, solid point beut like a hook; they are fawn or yello^vish-bro^^^^,
and remain on the tree for seyeral years.

Habitat. — California, from the Santa Lncia to the Oregon boundary.

Introduced by David Douglas in 1832.

As a tiiubor tree P/'/«^^' Siibiniitiin is not luucli in repute ; the wood
is white and tough, but the crooked irregular habit of the tree reudei-s
it unprofitable to work. * The large seeds are edible, and Avere one
of the chief resources of the Indians in winter.

Piiui.-> S'tln'n/ana never forms forests, but is disseminated very generally
over Cidifornia ; scattered sparsely over rough and rocky sui'faces ^herc
almost no other plant would take root. It is not found at any
considerable elevation.

In England it is tolerably hardy, but somewhat fastidious as to soil
aiul situation. In favourable spots, Avherc it has attained a considerable
size ; it proves to be a very distinct and by no means inelegant tree,
its long pendulous leaves and slender but crooked branches l)eing
notable characteristics ; but all defects are amply atoned for by its
tine cones, Avhich ahuost rival those of P/iiiis man'OcarjM in size and
colour. To secure good specimens it should be planted in what
gardeners call " warm " land, a good loamy soil with free drainage. A
space having a radius of not less than 20 feet should be allowed
for it.

Finns Sahiniaiia Avas named by Douglas in compliment to jNIr. Sabine,
for many years, and at the time of its introduction. Secretary of tlie
Horticultural Society of London,

Pinus tuberculata. — A tree of low or medium height, and sparingly
branched. In its young state, it is a handsome ornamental plant on
account of its rich deep green foliage ; as it grows older the foliage
becomes clustered towards the extremities of the branches. It bears
cones at a very early age, which are at first produced in clusters on
the main stem, afterwards they are produced on the branches also,
and as they never fall otf, trees of even a moderate age have a very
curious appearance. The leaves are from 5 to 6 inches long, triquetral,
with scabrous edges, and with an elevated rib running along the
middle on the inner side, twisted, and deep green. The cones vary
in size (4 to 8 inches long), with the age of the tree, "those on the
young trees have the scales on the outer side, particularly towards the
base, very prominent, and deeply divided from each other, giving
occasion to the specific name tithcrculafa.'\

* ruidum Eritanniaim, Plnus Sahinlana. t Idem., Pinus taherculala.

PIN US TUBEKCULATA. 171

llah'ttat. — California, the coast range from Monterey northwards.
Introduced into England in 1847 by the Horticultual Society of
London^ through their collector^ Ilartwcg.

From a [laper road heforc the San Francisco Microscopical Society,
by Mr. J. P. Moore, Ave derive the following interesting particulars
respecting Finns tuhorcnlata.

" It cannot he said to Ije a common tree in the ordinary accept-
ance of that term. It is mainly confined to the Sierras, and at an
elevation of about 3,000 feet. It seems to prefer the southern slopes
of the mountains where the soil is very dry, and Avhere it can he
fully exposed to the sun. It has the pecuKarity of hearing its cones
on the main trunk of the tree, giving it a singular appearance as they
are arranged around the stem in ahuost a circle; usually five though
often seven cones compose the circle. Sometimes two or three of these
circles of cones -will he closely crowded together, overlapping each other
a.s they hang doAvn. A pecidiar feature of these cones, and one worthy
of attention, is their manner of attaclnuent to the trunk. It may lie
observed that the base of the cones rest against the bark, and tliat
they are so finnly fixed as to bear the pressure of several hundred
pounds without breaking off. These cones appear upon the trunk while
the tree is quite young, and yet the successive layers of growth rarely
ever surround and bury them. The petiole of the cone seems to
lengthen, but not quite fast enough to keep pace with the growth of
the tnmk, so that in many instances it would seem as if the pressure
of the subjacent tissue against the base of the cone had forced it out,
leaving a hole where the petiole entered the older wood. Xaturc has
also made good provision for the preservation of the seed ; the cones
are very compact, and covered with a resinous coating Avhich insures
them against cracking ; they are never shed until the tree dies or has
been feUed, and even then they do not open for a long time.* In the
forests where this Pme abounds, the trees are all of the same age,
wliich may be reatlily accoimted for by the cone shcdiUng. As a
timber tree Plnus tahcrculata has no special value."

This Pine is very distinct and also tolerably hardy, but it should
always be planted in a south aspect with full exposure to the sun,
and at the same time sheltered from cold winds bloA\ing from the
north, north-east, and east.

The following Pines belonging to this section arc not sufficiently
hardy for the climate of Britain. They are, however, occasionally met
with in collections occupying sheltered situations.

• In the Museum of the Royal Exotic Nursery, at Chelsea, are preserved cones of I'iniis
tuberadata that were sent by W. I.obb from California twonty-five years ago. Tlioy arc at the
present time (1881) apparently as firm and compact as when first received.

1?2 A MANUAL or THE CONIFERJI*

Pinus australis. — A tall tree with a spreading head and long
deep green leaves. Sparingly interspersed Avith P. Ta'An it forms
the forest extending from A^rginia to Florida in the neighhonrhood of
the Atlantic coast, called the " Pine Barrens." Its timber is fine
grained, strong, compact, and very durable ; under the name of yellow
or brown Pine it is much used in the southern States in constructions
of all kinds; under the name of Pitch Pine, large quantities are
exported to this country, where it is much iised in ecclesiastical
edifices. Tlie resinous products of this Pine are collected in great
quantities in Carolina and Georgia.

Pinus edulis. — A small tree from 25 to 30 feet in heigiit, with
a trunk 8 to 12 inches in diameter. The foliage resembles that of
P. Cemhwidf'-i ; the cones are short and sub-globose, with thick scales.
The seeds are large and edible, furnishing a vahiable article of food
to the Indians of IS'eAV Mexico and Arizona, where this Pine is
abundant ; it also occurs in the neighbourhood of Canon City, Colorado.

Pinus longifolia. — A tall tree, rather sparingly In'anched, inhabiting
the A'alleys and lower hills of jSTepaul and Bhotan. Its most marked
characteristic is seen in the leaves, which are of a vivid green, disposed
in spiral rows round the young wood, varying in length from 12 to 18
inches, very slender and pendulous. Xext to the Deodar Cedar, it is
the most valuable timber tree in the Himalayan region.

Pinus patula. — A beautiful Pine with spreading branches and Lng
pendulous foliage. In its young state it is " as like a green fountain
as a green Pine," on account of its bright green, drooping, slender
leaves, Avhich quite conceal the stem and branches. It is a native of
the colder parts of Mexico, on the Eeal del Monte, Malpays de la
Joya, and other places.

Pinus Tseda, called in America the Loblolly or Frankincense
I'iue, is a tall tree, from 50 to 80 feet high, with a spreading top,
and light green leaves. It occurs in the barren sandy districts in the
south-eastern portion of the United States, but nowhere continuously ;
it is also interspersed with P. am^fmUs in the " Pine Barrens " near
the Atlantic coast. A closely allied form, usually described as a distinct
species under the name of P. serotimi, is sometimes met -with in
collections. It appears to be someAvhat hardier than P. Tteda.

Pinus Teocote. — A large tree Avith spreading and ascending
branches, avcII -furnished Avith glaucous green foliage. It is a native
of Mexico, and found at a considerable elcA^ation on the mountains of
Orizaba and Eeal del Monte, AAdiere it attains a height of upAvards of
80 feet.

PINES WITH FIVE LEAVES IN A SHEATH. 173

Pinus Torreyana. — A tall Pine sparingly branched and having
its foliage tufted at the extremities of the hranclics. The leaves are
from 8 to 10 inches long, stiff, and pungent ; the cones resemble
and are as large as those of the Stone Pine, P. phiea. It is a
native of lower California, where it was first discovered by Dr. Parry,
and named by him in compliment to Dr. Torrey, the eminent American
Botanist ; it was subsequently foimd liy Mr. "William Lobb, who sent
cones and dried specimens to England in 1860, when it was described
by Dr. Lindley as a new species imder the name of P. lojjhosjycnna.

Section III. — Pines with Five Leaves in a Sheath.

In this section Finns Cembra and P. Strohus may be regarded
as the types of the kinds sufficiently hardy for landscape and
ornamental planting ; the former representing a group of four or
five species * in which a pyramidal compact habifc^ profusion of
foHagCj and small erect cones bearing wingless seeds^ are the most
obvious characteristics^ while the latter represents several large and
tall trees t with spreading branches,, long leaves^ elongated tapering
cones that are quite pendulous when full groNvn, and bearing winged
seeds. Besides these^ there are several Mexican species occasionally
met with in gardens in the south and west of England which are
tender^ and rarely arrive at maturity in this country. ;J: The timber
of the hardy Pines in this section is distinguished by its whiteness,
softness^ and fineness in grain, that of P. Strohus being the most
in repute on account of its durability and cheapness ; this is the
" AV^hite Pine " of American commerce. The resinous products are
abundant, but are of less commercial importance than those of the
Pines in the other sections. The species are very unequally distri-
buted ; P. Cembra and P. Strohus have extensive ranges in the
eastern and western continents respectively. P. excelsa is confined to
the Himalayas, and under the name of P. Pence to the mountains of
lioumelia and Macedonia in south-west Europe; there are two species
in Japan and northern China, and four in California and the Rocky
Mountains; all the others are natives of Mexico, with the exception of
1'. occidentalis (St. Domingo), P. fili folia, and P. tcnuifolia (Guatemala).

* Pinus Cembra, P. flexilis, P. Jcoraiensis, and P. parviflora.
t Pinus excelsa, P. Lamlcrtiana, P. monticola, and P. Strohus.

I They form a separate sub-sectiou, of which Pinus j^seudo-slrobus may be regarded as tlie
tyi>e.

174

A JIANUAL OP THE CONIFERJ!.

SciEWiinc Naste.

PIXUS Ayacahuite

{Ehrenbcnj)

BalfoltJana

{Hurray)

Ci:MERA

Synonyms.

Tlnus Loudoniana

(Gordon)
,, strohiliformis

(Engelmann)

,, aristata

(Engelmanu)

{LinnLCUs)

,, pumila ' Finus Ccmhra Hands
[Endlichcr) churica (Kegel)

Devoxiaxa

[Lindlcy)

( WaUich)

( Torrcy)

Hahtwegii

{Lindlcy)

KOKAliiXSIS

{Skhold)

Lambertiana

{Dourjlas)

LEIOI'HYLLA

{Lindlcy)

MONTEZl'MJE

{Lambert)

montIcola

{Douglas)

Pinus 2)endula (Griffith)
,, Pc2(cc (Grisebac'li)

,, ccTiibroides

(Newberrj
,, alhicaidis

(Engeluianii)

Popular Name.

The Hickory

rim

{Schrcde)

Pinus macrophylla

(Liudley)
,, Lindlcy ana

(Gordon)
, , JFinces(eria7ia

(Gordon)

Tlie Swiss Stone
Pine

The Dwarf

Cenibra Pine

The Duke of
Devonshire's Pine

The Himalayan
Pine

Tlie Californian
Cembra Pirn

Hartweg'.s Pine
The C'orean Pine
The Sugar Pine

The smooth-
leaved Pine

Montezuma's

Pino

Habitat.

Ueiglit
in

Foot.

Mexico

California, Ne-
vado Colorado

Central Eurojie
and Siberia

Siberia and Yesso

Real dcd Monte,
Mexico

The Himalayan
Mountains

California

Orizaba, Mexico
Corea and Japan

California and

Oregon

Mexico ...

North California
and Oregon

Mexico ...

75 to 100

40— 50

50— 1Q0

2— 4

CO— SO

50—100

5— 50

40- 50

20— 30

200—250

CO— 80

CC— 100

75—100

40- 50

riNUS BALFOURIAXA.

175

Pinus Balfouriana. — Au Alpiue species^ of variable lieiglit ; in
sheltered slopes^ it is a tree 40 feet liigh and of pyramidal outline,
but becomes a straggling bush, prostrate, and almost creeping ou
the bleak summits of the higher ridges of Colorado. The leaves are
short, rigid, light green, very glaucous on the inner faces, appressed
to the stem and persistent many years, forming tufts of foliage one
foot or more long at the ends of the branches. The cones are oval,
about 2J inches long and half as much in diameter, composed of
rather hard coriaceous scales, the exposed part with a rhombic pro-
tuberance, in .the centre of which is a small mucro or hook curved
upwards.

Ilahitat. — North California, on the Shasta and Scott Mountains; on
the high mountains extending through Nevada, northern Ai-izona,
Utah, and Colorado.

Introduced in 1852 by John Jeffrey; and, many years afterwards,
reintroduced under the name of Pinus arUtata, which is now regarded
as a variety of P. Balfouriana.

Pinus Balfour i ana is a very slow-growing Pine even on its native
moimtains, where it may Ije regarded as the American representative
of the European P. moniaan. From the peculiar tufted appearance of
the foliage, it has acquired the name of tlie "Fox-tail I'iiie " in
Xevada.

The specific name Balfouriana was given by IMr. ]\ruiTay, in com-
pliment to the late Professor Botany, in the University of Edinburgh.

176 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERJ:.

The young specimens growing in British gardens under the name of
Piiius arhtata, are somewhat different from those regarded as the true
P. Balfouriana. They are more robust and of more rai)id growth, the
leaves are longer, stouter, duller in colour, and much less glaucous on
the inner faces. The merits of P. BaJfoiiriana, as a decorative tree
in this country, have yet to he proved.

Pinus Cembra. — A tall tree of elongated pyramidal outline, and
with short crooked branches and deep green foliage. On the slopes
of the Alps, it frequently attains a height of 100 feet, but in England
it rarely exceeds half that dimension. It is regularly furnished with
branches from the base to the summit, and with abundance of foliage,
" presenting to the eye a multiplicity of tufts of leaves, piled up one
above the other.^^ The leaves are from 3 to 5 inches long, rather
rigid, three-angled, with rough edges, and marked with silvery lines.
The cones are oval, from 2 to 3 inches long, with smooth scales,
terminating in a broad obtuse umbo, each scale enclosing two wingless
seeds which are about half an inch long and edible.

TIahitat. — Central Europe and northern Asia ; on the Alps at eleva-
tions between 4,000 and 6,000 feet ; on the Carpathian and Ural
Mountains, and generally through the forest region of Siberia as far
as Kamtchatka, the Kurile Islands, and Jesso.

Introduced into England about 174G.

Pinus Cembra pumila. — A dwarf, stunted bush, from 2 to 4
feet high, often assuming a creeping habit. The leaves are crowded,
shorter than those cf the species, from \\ to 2 inches long and very
silvery. The cones are small, about 1-| inches long, and 1 inch in
diameter. It is a native of eastern Siberia and Jesso.

Tlie economic value f)f riu/fs Cc/iihra is very considurahle in the
alpine regions where it is native ; the Avood is white, soft, and fine
in grain ; it has also an agreeable fragrance, which is at the same
time obnoxious to insects ; it is used chiefly in indoor carpentry, for
wainscotting and upliolstery, especially for lining clothes chests, &c.
The large seeds are much eaten in Eussia and Siberia Avhere other
fruit is scarce, and in the Tyrol, an oil is expressed from them which
is used for lamps.

The chief use r)f P////^s■ Cojihra in this country is for ornamental
purposes, fi)r wliieh it is a very distinct tree, whether planted singly
or in groups. Its growth is slow, rarely exceeding a foot in one season
in the best soils and under the most favourable circmnstances, but

PINUS EXCELSA. 177

generally much less. It requires but little room; it is quite hardy,
always well-furnished with foliage, wliich has a pleasant fragrance during
the growuig season.

Pinus excelsa. — A handsome tree^ with regularly whorled spreading
branches^ the upper ones ascending, those below more or less decum-
bent, -with the extremities upturned, from which the elegant foliage
depends. The bark on the younger growth is pale greyish-brown
and quite smooth, but becomes rugged on the older wood. The leaves
are from 6 to 8 inches long, slender, flaccid, drooping, three-angled,
with rough edges, and glaucous bluish -green. The cones are from
6 to 8 inches long, pendent when mature, slightly curved, and pointed
at the apex; the scales large, wedge-shaped, loosely imbricated, the
exposed part striated longitudinally and terminating in a small pro-
tuberance.

Habitat. — The Himalayas, from Bhotan to Afghanistan, at elevations
ranging from 5,000 to 12,000 feet; also the mountains of Eoumelia
and Macedonia in south-eastern Europe, fi'om 2,400 to 5,800 feet
elevation.

Introduced into England by Dr. Wallich about 1827.

As an ornamental Pine, Pinvs exceUa takes a high rank among
landscape and park trees ; it thrives best in light and Avell-drained soils
on sloping ground ; on heavy clay and chalk land its growth is much
slower and its general aspect much less striking. The best specimens of
P. pxceha in this country, cover a space having a radius of upwards
of 25 feet.

The Pi'tiKS cxceha foimd in south-eastern Europe and described as a
distinct species by the late Professor Griseliach under the name oi I*.
Peace, is a smaller tree than the Himalayan form. In England the
young plants are denser in haljit, more conical in outline, and have
shorter and stiffer leaves.

The specilic name exeeha, " lofty," refers, according to Major ]\fadden,
not to the stature of the tree, but to the elevation at which it is found.

Pinus flexilis " is an Alpine species growing high up the Rocky
Mountains and Sierra Nevada, looking like a dark and gloomy
Scotch Fir, but not so blue in its black, although, perhaps, even
deeper in its colouring, and characterised by fine gnarled and
twisted limbs.''* It varies much in height, from a low scrubby
l)ush to a tree 50 to GO feet high, nnd from 11 to 4 foot in diameter.

* ^Ir. A. >Mun;iy, in Gardeners Chrunkle, 137.', 1 /., \\ 350.
N

178

A MANTAL OF THE CONIPEE^.

The leaves are from 2 to 2i inclies long", three-angled^ rigid, erect
and glaucous green ; the cones resemble in size and shape those of
P. Gemhra, to which this Pine is closely allied.

Habitat. — The mountain ranges of British Columbia^ California, and
Nevada, from 7,000 to 10,000 feet elevation ; also on the Rocky
Mountains, from Montana to Now Mexico.

Introduced by John Jeffrey, in 1851, but discovered some years
previous by Nuttall.

" On the siunmit of the Cascade Mountains in California, the bleak
and barren surfaces are held by this Puie ui a possession imdisputed by
any other tree. It is there, by the rigour of the climate, compelled to

grow in thick and tangled
masses scarcely rising above
the surface. Lower down
it attains much greater di-
mensions. On the Monitor
Eange, in central Nevada,
trees from 50 to 60 feet
liigh are not, infrequent,
the finest specimens being
found on the banks of the
mountain streams. Pinus
flcxilis is known among the
colonists as " "WTiite Pine,"
and is the only tree of the
region saAvn into lumber.
The wood is soft, white,
and, although not free from
knots, is of fair quality,
being about intermediate
1 letwL'en eastern A\niite
Pine (/-'. Stjvhus) and Sugar
Pnie (P. L(Uiibertlann)" *
The specific name foxHis
refers to the pliant crooked
liranclies.

Pinus koraiensis is
believed to have been intro-
duced many years ago from

Fig. 40.-Cone of rinus komiemis. Natural size. ^^^ CoVQ?^ intO Japan, being

* Professor Sargent in American Journal of ^'^ciencc and Art, June, 1879.

riNUS LAMBERTIANA. 179

met with only in cultivation in tlie last-named colmtr3^ The adult
trees, which are few in number and chiefly found in proximity to
temples, range from 20 to 30 feet high. The trunks are straight to
about 12 or 15 feet, when they divide into three or more ascending
branches, each with numerous much ramified secondaries, giving the
trees a densely rounded head, a form they have doubtless been made
to assume at the hands of the Japanese. The leaves are slender,
trigonal, with the edges roughish, 3 to 4 inches long, bright glossy
green on the outer and broader side, and silvery on the two inner
or narrower sides. The cones are almost cylindrical, very obtuse
both at base and apex, about 5 inches long and 3 in diameter ;
the scales are hard and leathery, with the points turned back.

Habitat. — Corea and Mantchouria, as far as the Amour River.

Introduced in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Yeitch.

Finns Iwraiensis is one of the most useful of Pines for garden decora-
tion ; its comparatively small size, compact liahit, and elegant foliage
render it available and even desirable for planting where the fast-grow-
ing larger Pines would be inappropriate.

Pinus Lambertiana. — A lofty tree, the tallest of all Pines,
attaining a height of from 200 to 250 feet, with a circumference
near the ground of from 20 to 30 feet. Its massive perpendicular
trunk is generally free of branches to two-thirds of its height,
above which the tree has an open pyramidal head like that of an
Abies, the branches being pendulous. * The bark is rather smooth,
ash-grey, and full of resin ; the leaves are clustered towards the
extremities of the branches ; they are from 3 to 5 inches long,
three-angled, with the edges rough, slightly twisted and of a bluish
glaucous gi'een. The cones are from 15 to 20 inches long, with a
diameter of from 3 to 4 inches, cylindrical, tapering at the apex;
the scales are large, loosely imbricated, and enclosing two large edible
seeds of a nutty flavour.

Habitat. — California and Oregon, from the ISlexican lino to the
Columbia River.

Introduced in 1827 by David Douglas.

P!nn.-i Lamhertiana does not fonn forests but is always associated
with other trees, as the Redwood and P. Ponderosa. In the vicinity of

* Pinclum Britannicum. rinus Lamkrliana.

180 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

Crescent City these trees combine to form one of the most magnificent
forests in the world; the Redwood and the Sugar Pine (P. Lamheriiana)
attaining nearly equal gigantic dimensions. North of 42° N. it mixes
with Ahies rjrandis, A. Menziesli, Tliaia gigantea, and other trees forming
the dense vegetation of the region ; and in the transverse chains that
cross the country from the coast to the Shasta Mountains and Mount
Pitt, it has for its companions P. pvndei'osa, P. conforta, and Ahirs
grandh, wliich far surpass it in numbers as it, in its turn, exceeds its
fellows in dimensions.* The timber is white, soft, homogenous, and
usually straight grained, but heavier and stronger than that of the
eastern White Pine (P. Sfrolus). The seeds have a sweet taste, which
gave occasion to the early settlers in the country to call this tree the
"Sugar Pine."

In England Pinus Lamhertiana thus far shows no indication of
rivalling the gigantic dimensions of its parent in California. Although
introduced fifty years, ago, there are few specimens that exceed a height
of 50 feet; its growth in all soils and situations is very slow,
especially during the first years from the seed. It is, however, a
handsome tree of erect habit, with branches short and slender in
proportion to the heiglit of the trunk, the lower ones spreading, those
higher iip with the ends inclined upwards, and the highest ones
ascending and generally well furnished with foliage distinguished by its
bluish-green tint. To ensure a good specimen of this noble tree it
should be planted in a situation sheltered from winds blowing from
the north, north-east, and east, and a clear space having a radius of
not less than from 20 to 25 feet should be allowed for it.

The specific name was given by Douglas, in compliment to A. V>.
Lambert, Esq., a munificent patron of science, and the author of a
beautifully illustrated large folio work entitled Tlie Genus Pinus. This
work, together with the encouragement he gave to the discovery and
introdiiction of new kinds, has associated Mr. Lambert's name with
Coniferous plants.

Aylmer Bourke Lambert was born at Bath in February, 1761, and
died at Kew in January, 1842. He Avas educated at St. Mary's Hall,
Oxford, and early devoted his attention to botany. Ho was one of
the founders of the Linnaean Society, of which ho was one of the
Vice-Presidents ; he Avas also a Fellow of the Royal Society. Wh(;n
he came to his jjatemal estate, he formed a large herbariiim, Avhich
was for many years under the charge of Mr. Don. This collection,
as well as Mr. Lambert's extensive library, was made available to all
men of science. There was an open reception of scientific men every
Saturday at Mr. Lambert's house. He was anxious to encourage
science, and his ample means enaliled him to gratify his taste in this

* Dr. Newberry, Pacific PMiliccuj Eeimrt, p. 11. Lawson's Pinetum Britafinicum — Pinuii
Lnmhertiana,

PINU3 MONTICOLA.

181

r:rA -5?^'

fio 11

respect. For many years his health was feeble, and he retired to
Kew, where his proximity to the Royal Gardens afforded the means
of gratifying liis botanical tastes. Besides the work above mentioned,
he published a description of the genus Cinchona, and contributed

many papers to the Transactions of the Lin-
lueaii Sorletij. After his death his herbarium
was sold l)y public auction, when a small
portion of it was purchased for the British
Museum.*

Pinus monticola. — A handsomo tree of
jiyraraidal habit ; the trunk is erect^ and
furnished with whorls of branches that arc
rather short in proportion to the height of
the tree; the bark is smooth and greyish ash-
Jjrown. It is a Strobus Pine, having shorter
and more rigid foliage than that of the type;
the leaves arc about 3 inches long, three-
angledj with the edges slightly scabrous, the
sheaths short and the points blunt ; the outer
or rounded side is dark glossy gi-een, the
flattened or inner sides are whitish or glau-
cescent. The cones are from 5 to G inches
long, tapering to a sharp point, and generally
a little curved towards the apex.

Habitat. — California, Oregon, and Washington
territory ; on Trinity Mountain, near the
Eapids .of the Columbia, and on the rocky
banks of the Spokane River,

Introduced by David Douglas in 1831.

Pinus monticola is quite hardy, and is a
beautiful Pine for the lawn and jtark. In
selecting a situation for it, preference should
be given to a south-east or south-west aspect,
and a clear space, with a rachus of not less
than 18 feet shoidd be allowed for it.

The specific name monticola, " dwelling on
the mountain," refers to the elevated .spot in
diich Douglas first found it. It was, however, subsequently found in

Cine of i'liina monticola.
Natural size.

* Chiefly from the Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography.

182

A MANUAL or THE CONlFERiE.

the plains, and on tlic banks of tlic rivers, in Oregon and AVasliington
territory. The wood of Pinus monticula is white, fine grained, strong,
and durahle.'^

Pinus parviflora. — A medium-sized or low tree_, of compact habifc^
with a bluntly p3a-amidal head^ and clothed with dense short foliage.
The branches are approximate, either horizontal or slightly ascending

at the extremities,
and furnished with
I numerous short, tufted
branchlets. The leaves
are from 1 to 1| inch
long, crowded, rigid,
slightly twisted, hght
green on the outer
or rounded side, and
quite glaucous or sil-
very on the inner or
flattened sides. The
cones are ovate-
elliptic, from 2|; to
3^- inches long, com
loosed of about twenty
coriaceous broadly
wedge-shaped scales.
Habitat. — Japan.
Introduced in 18G1 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.

PiiMs pui-vijlora, according to .Siebold, although found cultivated all
over Japan, is a native exclusively of the northern islands, extending
from about latitude 35° X. to the Kurilo islands. The above
description applies only to the cultivated P. parviflora, and, from which,
all the older plants in British gardens are derived. In its wild state,
in the island of Jesso, it attains a larger size than the cultivated
form ; the leaves are also longer, and of a deeper green ; the cones
too, are longer, with the scales less crumpled at their edges.

Pinus i-)arvfl(jra is one of the most distinct of the Cembra Pines, and
owing to its small size, well-furnished trunk, and dense fohage, which
is persistent three years, it is one of the best of the tribe that can
be selected for the lawn and shrubbery ; it prefers a moist loamy

Fig. -12. — Cone and leaves of Pinus parviflora. (From the
Gardeners' Chronicle.)

Gardeners' Chronicle, 1878, ix., p. 52.

riXUS STROBTJS. 183

soil. It is more esteemed l)y the Jai»aueso gardeners tliau an}' other
Pine ; they cultivate it iissiduously, (hvarting it to the smallest possible
dimensions, or training it into all kinds of fanciful shapes.

The specific name parviflora, refers to the small size of the male
catkins, which are very numerous, and thickly crowded into a cylin-
drical spike, 1 to 2 inches long.

Pinus Strobus. — A tall tree, rising in a straight column, from 120
to 160 feet high iu cool and damp woods in its native country,
generally divested of branches for the gTcater part of its height, and
with a conical top. In England the habit of P. Slrohus varies accord-
ing to the soil in which it is growing; in loamy and heavy land the
branches are spreading and usually well furnished with foliage ; in dry
sandy land, and in exposed places, the branches are short and the
foliage tufted at their extremities. In the young state the bark is
greyish-brown and quite smooth ; in old trees it is rugged on the
trunk and principal branches. The leaves are from 3 to 5 inches long,
slender, soft, light green, marked with silvery lines, spreading in
summer but contracted or pendulous iu winter.* The cones are from
6 to 8 inches long, cylindrical, tapering, and slightly curved; the
scales are smooth, thickened at the apex, and during the growing
season covered with white resin.

Habitat — North America, the eastern portion of the continent from
latitude 50° N., southwards to the Alleghanies as far as Georgia,
and from the Atlantic to the Mississippi.

Introduced into England in 1705.

Pinus Strobus nana is a small, compact, bushy shrub, with short
slender branches and numerous branchlets. The leaves are shorter than
those of the species, and densely clustered at the extremities of the
branchlets.

Other varieties named respectively— aurea, compada, nivea, variegatai
and viridis, have been in cultivation, but are now rarely met with.

Fimis Strobus is one of the ino:,t important of the American tindjet
trees, and great numbers are felled every year, and sent to Europe,
under the name of AVhite Pine. It is very abundant in the New
England States. "It is also common all over Canada, and is one of
the most valuable of the timber trees of that country, being durable,

* This peculiarity has beeu observed in other Tines of the Strobus section ; in Piinis
ejxclsa, P. Lambertiana, P. monticola, &c.

184 A MANUAL OF THE CONtFERj;.

free from knots;, and very easily worked. It linds its way into every
carpentering establishment in Great Britain."*

In England, the principal, if not the only use of Piiius Strohus in
planting, is for the park and landscape, and for mixing with other
trees in forming belts, screen?, &c. Experience has shown, that although
it will grow in aU ordinary soils, . its rate of growth, which averages
about 12 or 13 feet in ten years, is not only much slower than that
of several of the two-leaved Pines, but also the timber of home-grown
trees is less valuable, which is doubtless owing to cliniatal causes.

The specific name Strohus, appears to have been talcen by Linn£eus,
from Pliny, t who mentions a tree called Strobus, indigenous to Car-
mania, a province of ancient Persia, where it was sought after for
fumigating or incense. It is not known what tree this was. P. Strohus
is called the Weymouth Pine, from having been extensively ijlanted
by Lord Weymouth, at Longleat, in Wiltshire, soon after its intro-
duction, and whence seeds were afterwards distributed.

Tbc following Pines, all natives of the higher mountain regions
of M.xicOj weie introduced to British Gardens by the Horticultural
iSocioty of London^ through their collector, Hartweg, who discovered
them in 1838-0:—

Pinus Ayacahuite. — A large tree, attaining a height of 100 feet.
It has whorled spreading branches, and long lax, slender, glaucous
leaves, and much resembles P. Strohus in habit and appearance. It
is a native of the mountains in northern i\lexico, where it occurs at
elevations between 7,000 and 11,000 feet. It rarely escapes injury
during severe Aveather in England, even in sheltered situations.

Pinus Devoniana. — A fine tree, 60 to 70 feet high with spreading
braiiches and deep green leaves, 8 to 10 inches long, Avith sheaths
1 inch long. It was tUscovered by Hartweg, on the mouiitains in the
neighbourhood of Oaxaca, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, and named
by Dr. Lindley in compliment to the Duke of Devonshire. It closely
resembles P. Montezumce, of which it is probably only a variety.
It is rather tender.

Pinus Hartwegii. — A medium-sized tree, with thick crooked branches
and light green leaves. It is found on the mountains in the neighbour-
hood of Oaxaca, where it was discovered by Hartweg in 1839. It was
named Ijy Dr. Lindley after its discoverer. It is somewhat hardier than
most of the Mexican Pines, but liable to injmy in severe weather.

* Mr. liowan's Emigrant add SjJorlsiaan in Canada.

t Petunt et in Curmanos arborem strobuni ad suffitua perfusam vineo palmes accendentes,
xii., c. 17.

MEXICAN PINES. 185

Pinus leiophylla.— A tall troe ^vitll a pyraniidal head, horizontal
branches, subpendulous at the extremities, and long, slender, drooping
foliage. It is a native of the mountains between Cruz Blanca and
Jalacingo, and some otlier places in Mexico. It is quite tender in
England.

Pinus Montezumae. — A large tree " attaining a height of fnjm
45 to CO feet, -with large irregular branches, thickened branclilets, and
leaves 10 inches long, but shorter in old trees."* It is one of the
commonest of the Mexican Pines, and was discovered early in the
present century, but not introduced into England till llartweg sent
home cones and seeds in 1839. It is not hardy, f

Pinus OOCarpa. — A medium-sized tree with an open heatl, the
lower branches decumbent, rather rigid leaves, and small egg-shaped
cones, whence the specific name. It was found l)y Schiede between
Ario and j\Iontc Jorullo, and afterwards l)y Hartweg, who sent seeds
for the first time to Europe in 1838. It is not hardy.

Pinus pseudo-strobus. — A large tree with sj^reading branches,
much resembling the Himalayan Pine (P. exeeUa ), but having lighter
green and more glaucous foliage. It is a native of the mountains of
Aguanguco and Orizaba, and other parts of Mexico. It is quite
tender.

Pinus Russelliana.t — One of the handsomest of the Mexican
I'ines. It has robust spreading branches, Avith the foliage tufted at
their extremities ; tlie leaves are a foot long, bright green, and grace-
fully pendulous. It is found on the Eeal del Monte, in Mexico,
where it was discovered by Hartweg, and named by Dr. LintUey in
compliment to the Duke of Bedford. It is not hardy.

The introduction of the Mexican Pinea described above, and
others from California, has placed Hartweg's name among the most
prominent of those who have enriched the gardens of Europe with
fine Conifers. The following is a short sketch of his life: —

Karl Theoder Hartweg was bom in 1812, at Carlsmhe, in the
Grand Duchy of Laden, and descended from a long hnc of gardeners.
Besides the advantages of his father's experience, he enjoyed the

* Carriere, TraAte General dcs Coni/ercs, p. 415.

t According to Parlatore, Pinus LiiuUeyana and P. macropliylla are but varieties of P.
Montezumcc, the former having shorter and the latter longer leaves.— Prot^. xvi., p. oJJ.

X Parlatore gives Pinus Russelliana as a synonym of P. Monlezumm. The specinieu of the
former at Bicton, doubtless the finest in England, is quite distinct from that 1 me^

186 A MA^StAL OF THE CONU'EE.^.

benefits of a far better education than usually falls to the lot of a
gardener. Unfortunately, his father died before Karl had completed
liis nineteenth year, and, consequently, he determined to visit France
and England, Avhere the state of Horticulture was in advance of that
of Germany.

He first went to Paris, and succeeded in obtaining a situation in the
Jardin des Plantes, and whilst there, he laboured most assiduously to
make the most of the opportunities offered by that establisliment to
improve himself. After gaining a tolerable knoAvledge of French, he
came to England haphazard, but falling ill Ijefore he obtained any
employment, he Itecame very needy. "\Mien his health l^ecame Itetter,
he entered the Horticultural Society's garden as a common labourer,
where his superior intelligence and education soon Ijecame evident to
the authorities, and he was advanced to the higher and more lucrative
l^ost of garden clerk. Aliout that time, the lamented Douglas met
with his death, and it Avas resolved by the Society to send another
person to explore the highlands of Mexico, chiefly Avith a vieAv to the
possible discoA'ery of ncAv plants Avhich Avould bear the climate of this
country.

HartAveg, having been selected for the expedition, left England in
October, 1836, for Vera Cruz, and from thence Avent to Santa Fe.
He did not, hoAvever, remain long in the unhealthy loAvlands, but
ascended the Taquapan on the east side of the lofty Orizaba ;
and here he met Avith the first batch of the numy splendid epiphytal
Orchids Avith Avhicli he enriched our gardens. He afterwards Avent
to the Aguas Calientes and Bolanos. Having explored the district,
he proceeded, in February, 1838, to Mechoancanha, AAdiere he made his
first important discovery of Coniferous trees, for here he found Finns
oocctijja, P. leiojjliylla, and P. pseudo-strohiis. Here, too, he saAv the
majestic sacred fir Ahi.es religiosa, rising to a height of 150 feet.
His next move was to the Eeal del Monte, and thence to Queretaro,
Avhere he met Avith Pimis Cemhroides (Llaveana) and P. patala, in
company Avith Cupressus thurifera, better knoAvn in England liy the
name of C. Knigldiaua.

At the close of 1839, HartAveg Avas instructed to go to Guatemala,
and on his Avay he visited Oaxaca, the seat of Cochineal culture.
He remained a fcAV days and discovered Timis Russelliana, P. Devo-
niana and P. Tcocotc. "\^^lile staying at Quesaltenango to collect
Orchids, ascending the highest of the mountain range, he discovered
p. Hariwegii and P. filifolia. He afterAvards made a trip to Ecuador,
and the Cordilleras of Ncav Granada, A\diere he found several Orchids
not prcAdously knoAAai. Soon after he embarked for England, Avhere
lie safely arrived in 1843, after five years absence.

In 1845 HartAveg Avent out again to America; this time to Cali-
fornia. In his excursions through the country, he discovered Pinus

AKAtJCARIA. 187

tuhcrculata, P. murlcata, and Ciq)rct<t;i(s Guveniana, aiul by cullccting
cones and seeds of species previously discovered by Douglas, lie Avas
tbe means of greatly increasing the number of living plants in England
of tliese grand specimens of arborescent vegetation. In addition, lie
sent home a large number of hardy annuals and herbaceous plants.
Altogether Hartweg was absent on his different exploring travels
about nine years and a-half. He did not remain long in England
after his return, but Avent back to his native country. The late
Grand Duke Leopold having taken great interest in him, appohited
him inspector of the Ducal Gardens at Schwetzingen, whicli post he
held till his death in February, 1871. — (Abridged from the WocJtcn-
(schrij't and Gardener a' Chronicle, 1871).

♦ v.— AEAUCAEIA (Jussicu).

The Araucarias are lofty evergreen trees^ natives of the southern
Hemisphere, where tliey may be regarded as partly representing
the Firs and Pines of the north. Their mosi obvious characteristics
are —

The trunks are perfectly straight and erect ; the branches
are in whorls, of from four to eight, five being the prevailing
number, usually horizontal, but the lower ones decumbent, and
those above ascending.

The leaves are spirally arranged around the branches,* im-
bricated in nearly all the species, and persistent many years;
they are either comparatively broad, flat, ovato-lanceolate, and
very sharply pointed, or narrow, four-angled, and compressed,
and often curved.

The species having broad, sharp-pointed, coriaceous leaves, have also
large ovate cones with wingless scales;! those having narrow, tetragonal,
and compressed leaves, have also smaller spherical cones witli winged
scales;! there is also a difference in the mode of germination of the
seeds of the broad and narrow-leaved species. The Araucarias, therefore,
admit of a division into two tolerably well defmed groups : the first
(Col}Tnbea), comprising Aixiucarta imhricata, A. hrasiliensis, A. BkUciUi,
and A. Rulel ; and the second (Eutacta), inchuling Araucaria excelsa,
A. CunHii)(/Jto.rni, and A, CooJai.

* Araucaria Bidvnlli is an exception.

t StroLili s<iuamte apterw, Parlatoic— P/'od xvi., p. 370.

X Strobili squamre alat;c. —/<?«?«. p. 372.

18S A MANUAL or tMe coniferj:.

So far as yet observed, the Araucarias are considered to be
dioecious plants, that is to say, tlie pollen bearing and ovule
bearing catkins are produced on diflferent trees, and not on tbe
same tree, as in the Firs and Pines. The fertile cones are solitary
and erect, and each scale produces but one seed.

The Araucarias are not absolutely dioecious, probably far from it.
There is a tree of Araucaria imhricata at Bicton, in Devonsliirc, that
has borne catkins of both kinds for several years past, and many
young plants have been raised from the seeds of its fertile cones.
By the kindness of the Right Hon. Lady RoUe we are enabled to
give an illustration of this tree, and also of a fertile branch taken
from it. A fine tree at South liytchelt, in Dorsetshire, has shown
the same peculiarity. As the numerous healthy trees now growing all
over Great Britain become cone bearing, the monoecious princi^iie may
probably be found among them to an extent not hitlierto suspected.
The difference in tlie sex of the trees was generally thought to give
rise to the difference in aspect and habit that occurs so frequently
among plants of the same species. The Araucarias, like other ConifercT,
are now known to be polymorphous, irrespective of sex, which is shown
by the numerous varieties and sub-varieties of nearly all the kinds
under cidtivation, that are constantly making their appearance.

The economic value of the Araucarias has not yet been much
developed. The timber of Araucaria imhricata is used in southern
Chili ; the heart wood is yellowish, that more recently formed white,
it is very fibrous, beautifully veined, and admits of a fine polish.*
The timber of the Moreton Bay Pine is fine, close grained, and
durable. The secretions are employed for various purposes in the
countries in which the trees are natives ; the fi'agrant resin that
exudes from the trunk of A. hrasiliensis is mixed with wax for
making candles. The whitish resin of A. imhricata is used by the
Chilians, when fresh, as a remedy for bruises, wounds, &c., and
when dried, it is employed in many ways as a mitigant of pain.f
The seeds or '' nuts " of all the large coned species are edible,
and are consumed in gi^eat quantities by the inhabitants of the
provinces and districts where these trees abound.

Tlie Araucarias are natives of a comparatively restricted area in
South America, eastern Australia, and some of the adjacent islands.

* Su madera, de un bianco, medio anarillento, cs llena de fibras y de vctas muy vistosas
y admite im buen pulimento. Historia de Chile, i)or Claudio Gay. — To7no v., p. 416.

t Man, loc. cit.

ARAUCAEIA.

1?9

-'/-'V

190

A MANUAL OP THE CONIPERiE.

Tlie South American species have the widest range^ and form
extensive forests in southern Brazil and Chili; the Australian species
have a more limited range, some of them, so far as at present
known, being confined to a single island.

Only one species is sufficiently hardy for the climate of England,
but nearly all the other kmds are cultivated in their young state for
the decoration of conservatories, &c. Their formal but pleasing habit,
and bright green foliage, render them very picturesque, and suitable
subjects for these structures.

Araucaria is derived from Ai'auco, the name of a provnice in southern
Chili, where the earliest discovered species (Araucaria imhricafa) is
abundant.

Scientific Name.

Sinonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feot.

AEAUCARIA

Armicaria Domieyi

The Chili Pine

Chili

100tol50

IMBRICATA

(Richard)

{FmIz d; Pavon)

,, chiknsis (Mirbel)
Dombeya cMloisis

(Larnark)
Pinus Araucaria

(Molina)
Colymhca quadrifaria

(Salisbury)
,, imlricata

(Carriere)

'

The following species and varieties are not hardy in Great Britain.

AEAUCARIA : Cohjmlca Didicilli

?>ii>wiLLi {Hool-er)\ (Carriere)

i;r.AsiLii;xsis i Pinus dioica (Arrabida)
[Pdchard] Colymhca hrasilicnsis

I (Carriere)

Bidwill's Arau- i Queensland,

caria or the ! Australia

Bunya-Bunya

The Brazilian Brazil, Pro v. of
Araucaria' Sao Paolo and
t Minas Geras

CooKii (Brorcn)] Araucaria coUimnar is Captain Cook's } New Caledonia &

(Hooker) Araucaria; New Hebrides

Eutacta Cookii

(Carriere)

CUNXIXOHAMI

(Ait mi)

„ CnnnincjTiami

(Link)

glauca ! ,, CunningJiami
[Hort. ) ' ffauca (Carriere)

Cunningham's ' Queensland,

Araucaria, or Australia

Moreton Bay Pine

] Garden variety..

lOOtoL^O

75—100

100—120

100—125

ARAUCARIA IMBRICATA.

191

Scientific Namb.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Peut.

ARAUCARIA

EXctLSA {Brown)

Dombeya excelsa

(Lambert)
Euiada excelsa (Link)

The Norfolk

Island Pine

Norfolk Island

100—150

glauca
(Hort.)

,, excelsa glauca

(Carriere)

Garden variety...

,, robusta
{Sort.)

...

)) ))

Ei'LEi (Mueller)
,, elegans

{Eort.)

Eutacta Rulei (Carriere)

Rule's Araucaria

New Caledonia

40— 50

Araucaria imbricata. — A tall tree of singular habit and striking
aspect, caused by the formal arrangement of the branches in
regular tiers or whorls, generally of fives, growing horizontally
fi'om its straight upright trunk, and by its rigid, sharp-pointed,
" noli-me-tangere " foliage, uniformly covering the branches and
their ramifications, and even the trunk itself, dm'ing many years
of its growth. Although the direction of the branches is at first
horizontal, the lower ones in time become sub-pendulous or decum-
bent by their own weight ; those forming the uppermost tiers
curve upwards, giving the top of the tree a candelabra-like appearance.
The branchlets are in opposite pairs, distichous, or whorled, like
their primaries. The leaves are ovate-lanceolate, without foot-stalks,
thickened at the base, very stiff, leathery, and sharply pointed, about
an iach long and . half an inch wide at the broadest part, and of
a bright green on both sides. Both pollen and ovule-bearing catkins
are produced at the extremities of the upper branches, the former
soon withering, and falling off after the pollen is shed, the latter
continuing to increase in size until it attains its maturity, which it
docs in the autumn of the second year, so that the branch on
which it is produced has increased in length by two season's
growth when the seed is ripe. The fertile cone is nearly spherical,
from 6 to 8 inches in diameter; it soon falls to pieces after
arriving at maturity ; the scales and seeds coalesce, and form

192

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

wedge-shaped bodies more tlian an incli long, terminated at top
in a curved bract-like appendage.

Habitat. — Chili, on the western slopes of the Andes, from about
latitude 36° S. southwards to about latitude 45° S.

Introduced into England in 1796, by Archibald Menzies, but
first discovered about twenty years previous by an officer of the
Spanish Navy.

Fig. it. — Pollen-bearing catkin of Araucaria imbricata. Natural size.

Tlie preceding description applies to tlie Araucaria as usually seen
in the parks and gardens of Great Britian. In its native forests,
where the trees are frequently much crowded, the lower branches are
cast off" hke those of the Firs and Pines when growing close together,
and merely crowns of foliage are left at tlie tops of the tnuiks, and
these rarely occupying more than the upper third or fourth of their
height. The strangeness of the aspect of these trees is increased by
the large hedgehog-like globular cones placed at the extremities of the
branches. Like the Firs and Pines, their roots sj)read near and at
the surface of the ground, and on the declivities of the mountains,
creep over tlie hare rocks and barren slopes like gigantic serpents.

ARATJCARIA IMBRICATA.

193

Beyond the brief outline sketched above, the limits of the "eo-m-
phical range of Amncarm imhrkata are but iniperfoctly known
Aceordmg to Professor Poeppig, it is foimd in the nokhemniost
portion of Its habitat, only on the liigher slopes of the Andes and
always m proximity to the snow line, forming a belt of forest of' from
1,500 to 2,000 feet of elevation immediately below it. Further south
it descends to a lower elevation, the area over which it is spread
gradually widening tiU it approaches the ocean at its southern limit.

Arauearia imhricata was dis-
covered in 1780, by Don Fran-
cisco Dendariarena, a Spaniard
who was at tliat time officially
employed to ascertain if any
timber suitable for ship-build-
ing was procurable in southern
Chili.* It was also found very
shortly afterwards by Drs. Euiz
and Pavon, two Spanish botanists,
who went out to Peru in 1777,
to investigate the forests of that
country, with the special object
of collecting information respect-
ing the Cinchona or Peruvian
'ly Bark, and who subsequently ex-

tended their explorations further
south. They were accompanied
by a French gentleman, named
Dombey, but he returned to
Europe after a short stay, and
before Euiz and Pavon sailed
for Cliili. It was to him that
Euiz and Pavon sent the first
dried specimens of the Arau-
earia received in Europe, and by him these were submitted to the
eminent botanist Lamark, who named the tree Domheya chilensls,
and thus Dombey's name become associated with the synonymy of
the tree. In 1795, Captain Vancouver reached the coast of Chili,
Avhen Mr. Arcliibald Menzies, who accompanied him in the capacity
of botanist, procured some cones and seeds, and also some young
plants, which he succeeded in bringing home alive. He presented these
to Sir Joseph Banks, who planted one in his own garden, and sen^
the others to the Eoyal Gardens, at Kew. One of the Kew plants
stiU survives, and it is therefore the oldest, although not the largest
Arauearia in Great Britain. For many years the Arauearia continued

* Loudon, Arh. et Fnit., p. 2436.

Fig. Ij — Ovule-beariner catkin of Arauearia
imhricata. Natural size,

194 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERiE.

to be very scarce in England; seed could not be obtained, and the
small quantity that reached this conntry from time to time, failed to
germinate. It was not till 1844 that Mr. William Lobb, while collecting
in South America for our Exeter firm, succeeded in penetrating the
Araucaria forests, and thence brought home the first large supply of
seed received in England, and, from which, very many of the fine
specimens now growing ^n various parts of the country originated.

It is worthy of note that Araucaria imhrlcata is the only Conifer yet
introduced from the southern Hemisphere that has attained a timber-
like size in England.* Its powers of endurance were severely tested in
the memorable winter of 1860-1, when many fine trees were killed,
but the casualties occurred under such a variety of circumstances, that
it is difficult, if not impossible, to deduce any special law affecting
the hardiness of the tree. The following conditions are essential to
securing fine free growing specimens : — The soil must have a thorough
drainage, either natural or artificial, to prevent the stagnation of
water at the roots ; the trees should be planted in fuU exposure to
sun and air, and if in an elevated situation, so much the better, a
free open space being more conducive to their progress and well being,
than a confined and sheltered one. In very dry soils, the Araucaria
lives, but it loses its lower branches at an early age ; the branches
are slender, and frequently become flaccid, and the plant has a thin
starved appearance ; it also loses its lower branches early when in a
confined space, or in contact Avith other trees or shrubs, or when its
roots penetrate into an ungenial sub-soil; it languishes if within the
influence of the smoke of towns; and the foliage takes a yellowish
sickly tint, if the roots enter and remain in stagnant water, or water
logged soil for a lengthened period. On the western slopes of the
Chilian Andes, the native home of the Araucaria, the rainfall is far
more copious than in England, and the trees are also within the
iiifluence of the southern region of prevalent westerly winds blowing
across the Pacific Ocean. Hence it is, that in Great Britain they
thrive best where the rainfall is greatest, and the soil porous enough
. to carry ofi" the water freely.

The aspect of Araucaria imhricata is dark and massive, and large
healthy specimens furnished with tiers of branches from the ground to
the siunmit are even grand and strangely impressive. Whether solitary,
or planted in avenues, it is the most effective of all Conifers for
contrast. The Araucaria Avenue at Bicton, belonging to the Riglit
Hon. Lady Rolle, presents one of the most striking and remarkable
arboricidtural effects that can be seen in this country. Isolated
specimens, imposing as they are, convey but a faint conception of the
magnificent vista produced by a double row of these strangely wonderful

* One or two Dacrydiums, natives of Tasmania and New Zealand, that have attained
some height in particularly favoured spots, can scarcely be called exceptions.

Aravcarla imhrlcata at ])if.i)iii.>n;. ]'iesc-iit lioiglit (1881) Gl ft-ct.
From a photograph taken c.\prcss]y for this work.

THE ARAUCAEIAS. 195

tree?, with their dark plexus of Lranclios and rigid l.ristling foHngo,
extending for a distance of 500 yards in straiglit unbroken lin°es. This
Avenue was planted in 1843-4 under the direction of the late
Mr. James Veitch; it lines a portion of the roadway forming the
eastern approach to the mansion. The trees are fifty in number,
twenty-five on each side, those on the one side standing i)recisely
opposite those on the other, the interval between every two trees
being 63 feet in this direction, and 54 feet in the rows. The lieiLrht
of the trees varies a little, the tallest being (at the present time, 1881)
about 37 feet, and the shortest not less than 30 feet. A few have
cast off their lowest tier of branches, and there are two or three Avhose
trimks are free of branches to nearly one-third of their height; the uni-
formity is thus slightly, but not materially impaired. The circumference
of the trunks at 3 feet from the gi-ound, ranges from 5 to 6 J feet ; the
length of the lower branches of the most spreading tree is 17 feet.

The specific name imhricata, "overlapping like the tiles on a roof,"
refers to the tile-like arrangement of the leaves.

Araucaria Bidwilli. — A tree of rapid groAvth and imposing
ilimensions, often attaining a height of 150 feet, with branches short
in proportion to the height of the trunk. The leaves are in two
nearly horizontal rows, ovate-lanceolate in form, very sharply jiointed,
slightly convex above and concave beneath, leathery in texture, and
deep glossy green in colour. The cones are sub-globose, the longer
diameter being from 10 to 12 inches, and the shorter 9 to 10 inches
they grow points downwards. A. Bidwilli is the Bunya-Bmiya of
eastern Austraha, attaining its finest developement in the district
between the Brisbane and the Burnett rivers. It is named after
Islx. J. T. Bidwill, one of the early botanical explorers of Australia
and Xew Zealand, and for many years a correspondent of the late
Mr. James Yeitch, Sen., of Exeter. There is a magnificent specimen
of A. BidicilU in the Temperate house at Kew.

Araucaria brasiliensis. — A tree from 70 to 100 feet high, with
the lower part of the trunk generally free of branches, and with a
rounded head ; the leaves are oblong lanceolate, much attenuated at
the point, loosely imbricated, and deep green. It forms forests of
considerable extent on the mountains of southern Brazil, between
latitudes 21° and 24° S.

Araucaria Cookii is one of the most remarkable of the tribe.
It attains a height (upwards of 200 feet) greatly disproportionate to
the diameter of the trunk, and "when gi-owing alone it sheds its
lower branches for four-fifths of its height, and then replaces them
by a smaller and more bushy growth, so that the tree at a distance

196 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEEiE.

presents a very columnar appearance."* The young plants have a
formal but pleasing habit, the branches being frondose, and densely
clothed with short awl-shaped imbricated leaves. It is a native of
Kew Caledonia, where it was discovered by Captain Cook in 1774,
after whom it is named, and Avhose companions " thought at first tliat
they beheld a tall colunni of basalt or some other volcanic product
standing aloft in solitary grandeur."

Araucaria Ounninghami,t in its maturity, is a tall tree of 100
feet high and upwards, the trunk being generally divested of branches
to the greater part of its height, and with the foliage clustered at
the extremities of the branches. The leaves on the sterile branches
are needle-like, obscurely four-angled, straight, rigid, and sharply
pointed ; on the fertile branches they are shorter, stouter, and closely
appressed. The young plants cultivated in England have a pyramidal
habit, less formal than the other Araucarias ; the upper branches are
ascending, those below horizontal, . and the foliage bright green. It is
a native of eastern Australia, in the neighbourhood of the coast, from
Moreton Bay northwards, Avhere it covers large tracts of country. It
is one of the most useful timber trees in Queensland.

Araucaria Cunninghami glauca is a beautiful variety of the
preceding, with silvery glaucous foliage. It is a very handsome con-
servatory plant.

Araucaria excelsa is a majestic tree groAving to the height of
150 feet, with a circumference sometimes upwards of 20 feet. Its
trunk rises erect, and is furnished Avith branches from within 10 or
12 feet of the ground. The branches are horizontal, and, owing to
the persistency of the leaves, are always clothed with bright verdant
foliage, but which in old trees has a tendency to become tufted at
the extremities. In jSTorfolk Island, its native home, A. exceha
generally stands singly and is dotted over the land like the specimen
trees in an English park ; it is only on the hills that the^ trees are
congi'egated in clumps. The young plants cultivated in Europe for the
decoration of conservatories are symmetrical trees with frondose, deltoid,
horizontal, or slightly drooping branches densely clothed with bright green
foliage ; the leaves are aAvl-shaped, curved, and sharply pointed. %

* R. ALLay in the Gardeners Chronicle of 1877, p. 88.

t Named after Allan Cunningliani, favoiuably known to Science and to Horticulture by liis
valuable contributions to the Botany of Australia, and by the many fme plants with which he
enriched the conservatories and greenhouses of Great Britain.

X Dr. Lindley {English Cyclop., p. 290) remarks : — "It is a highly important fact that a
plant very nearly the same as Araucaria excelsa certainly once grew in Great Britain.
Remains of it have been found in the Lias of Dorsetshire, and have been figured in the fossil
flora under the name of Araucaria jmmcnva." See also Sir Charles Lyell's ^'Elements of
Geology, p. 407, where the figure of a fossil cone of an Araucaria found at Bruton, iu Somerset-
shire, is given. The cone itself is preserved in the British Museum.

THE ARAtlCAETAS. 197

Araucaria excelsa glauca differs from the species in the
colour of its foliage, wkicli is of a lighter grecu, very glaucous and
distinct.

Araucaria excelsa robusta. — A variety larger in all its parts
than the usual type, and with foliage of a deeper green.

Araucaria Rulei. — A Leautifid and distinct tree 50 feet high
and upwards, with horizontal branches and suhpendulous hranchlets.
The leaves of the adidt tree much resemble and are nearly as large
as those of A. imhricata, but more closely appressed to the branches,
less sharply pointed, and have a prominent dorsal nerve. In its
young state, its habit and appearance is very variable ; the branchlets
are often quite pendulous, and the leaves are either trigonal by the
middle nerve being raised on the upper side, or obsciu'ely four-angled
and compressed like those of A. Cooldi. It is a native of New
Caledonia, and was introduced into Europe by us in 1863.

I^amed in compliment to Mr. John Eule, a horticulturist of South
Australia.

Araucaria Rulei elegans is one of the most distinct of the

numerous varieties of A. Rulei; the whorls of branches are more
approximate, the branchlets more slender, and the leaves smaller than
in the usual forms. It is a handsome and attractive plant for the
conservatory.

Two other species of Araucaria have been described imder the names
of Araucaria Bakmsce and A. Muelleri. They are both natives of
Xew Caledonia, where they are said to be quite rare.

Allied to the Araucarias, although possessing little external resem-
blance to them, is a genus of lofty trees confined to Xew Zealand,
Australia, the Malayan and Fiji islands, Xew Caledonia, and Xew
Hebrides, and generally knoAvn by the name of Dammaea (Rumphius) ;
but ;Mr. Bentham and Sir J. D. Hooker, Gen. Plant., iii., par. 1,
point out that this name, for various reasons, cannot be retained, and
that Salisbury's name, Agathis, should be accepted. There are eight
or ten described species, and probably more that have, up to the
present time, escaped the notice of botanists ; they are distinguished
by their opposite or alternate broad leathery leaves with parallel veins,
dioecious flowers, ovoid or subglobose cones with closely im])ricated
scales, each bearing one seed. The best known is Arjathia amtralis,
the Kauri Pine of Xew Zealand, which forms extensive forests in
the northern island, and is one of the most valuable timber trees
in the colon v.

198 A MANUAL OF THE CONlFERJi.

Tribe II.— TAXODI^. The Deciduous Cypress Group.

The Taxodiag inchide a group of trees presenting much diversity
in then' general aspect^ but agreeing in the following particulars : —

Then' trunks are tall* and erect^ and furnished with branches^
short in proportion to the height of the tree; their habit is
pyramidal or conical during their young state, and till they
attain matuiity, when their lower branches are generally cast off.

Their flowers are monoecious, that is, the pollen bearing and
ovule bearing catkins are produced on the same tree ; the fertile
cones consist of numerous hard ligneous scales spirally arranged
round a common axis, each scale bearing fi'om three to nine
seeds, according to the kind.

The Taxodiie may, therefore, be regarded as occupying in some
measure, an intermediate position between the Abietine^ and Cupres-
sinete, approaching the former in their vegetation, and the latter
in their fructification. Their foliage is of various forms, some of
which are peculiar, and differ not less strikingly, inter se, than fi'om
those of every other family of Coniferous trees. Two of the members
of the group, Taxodium and Glyptostrobus, are deciduous, all the
others are evergreen.

Tlie Tribe includes six or seven genera, none of which consists of
more than two or three species; they are polymorphous, and several
varieties of the species that have been longest under cultivation have
been introduced into gardens. With the exception of Taxodium
distidium, which has an extensive range in the southern portion of
North America, the habitat of all the species is confined to three
separate and remote regions in western North America, eastern Asia,
and Tasmania.f The Sequoias occur in isolated districts in California;

* Athrotaxis is an exception in this respect.

t It was not always so. The fossil remains of a species of Sequoia closely allied to the
Wellingtonia, have been found at Bovey Tracey, in Devonshire, and in the Gault beds of
Folkestone. There is evidence to show that the Taxodia; at one period of the Earth's
History were widely distributed, and formed a far more important element in the vegeta-
tion of the globe than they do at the present day ; and that we may regard those species
still existing only in isolated spots, and which comprise, relatively speaking, individuals
not indefinitely numerous, as surviving remnants of a remote past vegetation that are
gradually passing away to give place to newer forms, but which may be preserved for
any length of time by the hand of Man.

DECIDUOUS CYPRESS TRIBE.

199

Sciadopitys and Cryptomeria in Japan; Glyptostrobus and Cimning-
hamia in Ctina; and Atlirotaxis in Tasmania.*

The economic value of the tribe is restricted to three or four species
that yield excellent timber, but which is only used in the countries
■where these trees are natives. As ornamental trees for the parks,
landscape, and gardens of Great Britain, the group includes some of
the most important members of the Order, that are not only among
the largest, but also among the handsomest of all Coniferse.

All the members of the Tribe cultivated in Great Britain are
enumerated in the following Synoptic Table : —

SciBifTiFio Name.

Synonyms,

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

SCIADOPITYS

Taxxis vcrticillata

The Umbrella

Japan

SOtolOO

verticilIta

(Tliunberg)

Pine

{Sieboldd; Zuccarini)

WELLINGTONIA

Sequoia gigantca

The Mammoth

California

250-325

GIGANTEA

(Torrey)

Tree

(Lindlcy)

,, Wellingtonia
(Lawson's Pinetum
Britannicum)
JVashingtonia

californica
(Wiiislow)
Gigantabies

Wellingtoniana
(Nelson)

SEQUOIA

Taxodium seinpervirens

The Californiau

,,

200-250

SEMPERVIREXS

(Lambert)

PicdAVOod

{Endlicher)

Schuhertia sempervirens
(Spach)
GigantaMcs taxijolia

(Nelson)

„ adpressa

Garden variety...

(Uort.)

,, alba spica

.*• ...

...

>> >»

{Hm-t.)

* Professor Parlatore has also included (Prod, xvi., pars. 2, p. 442) in the Taxodiae, the
"Widdringtonias of South Africa, a genus, including three or four species, one or two of
which are but imperfectly known.

200

A MANUAL OF THE CONIPERiE.

Scientific Namb.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in

Feet.

TAXODIUJI

DISTICHUM

{Richard)

Cuprcssiis disticha

(Linnajiis)
Schichertia disticha

(Mirbel)

Taxodiummacroijhyllum

(Endlicher)

The deciduous

Cypress

South-eastern
States of N.
America

80—120

,, mexicamim
{Carrih'c)

,, mucronatum

(Parlatore)

,, ITontczumcc

(Decaisne)

Tlie Mexican de-
ciduous Cypress

Mexico

120—130

„ iiendiilum
(Loudon)

., disticJmm

iiutcms

(Loudon)

, , microphyllum

(Parlatore)

Ghjptostrohus pcndulus

[Bat. 3Iag., TabMOZ)

The pendulous
deciduous
Cypress

Louisiana ?

30- 40

GLYPTOSTROBUS

HETEROPHYLLUS

(Endlichcr)

Taxodium sinense

(Hort.)
,, hdei-ophyllum
(Brongniart)
, , jaimnicum

(Brongniart)

Chinese Water
Pine

China ^

25- 40

CKYPTOMERIA

ELEGANS

( FeitcJi)

...

Japan

, , nana

( rdlch)

j.vroxicA {Bon)

Cupressus japonica

(Tliunberg)

The Japanese

Cedar

)) ...

8a— 130

„ Lobbi

( Feitch)

,, japonica viridis
(Hort.)

Lobb's

Cryptouieria

,, nana

{Fortu7ie)

...

Japanese garden
variety

1— 2

, , spiralis

{Siehold)

!> J>

CUNNINGHAMIA

SINENSIS

{Brown)

Pinus lanceolaia

(Lambert)
Bclis jacuUfolia,

(Salisbury)

llaxopitys Ounninghami

(Nelson)

China

40— 50

SCIADOPYTIS VERTICILLATA.

201

Scientific Name.

1
Sj'nonyms. Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Foot.

ATHROTAXIS

CUPKESSOiDES

{Don)

LAXIFOLIA

(Hooker)

SELAGIXOIDES

{Don)

Athrotaxis imhrkata

(Maule)
Cunninghamia

cupressoides
(Zuccarini)

Athrotaxis Doniana

(Maule)

CunningTiamia

selaginoides
(Zuccarini^

The Tasmania!!
Cypress

Tas!!!ania

)) •••

30- 40

20- 25
15— 20

Sciadopitys verticillata. — The Umbrella Pine of Japan is a tall
tree of conical liabit^ upwards of 100 feet liigb^ with spreading
branches, which are alternate or sub-verticillate, and having leaves
clustered at the extremities. The foliage, not less than the habit and
general aspect of the tree, forms a distinguishing characteristic in this
remarkable Conifer ; the leaves are in double whorls, of from twenty
to thh-tj in each {see fig. 47), varying in length from 2 to 4 inches,
according to the vigour and age of the plant, spreading, leathery
in texture, double -ribbed, and obtusely pointed; they are at fii'st of
a light fulvous green, but the colour deepens by age, and the
mature leaves are deep glossy green, the furrow on the under
surface being yellowish, and very distinct. The cones are cylindrical
and vary in size from 2 to 4 inches long', and fi'om IJ to 2^
inches in diameter. The scales are large in proportion to the size
of the cone, broadly wedge-shaped, and each bearing from six to
nine seeds; they are arranged round an axis composed of the solid
wood of the tree, at the apex of which there is sometimes developed
a whorl of perfect foliage leaves.

Habitat. — Japan, on Mount Kojasauin, in the Island of Nippon,
Introduced by us in 1S61, through Mr. J. G. Veitch. It was
sent to the late Mr. Standish of Ascot about the same time, by
Mr. Robert Fortune.

The earhest notice of the Sciadopitys is by Thunhcrg in 1784,
who described it as a species of Yew. Its tnic cliaracter was dcttT-
rnined by 3iebold, many years aftenvards, and wlio gave it its scientific

202

A MANUAL or THE CONIPERj;.

name, wliicli is a literal translation of the popular name. It is mucli
cultivated by tlie Japanese, wlio possess several suL-varieties of it.

The first living plant was received in England in 1853. In that
year Mr. Thomas Lobb obtained one from the garden of the Dutch

Governor of Java, which he forwarded to
our Exeter Nursery. The plant arrived in
very feeble health, and all attempts to
restore it proved fruitless. Cones and seeds
were sent home eight years later by Mr.
J. G. Veitch, from which some of the
finest specimens in England Avere raised.
In Sciadopitys we have not only one of
the most distinct Conifers, but also one of
the most remarkable evergreen trees ever
introduced. There is scarcely any depart-
ment of ornamental planting into which it
may not be introduced with excellent effect ;
and whether planted singly as a specimen,
or in combination with other trees and
shrubs for contrast and variety, its sym-
metrical habit and peculiar foliage mark it
out as one of the most characteristic of
decorative subjects. The experience of the
past twenty years has proved its hardiness ;
and although in this country it is growing
luider climatal conditions somewhat different
from those of its native home, and its
growth is rather slow, it makes satisfac-
tory progress when established in good
soils and screened from piercing winds.

Whatever may have been its past history,
and that has yet to be unfolded, its
restricted habitat and comparative paucity
of numbers are significant facts in its
present condition. Found wild only in
Pig. 46.— Cone of Sciadopitys veriiciUata, one locality of a limited extent, and in

with foliage leaves developed at the apex. . . , .

proxmnty to a dense population, m a
country in which the forests are rapidly disappearing, the fate of
the Sciadopitys wiU not remain long in suspense. It will doubtless be
preserved indefinitely by the hand of the horticulturist, on whom alone
the perpetuation of the tree will ultimately depend.

Sciadopitys is derived from (TKule, (TKui^og (skias, skiados), "a parasol,"
and TTirvg (pitys), the Pine tree. The specific name, vertidllata, refers
to the whorled arrangement of the leaves. The popular name, " The
Parasol Pine," is of Japanese origin, and is said to have been given

SCIADOriTYS VEETICILLATA. 203

2 m ai/t^.

Fig. 47.— Foliage of SeiadopUiji verticillata. (1) Diminished; (2) natural bIzo,

204 A SIANUAL OP THE CONIFEEJ:.

Wellingtonia gigantea. — The Mammotli tree of California. A
tree of gigantic proportions, inhabiting in hinited numbers the western
slopes of the Sierra Nevada, where it occurs in isolated patches or
groves. Although the largest .of existing trees/* the WeUingtonia
remained unknown to the civilized world till the spring of 1852, when
it was accidentally discovered by a hunter, in the employ of the Union
Water Company of California, Avhose duty it was to supply the Com-
pany's men with fresh meat.t The spectator, accustomed to the arbo-
rescent vegetation of the temperate regions of the old world, or of
the Eastern States of America, looking upon a full grown tree for the
first time in its native home, beholds it with wonder and astonishment.
Its enormous trunk rises to a height of 300 feet, and even more,
with a cu'cumference near the base of from 45 to 60 feet,X a living
column built by the hand of Nature, working silently through centuries
of time, and dwarfing by its prodigious bulk and altitude, the grandest
pillar ever raised by man. Denuded of branches to as much as one-
third of its height, and frequently more, the remainder of the trunk
to the summit is irregularly and somewhat scantily furnished with
branches that are small in proportion to the gigantic stem from which
they spring, and clothed with foliage on their terminal branchlets only.
Such is the Wellingtonia in its hoary age in its native home ; it is
gigantic, ponderous, and imposing, but it cannot be called beautiful.

Very different is the appearance of the young trees in England, now
seen in almost every park and garden. These have a straight erect
trunk, covered with tough stringy bark, and thickly furnished with
branches, gradually contracting in length from the base upwards, so
that they present a conical outline, so formal and so sharply defined
as to enable them to be readily distinguished from all other trees.
The branches are at first horizontal, but in time curve downwards by
their own weight, the branchlets being clustered at the extremities,
and for the most part ascending, but some are drooping. The leaves
are spirally arranged around the branchlets, generally three completing

* Some of the Eucal37)ti of Australia have attained a greater height than any Welling-
tonia at present standing, but the diameter of their trunks is considerably less. Trunks of
the Adansonia or Baobab of Africa have been found with a gi'eater diameter, but their
height is not proportionate.

t Professor Wliitney, Yoscmite Book.

X Professor Whitney, The Yosemite Book. That is, at about 10 feet from the ground,
above which the trunks taper regularly, but below they are greatly enlarged by projecting
buttresses, so that the circumference at the gi'ound is often upwards of 100 feet.

WELLINQTOXIA GIGANTEA.

205

the cu'cuifc of the stem, and loosely appressed to it in the youn-
plants, but shorter, stouter, and rather closely imbricated in olde'I^
ones; they are subulate or awl-shaped, embracing the stem at the
base, mucronate or pointed, rounded at the back, flat or sli-btly
concave within, glaucous light green when young, deepening in colour
by age. The cones are ovoid, obtuse both at base and apex, from

Fig. 49.— Fertile branchlet of WelUngtonia glffantea, grown at Liiiton Tark. Natural size.

2 to 2} inches long, and about 1^ inch broad in the thickest part,
bearing spreading scales large in proportion to the size of the cone,
and arranged spirally around a thick axis, which is a continuation
of the solid wood of the branch on which it is borne. The number
of seeds on each scale varies from five to nine.

206 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFEE^.

Eabitat. — California, on tlio Sierra Nevada mountains at 5,000 io
7,000 feet elevation.

Introduced by us in 1853, tlirougli our collector, Mr. William Lobb.

Under cultivation the Wellingtonia lias shown a tendency to sport
into varieties, but none of the forms yet obtained present any striking
departure from the usual type. Some of these varieties are dis-
tinguished by Horticulturists by names sufficiently indicative of their
character, as glauca, pendula, xiugmcBa, variegata, &c.

In the "VYellingtoiiia Avenue, at Linton Park, one of the trees
differs in habit and foliage from all the others ; the branchlets are
more elongated, and quite pendulous, and the leaves longer and deeper
in colour. There is also a fine specimen near the great conservatory
at Chatsworth, ■which shows a similar peculiarity.

We subjoin some particulars of special interest connected with
Wellingtonia gigantea.

For some time past it has been a moot question : — Do wo call
it by the right name'? To this inquiry men of science give an
exphcit negative, and assign clear reasons for their answer.*

As the nomenclature of this great and popular tree has therefore
unfortunately become involved in some confusion, we shall endeavour
to state, as briefly as the case admits, how it became so, and we
shall include in tins statement an account of the origin of the names.

Dr. Lindley named and described the tree from Lobb's specimens,
and published his description in the Gardeners^ Clironicle for December
24th, 1853, In the leading article of the same i^aper, after stating
his reason for believing that the new discovery was quite different
from the Redwood, the Sequoia sempervirens of Endlicher, he writes : —
" The most appropriate name for the most gigantic tree that has
been revealed to us by modern discovery, is that of the greatest of
modem heroes. "Wellington stands as high above his contemporaries
as the Californian tree above all the surrounding foresters. Let it
then bear henceforward the name of WcJUngtonia gigantea.''^ f In his
description of the tree, after comparing and noticing the differences
between the cones and seeds of Wellingtonia, Sequoia, and Sciadopitys,
he adds : " AVlien the male flowers shall have been seen, the Welling-

* The name AVellingtouia lias never been generally accepted out of England. From the
very first, the propriety of Dr. Lindley 's appellative was challenged on scientific grounds,
rather assumed than proved, but subsequently strengthened by conclusive evidence. One
of the earliest objectors was M. Decaisne, who gave his reasons at a meeting of the
"Societe Botanique de France," held in June, 1854. He was closely followed by the late
Dr. 'J'orrey, of New York, and Professor Asa Gray, of Cambridge, U.S.A.

t It will be in the remembrance of many that the public funeral of Wellington in St.
Paul's Cathedral had taken place but little more than a year previous.

WELLINQTONIA. GIGANTEA.

20:

Fig. 40.— Male flowers of (1.)
Wellingtonia gigantea, and (2.)
Sequoia seinpervireiis. Natural
EJze,

tonia -will be still fuvtliei" distinguislied by the structure of tlicso parts."
Among the Coiiiferse, difference or identity of structure in the male

flowers of any two or more kinds is important,
and often most important in deciding the
generic difference or affinity of those kinds.
Dr. Lindley never saw the male flowers of
the tree he named; there was no competent
botanist, so far as we are aware, in California
to examine them till several years afterwards,
nor was it until many years after its first
introduction that the oldest plants in Groat
Britain began to produce them. But what
do they show'? Xot the further diflerence
that Dr. Lindley predicted, but an almost
perfect identity of structure Avith those of
Sequoia sempervirens.* To the botanist the
conclusion is inevitable, and hence it is that the generic name Welling-
tonia has lost ground everywhere except in England, and is replaced

by that of the Eedwood,
Sequoia, to which it is
so closely allied, as to
be no other than a
species. Secj^uoia has
priority of designation,
and must be retained ;
it was given by End-
licher, a botanist of ac-
knowledged reputation,
to the Eedwood {Taxo-
dium sempervirens of
Lambert), on the dis-
covery of differences
essentially generic

* As regards size the male
flowers of Welliiigtonia are
rather smaller than those of
the Redwood, but have larger
scales.
, ,„ , „ • The late Mr, A. Murray in

Fig. SO.-Cones of (1.) ivw?i«^/oma </;!^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ Gardeners' Chronicle for

«ero/)ervtren», gathered by Wilham Lobb in Calilornia. JNatural size. ^ writes: "We

know that the cones and seeds (Wellingtonia and Redwood) differ in nothing hut in size a„,l
even in this, the difference is not so great as the specimens of English-grown cones would lead
us to suppose. In California, the cones of the Redwood are otten 2 inehes long. llie
marked distinction between the foliage of the two, is, that the leaves of Wellingtonia aic
imbricated scales, while those of the Sequoia a^edwood) are disticWydi^q-osed^
the Yew. But the Redwood at different ages dispenses with this character, ami has its
foliage exactly the same as the Wellingtonia ; in this respect exhibiting the tendency to
dimorphism, which is common among the Cypresses and Junipers.

208 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

between tliat tree ami the deciduous Cypress (T. disticltunt) of the
Atlantic States, Endliclier selected his name in honour of " Sequoyah.
a Cherokee Indian of mixed blood, better known by his English
name of George Guess, who is supposed to have been born about
1770, and who lived in "Will's Valley, in the extreme north-eastern
corner of Alabama. He became known to the world by his invention
of an alphabet, and a written language for his tribe. This alphabet,
which was constructed with wonderful ingenuity, consisted of eighty-
six characters, each representing a syllable, and it had already come
into use to a considerable extent before the whites had heard any-
thing of it. Driven with the rest of his tribe beyond the Mississippi,
he died in Xew Mexico in 1843. His remarkable alphabet is still
in iise, although destined to pass aAvay Avith his nation, but not into
obHvion, for his name attached to one of the grandest and most
impressive productions of the vegetable kingdom Avill for ever keep
his memory green." *

The habitat of the Wellingtonia, for so it Avill be called in England
for a long time to come, is remarkable. The trees occur in isolated
patches or groves along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada for
about 180 miles parallel with the crest. There are eight of these
gi'oves, all of them included between latitudes 36° and 38" 15' IST.,
or extending but little beyond these parallels. The Calaveras Grove,
where the tree was first discovered, and where "William Lobb obtained
the first supply of cones and seeds brought to England, is the most
northerly ; it is about 200 miles east from San Francisco ; and one
on the south fork of the Tule is the most southerly. The vertical range
is also limited; the trees nowhere descend much below 5,000 feet above
sea level, nor above 7,500 feet ; their highest elevation is towards their
southern limit, and they occur loAver down proceeding northwards.

Not only is the habitat restricted to the narrow limits above
described, but also the Sequoia ("WeUingtonia) exists in " numbers so
limited that the trees of the different groves have been counted,
except near their southern limit, where they form a colossal forest
40 miles long and 3 to 10 broad, whose continuity is broken only
by the deep sheer-waUed canons that intersect the mountains.! A
species limited to individuals holds its existence by a precarious
tenure, and this (the "WeUingtonia) has a foothold only in a few
sheltered spots of a happy mean in temperature and locally favoured
with moisture in summer. Even there, for some reason or other, the
Pines X with which it is associated, tlie Firs,§ and even the Incense
Cedar, |1 possess a great advantage ; and though they strive in vain

* Professor AVhitney, The Yoscmitc Book.

t Sir J. D. Hooker, Address to the Members of the Royal Institution, April, 1878.

X Finus imiderosa and P. Lamhertiana, § Abies grandis and A. concolor.

11 Lihocedrus decurrens.

WELLINGTONIA GIGANTEA. 209

to emulate tlic size, they wlioUy overpower the Sequoias in numhers.
The force of numbers eventually Avins. At least in the connnonly
visited groves, Soquoin (jujantoa is invested in its last stronghold ; it
can neither advance into more exposed positions ahovc, nor fall Lack
into drier and barer ground below, nor hold its own in the long run
where it is, under present conditions ; and a little further drying of
the climate, which must have been much moister than now, would
precipitate its doom. Seedlings of the liig trees occur, not rarely
indeed, but in small proportion to those of the associated trees ; anel
small indeed is the chance tliat any of these will attain to the days
of the years of their fathers."*

Tlic earliest reports of the extraordinary bulk of the " I>ig Trees,"
;dtliough much in excess of the reality, tended greatly to excite public
interest m them, which can scarcely be said to have l)een diminished
by the more accurate information respecting their dimensions subse-
quently received. Actual measurement made by authority of the United
States Government, of the largest "Wellingtonias standing in the groves
of the Sierra Nevada, showed the tallest of them to be 325 feet in
lieight, and 45 feet in circumference at 10 feet from the ground.
There are but three others whose heights exceed 300 feet, the cir-
cumference of one of them, called " The Mother of the Forest," being
as much as Gl feet at 10 feet from the ground, f The heights of
the next six tallest range from 284 to 272 feet, and their circum-
ferences from 49 to 41 feet. These ten trees are all in the Calaveras
Grove, at the northern limit of the tree. No tree yet observed in
any of the other gloves has attained so great a height as these, and
generally speaking, the height appears to diminish in proceeding from
north to south, or inversely, to the elevation at which they are
gTowing. The tallest tree in the Mariposa Grove was found by
measurement to be 272 feet high ; and the heights of the next six
tallest ranged between 271 and 250 feet, Avitli circumferences, at 10
feet from the ground, of from 60 to 40 feet, t The largest known
"Wellingtonia is prostrate ; it is called by the settlers aromid the
Calaveras Grove "The Father of the Forest," and its height, Avhen
standing, could not have been less than 350 feet.

The immense size of the trees naturally led to conjectures as to the
afjns of some of the "full gTOwn giants," but which, in the first
instances, were enonnously in excess of the reality. The earliest

* Professor Asa Gray, Address to the Jmericnn Association for the Advancement of Science,
1872. I'lofcssor Whitney has pointed out another cause which lias liastencd the extinction
of the Wellingtonia in its native home :— " The ravages of the forest fires have been most
destructive ; the light wood is rapidly consumed, although the bark appears to have some power
of resistance.

+ It was the bark of this tree, stripped off to 116 feet of its heiglit, that was brought to
England for exhibition, and set up in the Crystal Palace, at Sydenham, where it remained
till it wa.s totally destroyed by the ifisastrous fire of December 30, 1866.

X Professor Whitney, The Voscmite Book,
P

210 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

approximation to the truth was obtained by Professor "Whitney, the
State Geologist of California, by counting the rings of a felled tree in
the Calaveras Grove. This tree was 24 feet in diameter, exclusive
of the bark, and contained one thousand two hundred and fifty-tive
annual rings at a section of the trunk made 30 feet from tlie base.
" There was a small cavity in the centre of the tree which prevented
an accurate fixing of the age ; , but making due allowance for that,
and for the time it required to grow to the height at which the
count was made, it will be safe to say that this particular tree, which
was prol^ably about as large as any standing in the grove, was, in
round numbers, one thousand three hundred years old." Further
evidence as to the age attained by the AVellingtonias was more recently
supplied to Sir J. D. Hooker, by Mr. Muir, who communicated the
following particulars to the members of the Eoyal Institution in an
adcbess delivered in April, 1878. "A tree felled in 1875 had no
appearance of age ; it Avas G9 feet in girth, inside the bark, and
the number of annual rings, counted by three persons, varied between
two thousand one hundred and twenty-five and two thousand one
himdi-ed and thirty-nine. Another Avas 107 feet in girth, inside the
bark, at 4 feet from the ground ; its wood was very compact, but
shoAved throughout a considerable portion of the trunk, thirty annual
rings to the inch. This, if the rings Avere of imiform diameter, Avould
give the incredible age of six thousand four hundred years ; but as the
interior rings of such trees are much broader than the outer, half that
number to the inch is a more conceivable estimate, Avhich Avould give an
age of three thousand five hundred years." Is^evertheless, it is not too
much to assume that fcAV, if any, of the existing Wellingtonia ante-date
the Christian era, or that, Avith very fcAV exceptions, the oldest of them
reach Avithin five hundred years of that epoch, and Avhose age, therefore,
does not much exceed that of some of the oldest Ycavs in Great Britain.

Very little can be said about the economic value of the Welling-
tonia. " K'o knoAvii timber is so excessively light, soft, and lirittle ;
its bark is tough, spongy, and stringy in texture, and seems to be
largely charged Avith a crimson-coloured matter, exuding and harden-
ing into a substance like gum. It is a form of tannin, and the
Wellingtonia may thus supply a substitute for Oak bark." *

The Wellingtonia has proved quite hardy in England, Ireland, and
the greater part of Scotland. It groAvs in all ordinary soils in Avhich
Avater does not stagnate, but evidently prefers light, rich, and deep
soils, in open airy places, but not exposed to piercing Avinds. In
such situations its groAvth is rapid, and it becomes a handsome sym-
metrical tree in a fcAv years. In heavy soils its groAvth is sloAver,
and its habit in consequence more dense. Under all cu'cumstances the
trunk increases in thickness Avith a rapidity greater in proportion to

* Lawson's Finetuiit, Britannicum, Sequoia IVellingtonia, j)age 13.

"WELLINGTONIA GIGAKTEA. 211

tlie height than that of most otlior large Coniferous trees, the circum-
ference at the base being often as much as one-fifth of the height.
In Ahli'.'< Dowjiasii the circumference of the trunk at the base is
generally not more tliau one-eighth or one-tentli of the height, and
this proportion is not nuich exceeded in other tall Conifers, as Pimts
Laniheriiana, Ahics nohHis, &c.

From the returns published from time to time in the horticultural
press during the past ten years, and supplied by the owners of fine
"NVellingtonias scattered throughout the countrj', or by gardeners imder
whose charge they are, we find that the annual average rate of growth
has ranged from 18 to 33 inches after the first three or four years
from the seed ; the trees which made the most rapid growth being in
the south-west and south of England, while the others were further
north, the diminution in average yearly growth agreeing generally with
diminished amiual average temperature and rainfall. Like all other
Conifers, the 'Wellingtonia will not live under the influence of pmoke,
and it should, therefore, never be planted as a memorial tree in the
immediate vicinity of large toAvns. For whatever purpose it is planted,
a space having a radius of not less than 20 feet should be allowed
for it, and a free circulation of air on all sides should be secured.

Nxunbers of fine specimens in all parts of Groat Britain attest the
complete accUmitisation of the "Wellingtonia. The largest of which
we have any cognisance, is growing at Powderham Castle, near Exeter,
the seat of the Earl of Devon ; this fine tree is noAv over 60 feet
liigh, the girth of its tnink at 3 feet from the ground exceeds
10 feet, and its lower branches cover a space having a radius of
about 16 feet. Other remarkable specimens may be seen at Poltimore
Park, Exeter ; Kenfield Hall, Canterbury ; Redleaf, Penshurst, Kent ;
Singleton, Swansea ; Bicton, Devon ; Highnam Court, Gloucester ;
Arundel Castle, Sussex, &c., &c.

The facility with which the Wellingtonia has ada^jted itself to the
climate of Great Britain, is partly explained by Professor Gray's accciuit
of the climatal conditions under which it has flourished on the slopes
of the Sierra Nevada, and M-hich he describes " as a happy mean in
temperature locally favoured Avith moisture in summer." For centuries
the wonder, and probably the worship of the wihl man wlio roamed
through the silent Califomian forests, its discovery has been its revival;
it has been infused with a new vigour ; it has received, as it were,
a new life in a ncAV home, .vhere its future will be the beautifying
of the lawns and parks formed to minister to the pleasures and
relaxations of busy civilized life ; but where also, removed from the
present by geological ages, its remote progenitors had once reared their
lofty heads in the primeval forests inhabited by the huge mastodon
and elephant, and at a time when the rhinoceros and other uncouth
PachjcCermata wallowed in the swamps and marshes of these islands.

212 A MANUAL or THE CONIFERS.

Sequoia sempervirens. — The Calif ornian Redwood takes the
second place in size among the gigantic Coniferous trees of north-
west America^ attaining a height of nearly 300 feet^* but this is
exceptional; the height of 200 feet with a girth of from 30 to 40
feet at 10 feet from the ground is common. The enormous trunk
is covered with a very thick spongy bark, tinged Avith a reddish
colour, a hue that also pervades the wood, whence the popular
name of the tree. The upper portion only of the trunks of full-
grown trees is furnished with branches, and this but sparingly,
but the younger trees do not exhibit so great a disproportion
between the trunk and the branches.! The foliage is dimorphous j
on young trees the leaves are long, linear, flat, spreading, distichously
disposed like those of the Yew, and almost as deep in colour; in
old trees they are often acicular and closely appressed like those of
the Wellingtonia. The cones are ovoid, from 1 to 2 inches long,
and differ but little, except in size, from those of the Wellingtonia.

Habitat. — CaHfornia, near the Pacific coast, from San Luis Obispo
to the Oregon boundary, a narrow belt extending for about 500
miles.

Introduced by Hartweg in 1846.

Sequoia sempervirens adpressa has its leaves shorter, stouter,
and inclined to the branchlets at a much more acute angle than
in the usual type. The foHage and young growth is glaucescent.

A very distinct variety that originated in the nursery of M. Leroy,
at Angers, in France.

Sequoia sempervirens alba spica is a garden variety, with
more slender branchlets and smaller leaves than those of the species.
The fohage is glaucous, and the tips of many of the branchlets
creamy-white.

In its scientific aspect and associations, the Kedwood is one of the
most interesting of trees, whether we regard it as a singular surviving
representative of the vegetation of a former epoch that has well nigh
disappeared, or look upon it simply in its relationship with existing
Coniferse. In the geological system called the Miocene, Sequoia semper-
virois, or species closely allied to it, were widely distributed over the

* Dr. ISI'ewberry in Facijlc Fuiihvay Report, p. 15.
t Like tlie ■VVellingtonia, the Redwood swells at the base near the ground,

SEQUOIA SEMPERVIRENS. 213

eastern Continent in high latitudes. "As a fossil, their geograpliical
range extends from Greenland, latitude 70" X., to Sinigaglia in Italy,
latitude 44° ^. ; and in an east and west direction from the Hebrides
(Isle of ;Mu11), to the Steppe of the Kirghis,"* and, from recent dis-
coveries, also to Spitzbergen, northern Asia, &c. ; it is remarkable too
that the Miocene fossU plants found in latitude 83° N. during the late
Arctic expedition under Sir G. Nares, includes the Kedwood, or its near
ally, Taxodium distichum. From the time of its greatest developemcnt,
and tlirough the succeeding periods, the Redwood gradually disappeared
from the vast area over which it was spread, till it finally receded to
the strip of territory along the Pacific coast of north-western America ;
it is now confined to a narrow belt that extends, with occasional
interruptions, for about 500 miles. Although in numbers it at present
exceeds its gigantic congener, the "VVellingtonia, by millions ; the extreme
restriction of its habitat cannot fail to be noted as a significant fact
in its present history.

Tlie Eedwood was discovered by Mr. Archibald jVEenzies, in 1795,
from whose specimens Mr. Lambert figured and described it in his
great work, Tlie Genus Pinus, under the name of Taxodium sempervirens,
Kothing more was heard of it tiU David Douglas visited CaUfomia
in 1831, but he, from some cause not now known, failed to
introduce it into England. Dr. Coulter, who travelled in California
in 1836, was the next botanist to make mention of it, but no seeds
were receivixl from liim. Ten years later Hartweg, when collecting
for the Horticidtural Society of London, succeeded in sending to England
the first consignment of cones and seeds to which any authentic date
can be assigned, but Mr. Gordon affirms that it was introduced into
Europe by the Russians in 1843, or three years earlier than the receipt
of Hartweg's consignment, f

The Redwood is the most valuable of all the Califomian timber
trees to the inhabitants on the coast and in the immediate neighbour-
hood of the districts where it abounds, but rather on account of its
cheapness and abundance than from any superior qualities it possesses.
The wood is light, brittle, close in grain, and of a beautiful red
colour, which renders it desirable for indoor carpentry ; it splits with
peculiar facility by means of wedges, so that it can be made into
planks without the use of a saw. On exposure to the weather it
shrinks endwise, but not across the grain. J Giving to the accessibility
of the Redwood forests, due to their proximity to the coast, and to
their being traversed by innumerable streams, the consumption of Red-
wood timber is proceeding at a rate that woidd almost exceed belief,

* Sir C. Lyell, Geology, p. 260.

t Pinctum, p. 380. Carri^re says it was introduced in 1840, but gives no particulars.
TraiU G6n6ral des Coni/ires, p. 211.

J Mr. C. Nordhoff in Harper's Magazine, from The Garden, vol. v., p. 83.

214 . A MANUAL OP TitE CONiPERJ:.

were it not attested by reliable statistical facts. Saw mills and logging
camps are established along the coast, where tlie immense trunks are
reduced to useful timber with a prodigious waste of wood. More
destructive still are the operations of the sheep farmer, who fires the
herbage to improve the grazing, and whose flocks of tens of thousands
of sheep devour every green thing, and more effectually than the
locust."

During the last quarter of a century the Anglo Saxon has been
rutlolessly carrying fire and the saw into the forests of California,
destroying what he coidd not iise, and sparing neither yoimg nor old,
and before a century is out, the two Seqnoias may lie knoAvn only as
herbarium specimens and garden ornaments ; indeed, with regard
to the " Big Trees," the noblest of the noble Coniferous trees,
the present generation, which has actually witnessed its discovery, may
live to say of it, that " The place that knew it shall know it no
more." * The Eedwood is, however, remarkable for its tenacity of
life, the stumps and roots of the felled trees throwing up for a long
time great numbers of vigorous suckers.

The SeqiLoia sempervirens in England, notwithstanding that it
flourishes in a warmer climate in California than its gigantic congener,
is a fast-growing pyramidal or conical tree of dark aspect. It has
a tendency to commence its growth very early in spring, and to
continue growing till late in the autumn, which renders it extremely
liable to injury by winter and spring frosts, so that the leader and
terminal shoots of the branches are sometimes destroyed ; the trimk
thence becomes forked, and the outline of the tree irregular ; the
foliage is frequently discoloured or " bro"\vned " from the same cause.
For these reasons the KedAvood has not been regarded with so much
favour as might have been expected from so remarkable a tree. It
is, however, a fine tree, which should be included in every collection
of ornamental Conifers, and planted in every park where it can be
sheltered from cold piercing wmds, and where a space with a minimum
radius of 25 to 30 feet can be aUoAved for it to develope its fine
proportions. A moist but Avell drained soil is the best for it, and,
as might be expected, it thrives well in the neighbourhood of the
coast, in the south and south-west of England, and in the south and
west of Ireland.

The specific name, sempervirens, " evergreen," refers to the persistent
foliage.

Taxodium distichum. — A large tree with an erect trunk, fi'om
80 to 120 feet hig-h^ and from 25 to 40 feet in circumference. When
young it presents a pyramidal outline with slender spreading

* Sir J. D, Hooker, Address to ike Memhcrs of the Royal Institution, April, 1878.

TAXODIUM DISTICIIU3I. 215

branches^ but after arriving at maturity, the upper branches fre-
quently lengthen, and the tree then assumes a broad Cedar-like
aspect. The foliage, which is deciduous, is light and open, bright,
but soft and pleasing green, which changes to dull red before it
falls in autumn. The leaves are pinnate, the leaflets being arranged
in two horizontal rows, like the teeth of a comb, on opposite
sides of the midrib ; they are from a quarter to half an inch in
length, narrowing a little at the apex, and slightly curved. Tlie
cones are about the size of a small walnut, very uneven owing
to the projection of the thick scales, which are striated or marked
with a series of longitudinal lines.

Habitat. — The south-eastern States of North America, fi-om Dela-
ware, in latitude 38^51' N., southwards to Florida; thence westwards
through Louisiana and Texas into the Mexican Territory, its
southern limit being Oaxaca, in latitude 17° N. Also on the
west side of the JMississippi from Missouri to eastern Texas.

Introduced into England by Tradescant about 1640.

Taxodium distichum pendulum is a slender tree, from 25 to
40 feet high, with horizontal branches and short branchlets, which
are at first nearly erect, but become pendulous and deciduous in
autumn. The leaves on the young shoots are twisted and appressed
to the stem, but become more expanded and spread out like
those of the common form as the season advances.

This is a very beautiful variety, deserving of greater attention than
it has hitherto received at the hands of horticulturists. A moist
retentive soil, and a somewhat sheltered situation arc necessary conditions
for its well being. Xeglect of these has led to frequent failures, and
doubtless the disfavour into which this form of the deciduous Cypress
has fallen. There are some fine specimens in the groimds of Robert
Barclay, Esq., at Bury Hill, Dorking.

Under cxdtivation Taxodium distichum has a tendency to sport in
the seed beds, and numerous varieties have thence at different times
been selected and named by horticiJturists.* But it is now well-known
that although the deciduous Cypress in its maturity presents consider-
able diversity as regards habit, the striking differences observed in
young plants gradually diminish by age, and that the trees, as they

* London {Arb. ct Frut., p. 2481) gives the names and descriptions of several of these
forms. Carri^^e (TraiU General dcs Coniferca, p. 181), describes lifteen varieties, and
Henkel and Hochstetter {NadclMlzer, p. 260) select five.

216 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER-E.

grow older, approach more and more nearly to a general type, in
"which individual differences are too insignificant to call for a separate
designation. By far the most distinct of the varieties is the one above
described, of the origin of Avhich nothing certain is known.

TaxocUimi distichum is a senii-aqnatic tree, attaining its finest develope-
ment on the banks of rivers and amidst marshes and swamps, and is
nowhere met with at any distance from them. In those situations
the trunks attain an enormous diameter in comparison with the height;
the tallest known tree scarcely exceeds 120 feet in height, but many
have been met with Avhose circumferences have been found by measure-
ment to be 40 and 45 feet, or as much as one-third of the height ;
the circumferences of the largest Wellingtonias are not greater than
one-fifth or one-sixth of their heights. Like the Sequoias, the trunks
of the deciduous Cypress sweU out into large buttresses at the base,
but to such an excessive extent, that in order to fell the trees Avith
the smallest expenditure of labour, it is necessary to erect a stage at
from 5 to 6 feet from the ground.

" The roots of large trees, particularly in situations subject to inun-
dations, become covered with conical protuberances, commonly from
18 inches to 2 feet high, and sometimes from 4 to 5 feet in thick-
ness ; they are always holloAv, smooth on the surface, and covered
with a reddish bark like the roots, which they resemble, also in the
softness of their wood. Xo cause has been assigned for their existence,
they are peculiar to the deciduous Cypress, and begin to appear when
it is from 20 to 25 feet high. They are made use of by the negroes
of the Southern States for bee-hives."* In England these protu-
berances or " knees " are rare ; at Syon House, the seat of the Duke
of Northumberland, where are some of the finest deciduous Cypresses
in Britain, "knees" have been produced, as is shown in the accom-
panying woodcut.

The economic value of Taxodimn dldkhum is very great throughout
the region in -\\diich it is abundant. This tree is to the inhabitants
of the Southern States what the Kedwood is to those on the Pacific
coast of California, and it is used for much the same purposes. The
wood is light but strong, fine in grain, and splits easily into shingle
■without the aid of a saw ; it is of a reddish colour, of deeper hue
than the Virginian Red Cedar, very durable, and almost imperishable
in Avater ; it is much used for posts, fencing, raihvay sleepers, &c.

The deciduous Cypress is quite hardy, and its great importance as
an ornamental tree in Great Britain is mainly due to two circum-
stances, the peculiarly pleasing soft colour of its light feathery foliage,
combined with its graceful habit, and its adaptability for planting in
close proximity to Avater, and in damp places Avhere fcAV other Conifers
Avill live. It is, comparatively speaking, of rather sloAV growth, but

* Loiulou, Arh. d FruL, p. 2483.

GLYFrOSTEOBUS HETEKOrHYtiLUS. 2l7

in rich moist soil it makes from 5 to 6 feet in six or ci^lit years
from seed, and aloout 15 feet in from twelve to fifteen years * its
average yearly growth not often exceeding 12 inches. The deciduous
Cypress should never be planted in dry elevated situations.

Taxodium from ra^oc (taxos) the Ycav, and eihg (eidos) " external
appearance," from the resemblance of the foliage to that of the Yew;t
and dixmxog (distichos) " arranged in double rows."

Taxodium Mexicanum, or T. Montezmicc, is the Mexican repre-
sentative of the deciduous Cypress, from which it is distinguished " by
the less size, fresher green, and more slender and tapermg character
of its twigs and leaves." J It is too tender for the climate of Great
Britain ; in its native country it attains a greater size than the
common form in the United States. There is a gigantic specimen at
Santa ]\raria del Tule, in Oaxaca, which has a circumference of 124
Spanish feet, or about 115 feet English. Another tree of historic
interest stands in the Garden of Chapultepec, near Mexico ; it is
called " the Cypress of Montezumae " by Humboldt, and it is the tree
under wliich Cortes, the Spanish Conqueror of Mexico, passed the
night § after the defeat and expulsion of the Spaniards from the city.

Gljrptostrobus heterophyllus.— A shrub or low tree from 8 to
10 feet high^ with an erect stem. The branches are scattered or
alternate, the lower ones spreading or slightly decumbent, those
above partially erect and spreading. The leaves are of various
forms; in the primary branches they are scale-like, on the secondary
ones linear-subulate, obscurely three-angled, spreading, and of a dull
green colour. The cones are small elongated ovoid bodies, less
than an inch long, composed of closely imbricated scales, the
fertile ones bearing two winged seeds.

Habitat. — China, in the neighbourhood of Canton, and along the
banks of the river Whampoa. The limits of its distribution have
not yet been ascertained.

Introduced into Europe early in the present century.

Tlie special interest attached to Glyptostvohua JieteropJiyllm is purely
scientific. It is the only representative of the genus at present known,

* Loudon, Arb. ct Frut., p. 2484.

t The resemblance is much greater in the Califomian Redwood, formerly called Tcucodium
sempervirens.

X Lawson, Piiietum Britannicwm, part 36.

§ La noche triste. "La battalia noctuma en la calzada fue la mas liorrorosa y funesta
para los espanoles, e hizo en cUos impresion tan dolorosa, que desde entonces le dieron el
eobrenombre de noche tnaiG "—Bolis Conquista de Mejico, Lib. iv., cap. 19.

218

A MANUAL OF THE CONIPEE^.

and like its nearest allies, the Taxodium and the Sequoias of North
America, it may be regarded as a relic of a former vegetation, among
which its progenitors were once widely distributed.

The Glyptostrobus possesses no attraction for the horticulturist. Less
hardy than the deciduous Cypress, and far less handsome, it not only
requires a moist situation but also a sheltered one, and although
introduced to European gardens many years ago it has never been
extensively propagated. The few specimens still living in this part of
the world are those that received an asylum in collections of rare and
curious plants.

Glyptostrobus, from yXvTrrbg (gluptos), " sculptured," in reference to
the markings on the outer face of the scales of the cone, and orpdSoc
(strobos), " a whirl, or whirling motion ; " or perhaps the tree " Strobus "
mentioned by Pliny is meant. (See page 184.)

The specific name, heterophyllus, refers to the various forms of the
leaves. By Bentham and Hooker {Gen. Plant., vol. iii., p. •429) the
Gly^Dtostrobus is referred to Taxodium.

Cryptomeria elegans. — A beautiful tree \nt\\ a robust upright
trunk, furnished wath short horizontal branches, and branchlets

pendulous at their extremities. The
foliage and young growth during
the growing season is bright green,
but towards the end of autumn the
colour changes to a bronzy-crimson,
by which the plant is rendered a
most striking and attractive object
during the winter months. The
leaves are linear, flattened, soft in
texture, decurrent at the base,
sharply pointed, spreading, more or
less falcate, marked both above and
beneath by a shallow groove, and
less crowded than in C. japonica.
The cones are not distinguishable
from those of C. japonica.
Introduced from Japan in 1861, by Mr. J. G. Veitch, who met
vnth it only in cultivation in the neighbourhood of Yokohama.

Cryptomeria elegans nana. — A low, dense, bushy shrub, with
leaves more crowded and more slender than the preceding^ It

Fig. 51. — Fertile branchlet of Cryptomeria
elegans. Grown at Linton Park.

Cryptomr.r!n .J,yan. at Uni.n Park, n.ar Mai.lstone.
Present Jieiylit (1881) 20 frr-t.

Cryptomeria Lohbi at Uropinore. Present lieiylit (1881) 46 feet.

CRYPTOMEEIA JArONlCA. 219

retains iu all its intensity tlie glowing crimson line of 0. elcgans
during tlie winter montlis^ with tlie exception of tlie pendulous
tips of tlie branclilets, wliicli continue green.

Cnjptomerki elegans is so distinct from C. Japonica that avc liavo
preferred describing it as specifically diflfereut, although it has, we
believe, never been met with in a wild state. It is quite hardy,
and is comparatively free from the drawbacks that have proved so
disappointmg in C. japonica, especially durmg the Avhater months. On
account of the peculiar and remarkable change in colour which the
foliage undergoes at the end of autunui, together witli its pleasing
habit, a first rank among out-of-door winter decorative plants is justly
assigned to it. The resemblance of G. elcgans during tlio growing
season to Araucaria Cunninghami is very apparent, and it thus, in a
great measure, supplies in the open ground the place of that beautiful
but tender tree.

Oryptomeria japonica. — A large tree of elongated spiry outline,
with an erect tapering trunk, attaining a height of from 120 to
150 feet, and even more. The branches are numerous, produced
at irregular intervals around the trunk, fi'ondose and spreading, the
lower ones deflexed with the extremities ascending; the branchlets
are very numerous, generally alternate, and vnth their foliage
bright fulvous green during the growing season, which changes to
a deeper and duller colour in winter. The leaves are close-set,
appressed to the stem, obscurely four-angled, thick and decurrent
at the base, falcate, pointed, and faintly mai-ked with two glaucous
lines beneath. The cones are globular, about half an inch in
diameter, and composed of numerous scales bearing from three to
five seeds each.

Hahitat. — Japan, abundant on some of the mountain slopes, where
it constitutes the chief part of the forests, from their base to
1,500 feet of elevation; also frequent in China under cultivation.

Introduced into England in 1844 by the Horticultural Society of
London, through their collector, Mr. Eobert Fortune, who sent
seeds from Shanghai.*

Oryptomeria japonica Lobbi is more compact in habit than
the tree above described; the branchlets are less pendulous, the
foliage is of a brighter and deeper green, the leaves shorter, more
* Gardeners' Chronicle, 1845, p. 344,

220 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

pointed, and more closely appressed to tlie branclilets. It was
sent to us from tlie Botanic Garden at Buitenzorg, in Java, by
Mr. Thomas Lobb in 1853.

Crypt omeria japonica nana. — A small procumbent busliy shimb,
rarely exceeding 2 feet in beiglit. It is useful for tlie rock garden,
and for adding variety to a collection of small Coniferous plants.

Cryptomeria japonica spiralis. — A very curious and interesting
variety, of slender habit. The falcate leaves are so closely appressed
as to give them the appearance of a spiral thread wound round the
branchlets.

Other varieties have been called respectively araucarioides, clacry-
dioides, monstrosa, &c., all of which have been introduced from
Japanese gardens.

The Cryptomeria is one of the finest trees in Japan. It has
received assiduous attention from Japanese horticulturists for centuries
past, who possess many useful and interesting varieties of it, including
those above described. It is not only common in gardens throughout
the country, but it is also planted to form avenues along the pubhc
roads, especially along the approaches to spots associated with important
liistoric personages or events. One of the finest of these avenues,
and probably one of the most remarkable of its kmd in the world,
is tliat leading from the town of Namada tlnough Outsonomeya
to Nikko, celebrated as the burial place of one of the greatest of
Japanese riders in former times. This avenue extends for a distance
of 50 miles, and consists chiefly of Cryptomeria japonica, the trunk
of every tree being as straight as an arrow, and a^^eraging from 130 to
150 feet in height, by 12 to 15 feet in circumference at the base.
The avenue is not straight the whole distance, but has many windings,
which enhances its effect. It was planted by one of the old feudal
lords about three hundred years ago, and was presented by him to the
then Shogum or Military Ruler of the country. There is another fine
avenue of Cryptomerias on the Hakoni road to Fusi-Yania, extending
for several miles. '

Dr. Siebold has pointed out * that the Cryptomeria introduced
by Mr. Fortime, from China, is not the true Sungi, or Cryptomeria
of Japan, but a variety of it, differing from the Japanese species
ill having its branchlets pendidous, and the ultimate branchlets
longer ; the leaves are also much longer, more slender, and more
bent. The true Sungi is distinguished by its more spreaduig and stiffer

* Fl Jcqh, II,, p. 48, 1870.

CUNNINGHAMIA SINENSIS. 221

branchlets, more pyraiiiiJal habit, shorter leaves, and deeper green colour.
Seeds of the Japanese Crj^ptonieria were sent by Dr. Siebold to the
Dutch Botanic Garden at Buitenzorg, in Java, so long ago as 1825,
and one of the trees raised from tliis seed was the parent plant of
those brought to us from the same garden in 1853, by Mr. Thomas
Lobb, from which originated all those now cultivated under the name
of Cnjptomeria japonica Lohhl. It is, therefore, evident that the latter
is the true C. japonica, although Siebold affirms that it differs from
the Japanese type in its lighter green foliage, but this difference is too
trifling to aftect the main fact. It would be a more correct nomen-
clature for the tree at present known in British gardens as C. jrqjonica,
to be called G. japonica Fortune!, and that kno^vn as C. jcqjonica
Lohhi, to be called C. japonica.

The economic value of the Crj-ptomeria in its native country is
very great ; it grows in all situations and soils, in deep wet valleys
and high up mountain sides ; it is, thence, one of the commonest, as it
is also one of the most useful, of Japanese timber trees. The wood
is of a reddish colour, light, soft, fine in gram, and easily worked ; it
is used for all kinds of carpentry and joinery. Owing to the frequent
occurrence of earthquakes in Japan, which necessitates the buileling of
houses entirely of wood, and, on the other hand, the destructive fires
which sometimes lay waste a whole to^vn in a few hours, the con-
sumption of Cryptomeria timber proceeds at a rapid pace.

In England the Cryptomeria has proved to be hardy, but good
specimens are comparatively rare in this country, owing, probably, to
climatal causes, the most potent being a less annual rainfall, and a
lower average summer temperature than in Japan. It is only in deep
rich soils, with abundance of moisture, and protected from piercing
winds, that the Cryjitomeria develops the fine ornamental qualities it
is seen to possess in its native coimtry, and when planted in such
spots, a clear space having a radius of not less than 15 feet should
be allowed for it.

Cryptomeria is formed from K-pv7rro<T (kruptos), "hidden," and ^tpo?
(meros), " a share or part." The name was given by Professor Don, on
account of its obscure relationsliip to the Cedar. The popular name
in Japan is Sungi, or the evergreen Fir ; it is not unfrequently called
the Japanese Cedar in England.

Cunninghamia sinensis. — A medium-sized tree of Araucaria-like
aspect, from 40 to 50 feet high in its native country, but much
less under cultivation in Europe. Its trunk is straight and cylin-
drical, the branches short, spreading horizontally, at first regularly
verticillate, subsequently in the older trees becoming very irregular.
The leaves are from 1 to 2 inches long, without foot-stalks, lanceo-

222 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERiE.

late, sliarply pointed, I'igid, coriaceous in texture, tlie margins
roughened by slight serratures, yellowish-green above, two broad
glaucescent bands beneath, and with a mid-rib running up the
centre ; they are two-rowed in direction (sub-distichous) owing to
a slightly oblique twist at the base. Tlie cones are of ovate form,
erect, from 1 to 1^ inch in length, and composed of numerous
imbricated coriaceous persistent scales, each bearing three seeds.

Habitat. — Southern China.

Introduced into England in 1804, by Mr. William Kerr, under
instructions from the Directors of the East India Company. *

The Cunningliaiuia cannot be said to have adapted itself to the
climate of England. Altliough there are specimens of considerable size
scattered over the country, wliich have withstood the severest winters
known, the tree cannot be considered very hardy. The foliage is
discoloured by the frost of an ordinary whiter, and it has accordingly
an miliealthy appearance, which, with its somewhat scantily furnished
trunk and branches, deprives it of tlie ornamental qualities it undoubtedly
possesses ui its native country. "Witli so many disadvantages, the
Cumiinghamia can only be regarded as an interesting curiosity worthy
of preservation, as an illustration of the vegetation of a period separated
from the present by geological ages.

It was named in compliment to Mr. James Cuiiningliam, who
discovered • it in the neigbbourhood of Canton, in 1702.

Athrotaxis.t — A genus of evergreen trees or shrubs, with
numerous jointed branches, clothed with coriaceous imbricated
foliage, and bearing small ovate cones about the size of a hazel
nut, composed of many scales, having from three to six seeds in each.
The species are all natives of Tasmania, where they are restricted
to a few localities, and occur in limited numbers. They were
introduced to British gardens between the years 1847 and 1850,
and have proved comparatively hardy. Their Lycopod or Selaginella-
like aspect renders them very distinct, and when planted in good
soil in sheltered situations they are very ornamental, and useful
for contrast.

Athrotaxis from udpooc (athroos^, '^ crowded together," and rd^ig
(taxis), "arrangement," in reference to the crowded arrangement
of the scales of the cones.

* Loudon, Arb. ct Frut., p. 2446.

t " Errore Arthroiaxis auctoruru fere omnium." Bentliam and Hooker Gen. Plant, vol.
iii., p. 430.

THE CYPRESS TRIBE. 223

Athrotaxis cupressoides.— A medium-sizod tree, from 30 to
40 feet liigli, with luimerouis brandies; the branchlets arc covered
with small thick coriaceous leaves_, spirally arranged, closely im-
bricated, and glossy deep green in colour. It occurs in damp
situations, in the neighbourhood of Lake St. Clair and of the
Pine Eivor, near Marlborouo-h.

Athrotaxis laxifolia.— A low tree, from 20 to 25 feet high,
much resembling A. cupressoictes, with the leaves longer, more
pointed, and instead of being closely appressed to the branches,
are open and spreading. It is found on the banks of a small
stream called the Meander, also on the Western Hills, at an
elevation of 4,000 feet.

Athrotaxis selaginoid.es. — A low tree or shrub, of variable
height, quite distinct from either of the preceding. The branches
and their ramifications are veiy numerous ; the leaves scale-like,
spirally arranged, closely appressed to the branchlets, and deep
fulvous green. It is perhaps the hardiest of the Athrotaxes. It
occurs at the cataracts of the Meander, at an elevation of about
4,000 feet.

Tribe III.— CUPRESSINEiE. The Cypress Tribe.

The Cypress Tribe consists of trees and shrubs of dense growth,
the former being generally of fastigiate or columnar habit, but
there are some that have sj^reading branches, and attain the
dimensions of timber trees ; the latter are either erect, spreading,
procumbent, or prostrate, frequently diminutive in size, and formal
in outline. Amidst this great diversity in habit, there is, how-
ever, throughout the Cypress Tribe a much nearer approach to
uniformity in the aspect of the trees and shrubs included in it,
than is seen in either of the two tribes already described, owing
chiefly to their compact growth ancl the simple form and structure
of their evergreen foliage.

The general characters which distinguish the tribe are —

The branches and branchlets are very numerous, crowded,
and much ramified, the ramification being produced laterally

224

A MAJJUAL OP THE CONIFERiE.

only ill most of the kinds, giving* the branch a flat or Fern-
like form ; in a few others they are produced on all sides of
the primary.

The foliage is dimorphous ; the leaves of the young seedlings
and of the sterile branches are linear, or needle-shaped; on
fertile branches they are imbricated scale-like, closely aj)pressed
to the stem, and arranged in opposite pairs.

The flowers are monoecious in most of the species ; the
cones are small spherical bodies, rarely exceeding an inch in
diameter, but frequently much less, and consist of hard, lig-
neous, peltate scales, occasionally with angular or spiuy pro-
jections, arranged in opposite pairs (decussate), each scale
bearing numerous seeds.

A deviation from some

of these general characters

is seen in tlie cones of

Tluiia and Libocedriis,

Avhich are ovate-oblong,

Avitli the scales not peltate ;

and in the Junipers, in

Avhicli the acicular leaves

are arranged in threes, and

in many species of which

the leaves never or only

iiartially assmne tlie scale-
Fig. 53.— strobile, or cone, j "^ .

of Lihocedrus decurrens. Na- like lomi. In tllC JuiU-
tural Bizo. , . 1 „

pcrs, also, tne nowers are
generally dioecious, and the scales of the fruit fleshy, and of a deep
purple colour, giving it a ];)erry or drupe-like form.

With the exception of the Junipers, which are spread over the
eastern and western Continents from the Tropic of Cancer to the
Arctic Circle, the geographical distribution of the Cupressineae
may be stated roughly as being confined to two comparatively
narrow zones, nearly equi-distant from the equator. In the eastern
Continent the northern zone lies between the 30th and 45th
parallels; in America between the 25th and 50th. The southern
zone includes portions of South America, Africa, and Australia,
also the islands of Tasmania and New Zealand, all lying between
the 30th and 45th parallels. The trees belonging to the Cypress

Fig. 52. — Strobile, or cone,
of Cnpressiia macrocarpa.
Natural size.

tHE CYPRESS. 225

tribe rarely form forests like those of tlie Fir and Pine tribe, but
are found intermixed with the trees and shrubs of other Orders,
not always sparingly, but often in groups of considerable extent.
On the mountain sides, they occur at a lower elevation than the
Pines and Firs.

The economic value of the tribe, as regards the application of its
timber to constructive purposes, is insignificant compared Avith that of
tlie Firs and Pines. Tliere are not many of the species that attain
duiiensions large enough to supply planks in sufficient quantity or of
sufficient size to be serviceable beyond the localities in which the
trees are gi'owing, and consequently timber produced by trees belonging
to the tribe, with two or three exceptions,* rarely forms an article of
commerce. The special properties of the wood of the most important
species will be noticed in their respective descriptions.

In Great Britain the value of the tribe consists almost exclusively
in the ornamental qualities possessed by tlie species and varieties
included in it, that are sufficiently hardy fur our climate. As
decorative garden plants, their importance can scarcely be overrated ;
their formal and compact growth, the limited space they require, the
variety they afford in the colour of their foliage, which is often
variegated with the richest yellow, and sometimes Aviih wliit(\ and
the strong contrast they make to the trees and shrubs uf other
Orders, render them among the most attractive as well as the most
popular of garden plants.

I.— CUPRESSUS (Tourncfurl). The Cypkess.

The Cypresses are tall or medium-sized evergreen trees, natives
of the warmer parts of the north temperate zone, chiefly in the
south of Europe, the Levant, China, California, and Mexico. There
is much diversity in habit among the different species, the branches
of some being erect, of others spreading, and in one of the
Chinese species, when the tree has arrived at maturity, they are
pendulous, like those of a Weeping Willow. The branchlets of
some kinds are rigid and ascending, or spreading, and of others,
feathery or drooping, and the foliage of nearly all the species is
remarkable for richness and depth of colouring, to which a silvery
glaucous hue is frequently superadded.

• The wood of the Bermuda and Virginian Junipers is much used in the manufacture
of pencils and penholders. The timber of the Iieti7iosj)oi-as is a considerable item in Japanese
commerce, and that of Liboccdriis ictrayona is shipped from southern Chili to many of the
ports of South America on the Pacific coast.

Q

226 A MANUAL OF THK CONIFERS,

Being natives of a warmer cliuiatc tlian tliat of Great Britain,
the Cypresses, with the exception of tliree or four of the North
American species, are much liable to injury, and are not unfrequently
killed by severe frosts ; but in the south and west of England
and Ireland they grow freely, and form handsome specimens in a
short time. Citpresms Lawsoniana and C. nutkaensis coming from
a higher latitude than the other species, are found to withstand
our severest winters without injury, and they are consequently
among the most useful, as they are among the most beautiful of
ornamental Conifers. All the Cypresses under cultivation are found
to sport more or less into varieties, some of which are very distinct
from the usual type, especially in the case of the hardier species just
named, a circumstance which greatly enhances their value as decorative
plants.

In the south of Europe and China the Cypress has been associated
with sepulchral monuments from remote antiquity. The Greeks and
Romans regarded its evergreen character as an emblem of immortality,
and in China the Aveeping habit of the Funereal Cypress has always
been looked upon as the symbol of grief, and for that reason it is
planted over the graves of departed friends.

Cupressus^ which is the Latin form of KVTrapKrcrog (kuparissos), is
the ancient name of Oupressus semjpervirens, the Cypress of Scripture,
Mythology, and the Classical Poets.

The modern dismembennent of the genus Cupressus, by which three
of the species, together with Retinosporas, are brought imder Chamsecy-
paris,* does not find favour among British Horticulturists. The sole
character on which the so-called genus Chamsecyparis is founded, consists
in the scales of the fertile catkins having but two ovules instead of
several, as in most Cypresses. Sir J. D. Hooker has shown conclusively
that in Cu])ressus Laiosoniana this distinction has completely broken
doAvn, and that the reference of this species and C. mdkaensis to
Chamaecyparis is "iitterly futile."! As Siebold's Retinospora rests
on no better foundation, consistency would require that we should
refer the species of Retinospora to Cupressus ; but the generic name
under Avhich they were introduced has become so firmly established in
garden nomenclature, that a change of name in these popular Conifers
would at present meet with but little, if any, acceptance. By
Mr. Bentham and Sir J. D. Hooker in their recently published
Genera Flantanim (Pars, i., vol. iii.), Chanuecyparis is made a Section
of Thuia (Thuya).

* ChamfEcyparis from X"/^"' (chamai), "on the ground," and KvivapiaffOQ (kuparissos),
the Cypress— one of Spach's numerous creations,

t Botanical Magazine, 1866, Tab. 6587,

THE CYPEESS.

227

SOIBITTIFIC NaMB.

Synonyms.

CUPRESSUS FUNb
BBis {Eiidlicher)

GOVENIAXA

{Gordon)

Knightiaxa

{Gordon)

Cupressus pendula

(Staunton

Cupressus californica

(Carriere)
,, Hartwegii

(Carriere

Popular Name.

The Funereal

Cypress

Gowen's Cypress

Habitat.

,, dcgam {Rori.) Knight's Cypress
,, Lindleyana

(Klotsch)l

Lamsoniana Chamcccyparis Boursieri

(Mwray)

„ alba spica
{Hort.)

,, albo-

variegata
{Hort. Vcitch)

„ argentea
{Rort. TFatercr)

,, argenteo-

variegata

{Sort, Lawson)

,, aureo-

variegata

{Hort. Waterer)

„ erecta

viridis
{ITort. Waterer)

, , filiformis
{JTort.)

i, gr^ilis

pendula
{Hort, Barron)

,, intertexta

{Hort.)

(Carriere)

,, Laiosoiiinna

(Parlatore)

Cupressus attenuata

(Gordon)

Lawson 's Cypress

North-east

China

South California

Mexico..,

North California

Height
in

Feet.

Cupressus Lawsoniana
glauca (Hort.

The white
speckled Law
son's Cjrj)ress

The white varie

gated Lawson's

Cypress

The silvery
Lawson's Cypress

The golden varie-

Garden variety

Chamcecyimris Boursieri
aurca (Caniere) gated Lawson's

Cypress

The erect Law-
sou's CjTiress

)> )>

)> i>

>» >>

40 to 50

15— 20

45— 60

75-100

228

A MANUAL OF THE CONIPEEJi.

SciENnFic Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

CUPRESSUS
Lawsokiana
lutea {Hort.
Rollisson]

'

The yellow Law-
son's Cypress

Garden variety

„ nana

iEort.)

Chammcyparis Bourskn
nana (Carriere]

The dwarf Law-
son's Cypress

>> )>

„ „ alba
{Rort.)

...

>) ))

„ „ glauca
{ffort.)

Cupressus Lawsoniana
minima (Hort.)

...

)j >>

lusitAxica

{Miller)

Cupressus glauca

(Lamark)

Cedar of Goa

Portugal and
S.W. Spain

40— 50

MacnabiAna

{Murray)

Cupressus rjlandulosa

(Hooker)
, , nivalis

(Lindley)

MacNab's Cypress

North California

10- 15

Maceocarpa

{Harlwcfj)

Cupressiis Lamhertiana
(Gordon)

The large fruited
or Lambert's
Cypress

South California

50- 60

if fastigiata
{Murray)

The upright
Lambert's Cyin-ess

)) >>

50— 60

nutkaensis

(Lambert)

Chamcecijparis

nutkaensis (Spach)
Thxdopsis horealis

(Fischer)

The Nootka
Sound Cypress

British Columbia
and Oregon

40- 50

„ argenteo-

variegata

{Hort.)

The silver Nootka
Sound Cypress

„ aiireo-
variegata
{Hort.)

The golden
Nootka Sound
Cypress

Garden variety

„ compacla
(Hort.)

The dwarf Nootka
Sound Cypress

)) )>

4— 6

„ glauca

{Hort.)

...

The glaucous
Nootka Sound
Cypress

)) ))

CUPEESSUS FUXEBEIS.

229

SaBMTiFio Name.

Synonyms,

PopuLar Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

CUPRESSUS

SEMPERViRENS

{Limuxus)

Ciipressus fastigiata

(De Candolle)

The upright
Roman Cypress

South of Europe
and Asia Minor

60—100

„ horizon tklis
(^Parlatore)

,, horizontalis

(Miller)

...

South of Europe
and the Levant

50— 75

,, indica

{Parlatm'e)

,, WMtleyana

(Gordon)
„ RoyUi

(Cani&re)
„ aiistralis

(Hort.)

THYOiDES

(Linnceus)

Chammcyparis

sphceroidea (Spach)

The White Cedar

Eastern States of
North America

40- 70

,, glauca

(Sort.)

Clmmcccyparis Kewensis
(Knight)

...

Garden variety

„ Hfiveyi
(ffwt.)

,, Hovcyi

(Hort.)

...

)> )>

„ leptoclada

see Betinospora leptocla

da.

„ niina

(Loudon)

Chamcccyparis

sphceroidea nana

(Endlicher)

The dwarf AVhite
Cedar

Garden variety...

1— 2

„ variegata
(Loudon)

,, sphceroidea
variegata (Endlicher)

The variegated
White Cedar

)» )>

TOBTTLOSA (Don)

Cupressm cashmeriana
(Hort.)
,, 'iiepalensis
pendula (Hort.)

The tufted

Cypress

Himalayas

50— 70

„ Comeykna
(Carri^e)

„ Comeya-iut

(Knight)

Comey's Cypress

...

20— 25

Cupressus funebris, the Chinese Funereal Cypress. A remarkable
tree, attaining a height of 50 feet, and presenting striking changes in
its aspect during its progress from the seed to maturity. The young
plant is clothed with needle-like leaves of a light glaucous hue, and
resembles some of the cultivated forms of Retinospora. As it becomes

230 A MANUAL OP THE CONIJER^.

older these are succeeded by scale-like, closely appressed, imbricated
yellowish-green leaves ; it is then of erect habit, with horizontal
branches which lengthen as the tree arrives at maturity, when they
become pendulous at their extremities, and from these main branches,
others long and slender, hang down towards the ground, giving the
whole tree a weeping and graceful form. *

Hahitat. — China, the north-east provinces, from the Hang-chow River
to the Great Wall.f

Introduced in 1846 by Mr. Robert Fortune.

The Funereal Cypress first became knoAvn to Europeans during Lord
Macartney's Embassy to Pekiii in 1792, wlien it was seen in the
"Vale of the Tombs," in north China. Mr. Fortune met with it about
150 miles up the Hang-chow River, in the neighbourhood of the far-
famed tea country of Wliey-chow, 10° farther south, from whence he
sent the first seeds received in England to Messrs. Standish & Co., of
Bagshot, by whom plants were subsequently distributed. Mr. Fortune
also saw tliis Cypress farther west, where it is more common, and
"frequently in clumps on the sides of the hills, where it had a most
striking and beautiful effect on the Chinese landscape." The expectation
that the Funereal Cypress would prove as hardy in England as the
Indian Deodar or Cryptomeria japonica, has not been realised. Its growth
is slow, and it is liable to injury in severe weather, especially by cold
winds, by which the young brancldets are killed and the plant much
disfigured. If seed could be procured from the northern limit of its
habitat, Avhere the rigour of the climate is fully equal to that of ours,
it is liigldy probable that a hardier race woidd be obtained, and that
this remarkable tree may yet be employed in the decoration of the parks,
pleasure-grounds, and cemeteries of Great Britain, for which it is one
of the most distinct and effective known. In Sikkim, where it is an
introduced plant, its fragrant red wood is burnt in the temples for
incense. |

Oupressus Goveniana.— A low tree or shi-ub, of dense habit,
with spreading branches and bright green foliage; the branchlets
are numerous, irregularly disposed, and slender, the leaves scale-Hke,
and closely imbricated. In the early spring this plant is covered
with innumerable yellow male catkins, which, for the time, give it a
very striking appearance; so plentifully is the pollen produced, that

* Mr. Robert Fortune, in the Gardeners' Chronicle for 1850, p. 228.

t Gardeners' Chronicle, 1850, pp. 228, 437.

X Sir J. D. Hooker, Himalayan Journals, vol. i., p. 315.

CUPEESSUS LAWSONIANA. 231

when shedj the ground beneath appears covered with yellow dust ;
this species is thence very fertile^ and is covered with cones even
in its young state.

Habitat. — California^ in the neighbourhood of Monterey.

Introduced in 1846 by the Horticultural Society of London, through
their collector, Hartweg, and named in compUment to J. R. Gowen,
Esq., at that time Secretary of the Society.

Cupressus Knightiana. — A tall tree of elegant habit, with
drooping, feathery, and fern-like branchlets, and well distinguished
by the glaucous bluish hue of its foliage.

Habitat. — The mountains of Mexico, at a considerable elevation.

Introduced about 1840, probably by Hartweg.

Cupressus Kniijhtiana is the hardiest of tlie Mexican Cypresses, and the
only one from that country availaljle for plantmg in England, bi;t it
requires a sheltered situation. It was named in compliment to Mr,
Knight, of the firm of Knight and Perry, our predecessors at the Koyal
Exotic Nursery, Chelsea. It has now become quite rare.

Cupressus Lawsordana. — A tall tree, attaining a height of
upwai'ds of 100 feet. The trunk is slender in proportion to the height,
not exceeding 2 feet in diameter near the base ; the branches short
and spreading, the branchlets pendulous, fern-like, and feathery, the
leader pendulous Hke that of the Deodar, and the foliage deep
glaucous green, which, in the early spring, is relieved by bright
crimson male catkins that are terminal, numerous, and produced
while the trees are stUl young. The cones or strobiles are about
the size of large peas, and are borne in great profusion.

Habitat. — Northern California, on the Shasta Mountains ; in the
neighbourhood of Port Orford, and in other parts of Oregon.

Introduced in 1854 by Mr. William Murray, who sent seeds to
Messrs. Lawson, of Edinburgh.

From the numerous varieties of Cupressus Lawsoniana in cultiva-
tion, the following are selected for their effectiveness as decorative
plants : —

Cupressus Lawsoniana alba spica. — In this variety the terminal
growth and tips of the branchlets are creamy-white. It is a plant
of rapid growth, less dense than the common form.

232 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERiE.

Oupressus Lawsoniana albo- variegata.— A dwarf compact
variety, of conical habit. The branclilets and foliage are of the
deepest green, profusely spotted and blotched with white.
It orighiatecl in our Coombe AVood Nursery.

Oupressus Lawsoniana argentea has longer and more slender
branches than in the type; the foliage is very glaucous, of almost
silvery whiteness.

It originated in the Nursery of Mr. Anthony Waterer, at Knap Hill,
"Woking,

Oupressus Lawsoniana argenteo-variegata has many branchlets
and leaves creamy-white, interspersed among the deep green fohage,
characteristic of the type.

It originated m the Nurseries of Messrs. LaAvson, at Edinburgh.

Oupressus Lawsoniana aureo -variegata resembles the usual
type in habit, but differs from it in having many of its branchlets
of bright yellow.

It originated in the Nursery of Mr. John Waterer, at Bagshot.

Oupressus Lawsoniana ereota viridis has a fastigiate and
tapering habit, A\dth foliage of a lighter and brighter green than
the species, which it retains tkrough tho winter months. It is one
of the most ornamental and distinct of all the upright Cypresses.
It originated at the Nursery of Mr. Anthony Waterer, at Knap Hill.

Oupressus Lawsoniana filiformis. — A singular variety, having
its branches excessively elongated at the expense of the lateral
branchlets. It is of sub-pendulous habit.

Oupressus Lawsoniana gracilis pendula.— In this variety
the branches are long, and gracefully pendulous. It is a handsome
lawn plant of very vigorous growth.

It originated in the Nursery of Messrs. Barron & Son, of Borrowash,
near Derby.

Oupressus Lawsoniana intertexta. — A variety more robust in
all its parts, so that the ultimate branchlets appear more divaricate

CUPRESSUS LAWSONIANA. 233

thau in the common form. Tlie foliage lias a peculiar glaucous
hue quite unlike that of any other variety.

Oupressus Lawsoniana lutea has the whole of the young growth
of a light clear yellow^ which subsides to a deep yellow in winter.
It is a plant of medium growth and compact habit^ and it is quite
distinct from the variety aiireo-variegata.

Oupressus Lawsoniana nana. — A diminutive variety of slow
gro\\i;h, dense in habit^ globose in outline, and deep green in
colom'.

Oupressus Lawsoniana nana alba. — A dwarf compact little
plant, with the whole of the young growth yellowish-white, which
deepens to light green when mature.

Oupressus Lawsoniana nana glauca resembles the variety omna
in its dense dwarf globose habit, but differs in its highly glaucous
foliage.

Cupressiis Laicsoniana possesses almost every quality that renders a
Coniferous tree valuable for British gardens. As an ornamental tree, it
is one of the handsomest. It is perfectly hardy ; the severest winters
that have occinred since its uitroduction have scarcely affected it. It
thrives in almost every description of soil, wet and cold peat alone
being inrfavourable for it. It is remarkably prolific, bearing seed in
abundance even in its young state, wliich quickly germinates, and thus
it may be propagated with great rapidity. It is polymorphous, giving
rise to varieties so distinct from the normal form, and so varied in
habit and outline, that several of them are justly ranked among the
best of subjects for the geometrical or formal flower garden, Ijoth in
sunnner and Avinter. It may be used for almost every purpose for
wliich Conifers are planted — as a single specimen for the lavm or park,
in groups of its own kind, or intermixed with other trees or shrubs,
for evergTeen hedges, or as a funereal or cemetery tree.

It was named in compliment to Mr. Charles Lawson, of Edinburgh,
head of the well-known horticultural firm of Peter Lawson & Sons, and,
for one term. Lord Provost of the city.

Oupressus Macnabiana. — A low tree, of compact bushy habit, from
10 to 15 feet high, with short branches, thickly set, and slightly
ascending at their extremities ; the branchlets are numerous, rigid.

234 A MAXUAL OF THE CONIFERiE.

and clothed with small scale-like deep green foliage, arranged in
four rows, and very glaucescent.

Habitat— Northern California, on tlie Sliagta Mountain.

Introduced in 1852 by the Oregon Association, through their
collector, John Jefeey.

It was named in compliment to Mr. McNab, the late respected Curator
of the Edinburgh Botanic Garden.

Cupressus macrocarpa.— A large tree of vigorous growth, vari-
able in habit under cultivation. The branches are numerous, close
set, and in the usual type, horizontal with the extremities ascending;
the secondary branches are generally lateral and opposite, but they
are also produced fi'om all sides of the primaries, especially in the
fastigiate variety. The foliage is of the brightest green, by
which this species is easily distinguished from every other.

Jlahitat. — California, in the neighbourhood of Monterey.

Introduced in 1838, by Mr. A. B. Lambert.*

Cupressus macrocarpa fastigiata has its branches ascending
and closely pressed around the trunk. It resembles in habit the
upright Roman Cypress.

The two forms of Cupressus laacrocarpa above described are said
to have originated from different sources. The spreading kind was
introduced by Mr. Lambert, who sent seeds to the Horticultural
Society of London without any specific name, and the plants raised
from them Avere caUed C. Lamhertiana, in compliment to the donor.
This variety became widely distributed, owing to the facility with
which the Cypresses can be propagated by cuttings, and is still familiarly
known in gardens as C. Lamhertiana. In 1846, Hartweg, at that
time collecting for the Horticultural Society in California, sent home
seeds of this Cypress xmder the name of C. macrocarpa, which he
gave it on account of the large size of its fruit or strobiles. The
plants raised from these seeds were fastigiate in habit, and had an
erect or continuous leader. Although Hartweg's name, macrocar2Ja,
was given subsequently to Gordon's Lamhertiana ^ the former has
priority of publication, and is therefore retained. It is now well
known that plants raised both from Californian and European grown
seeds vary much in habit, and that forms intermediate between the
spreading habit of Gordon's C. Lamhertiana and the fastigiate growth

* Gordon's Finetum, p. 92.

CUPEESSUS NDTKAENSIS. 235

of the C. macrocarpa of Hartweg are of frequent occurrence, Lut tliat
the former and its modifications are the most numerous.

Ctipressus macrocarpa is a beautiful tree, tolerably hardy in the south
and west of England, For the spreading or horizontal branched variety
a space having a radius of not less than 20 feet shoidd be allowed ;
the lower branches of some of the finest specimens in England havin"
attained that length. G. macrocarpa is patient of the knife, and may
be pruned or headed back without injury ; it is, therefore, a good
plant for forming tall evergreen hedges in a sheltered situation.
Although a gi-and tree it cannot be recommended for the formation
of avenues, on account of the diversity of habit which it assumes,
whether raised from seed or from cuttings.

Cupressus nutkaensis. — The Nootka Sound Cypress^ in its
native country, is said to be a tall tree attaining a height of
from 80 to 100 feet_, and ha\4ng a rounded top.* Under culti-
vation it is of elongated pyramidal or nearly columnar form. The
branches are sub-erect or spreading, the branchlets distichously
arranged, with the extremities elegantly recurved and densely
clothed with imbricated closely appressed leaves, which are keeled
at the back and sharply pointed. This Cypress greatly resembles
C. LawsonianUy from which it may be distinguished by its having
sulphury-yellow instead of red male catkins, by its more robust
habit, and its paler green foKage.

Habitat. — Vancouver's Island, British Columbia, and Oregon, chiefly
between the 45th and 55th parallels.

Introduced about 1850, from the Botanic Garden at St. Peters-
burgh.

Cupressus nutkaensis argenteo-variegata has many of its
terminal branchlets creamy-white, ■with the laterals more or less
spotted with the same colour.

Cupressus nutkaensis aureo-variegata has the same habit as
the type, with its green foliage varied here and there by sprigs
of light yellow.

Cupressus nutkaensis compacta is of dwarf dense growth,

* Dr. Newberry, Pacific Hailway Hejjort, p. 63, describes the individuals he saw as "trees
of moderate ?he, having much the appearance of Thuia occidoUalis, when growing under
the most uufavourable circumstances."

236 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

having its stem much divided, and its branchlets smaller than in
the species.

Cupressus nutkaensis glauca differs from the species only in
the appearance of the foHage on which the glaucescence is much
more highly developed.

Cup'cssus nutliaemis was discovered by Archibald Menzies in 1794,
from whose specimens, collected at Nootka Sound, Vancouver's Island,
it was described by Mr. Lambert in his great work, Tlie Genus Finns.
It was introduced to European gardens by the late Dr. Fischer, of
St. Petersburgli, under the name of Tlmioiosis borealis, the name by
which it is still generally known among horticidturists. It is essentially
a northern tree, and one of the hardiest as well as one of the
handsomest of Cypresses. It thrives in any ordinary soil, not too
dry, and it is one of the best of Conifers for lawns and for small
gardens where the larger kinds are inadmissable.

Cupressus nuflriensis is the " yellow Cypress of the colonists in
Vancouver's Island and British Columbia. The wood is whitish, but
in its fresh state it is yellow. In quality it is Hght, tough, durable,
easily worked, and has a pleasant fragrance ; it is very indestructible
in the ground, and on that account, is used for stakes, pickets, &c.,
and by the Indians of the north-west Territory it is manufactured into
articles for domestic use, hunting, fishing, &c."*

Cupressus sempervirens.— The evergreen Cypress, of which two
forms are common in the south of Europe and Asia Minor, but
only one is generally planted in England. This is the fastigiate or
upright kind, a tall tapering flame-shaped tree, with erect branches,
growing close to the trunk, and with frond-like branchlets covered
with smooth imbricated yellowish- green leaves. The cones or strobiles
are about an inch in diameter, and are generally produced in pairs.

Ilahitat. — The Mediterranean region, especially the Levant and
the Greek Archipelago -, also westwards as far as the Himalayas.

Introduced into England prior to 1648, in which year it is
mentioned by Turner in his " Names of Herbes."

Cupressus sempervirens horizontalis has its branches spreading
instead of erect, but differs in no other essential character from
the upright kind.

The two forms above described arc analogous to two similar forms
* Mr. Robert Brown in the Gardeners' Chronicle,

CttPRESSUS SEMPERVIRENS. ^3?

in cultivation of the Californian Ciqvrssiis macrocarpa. M. Carriere
is of opinion that the spreading form is the type, and the upright
kind only a variety.* As in the case of C macrocarpa, the two
extremes are connected by intermediate forms, in which the gradations
from one to the other are plainly perceptible.

Many varieties of Oujyresstis sempervirens have been noticed, and
some of them described as distinct species ; but OAving to their com-
parative tenderness, or the slight deviation they show from one or
other of two forms described above, few, if any of them, are to be
seen in British gardens. It is sufficient in this place to mention one
only, C. sempervirens indica, which is met with in Nepaul, thus
proving that the common Cypress must, at one time, have had a very
extensive range. The Himalayan variety differs from the European
type, as cultivated in England, chiefly in having a more open head.
It is the C. Whitleyana of Gordon's Pinetiim.

The economic value of C/qn-essus sempervirens is not very consider-
able, although its wood is virtually indestructible by ordinary agents,
except fire. This remarkable durability was known to the Greeks
and Eomans, who employed Cypress wood in the construction of
various articles of household furniture, also for chests, vine props,
posts, and pallisades, and especially for coffins, which were found to
resist decay for ages after being buried in the earth, f It is still
used ior similar purposes in the south of Europe. In Great Britain
the only use of C. sempervirens is for ornamental planting, and
although it has been known over three hundred years, there are no
old trees in this country owing to climatal causes. In the south of
Europe, it lives to a great age, and attains a height sometimes
exceeding 100 feet. There are still existing in France and Italy
ancient trees of great historic interest, and others associated with
illustrious names in literature and art. There are three Cypresses
standing in the Garden of the Convent of the Chartreuse, at Kome,
that were planted by Michael Angelo (a.d. 147-i-1563); one is in a
state of decay, the other two are still vigorous. The Cypress of Somma,
in Lombardy, is much more ancient. Tradition refers it to the time of
Julius Caesar. " Besides its great age, it is remarkable for having
been wounded by Francis I., who is said to have struck his sword
into it in his despair at losing the battle of Pavia; and for having
been respected by Kapoleon, who, when laying down the })lan for
the great road over the Simplon, diverged from the straight line to
avoid injurmg the tree." J M. Carrifere states that there still remains
a Cypress near Montpellier over eight hundred years old, and known
to the inhabitants by the name of Arbrc de Montpellier. It is the
only surviving tree of the forest of Cypresses that is believed to

* Traite Oineral dcs Coniferes, p. 149.
t Louaon, Arb. cl FriiL, p. 2473. X Idem, p. 2471.

238 A MANUAL or THE CONIFERJE.

have once covered the ground sloping towards tlic south, on which
part of the town is bnilt.*

The three Cypresses of Michael Angelo are the fastigiate form ; the
Cypress of Somma and the Arbre de Montpellier are the horizontal
variety.

Cupressus thyoides.t — A tree of variable height and of pyramidal
and dense habit. Tlie trunk is slender and tapering, sometimes
attaining a height of from 50 to 70 feet in the low marshy grounds
of Virginia, but much less in districts further north. The branches
are spreading and much ramified, the branchlets very slender,
crowded, and covered with small ovate or triangular-shaped, closely
appressed glaucous green leaves, which often have a small gland
at the back. The cones are small globular bodies, not much larger
than peas, -with thick scales, bearing two or more seeds attached
to their contracted base.

Habitat. — The eastern United States, in the neighbourhood of the
Atlantic coast, from Massachusetts to Florida ; also in Wisconsin.

Introduced by Peter CoUinson in 1736.

Cupressus thyoides Hoveyi. — A variety of rather slender habit,
in which the ultimate branchlets are short, very numerous, and
agglomerated into dense terminal tufts.

Cupressus thyoides leptoclada. — See Retinospora leplodada.

Cupressus thyoides nana is a compact, diminutive bush, with
glaucous foliage, useful for variety in collections of small Conifers,
and in damp places where few other kinds will grow.

Cupressus thyoides variegata. — A handsome low or medium-
sized tree, on which more than half the branchlets, with their
foliage, are of a rich golden-yellow. It requires a damp, moist
situation.

Cupressus thyoides is popularly known in America as the "UHiite Cedar.
The wood is reddish, light, fine in grain, and very durable, and on

* Carriere, Ti-aiU Gmh'ol clcs Coniftres, p. 149.

+ Ciq^rcssvs thyoides is the typical tree tipon wliicli Spach fonndcHl his genus Chamcecyparis,
niul nround which were sub.ser|ueiitly grouped C. Linv&oniana, 0. nutkaiinsis, and the Japanese
Itctinosporas.

CUPKESSUS T0E.ULO.-A. 230

that account much used for shingle, paHsades, boat-hnilding, cooperage,
&c., in the States, where it is abundant. In England its only use
is as an ornamental tree, and as such it is very handsome when
planted in low and damp situations, for Avhich alone it is suitable. In
dry soils its growth is very slow, and it has also a bare and unfurnished
aspect.

Cupressus torulosa. — A tall fastigiate tree, with short ascending
branches, much ramified at their extremities ; the branchlets are
slender, short, twisted, and covered with imbricated glaucous leaves.
In young' trees the leaves are slightly spreading, but in older ones
they are appressed to the stem, and are thin, minute, very smooth,
and closely imbricated in four rows. The strobiles or cones are
somewhat smaller than those of the European Cypress.

Habitat. — The north-western Himalayas, at heights varying from
6,000 to 12,000 feet; generally in inaccessible situations.

Introduced by Dr. Wallich in 1824.

Cupressus torulosa cannot be caUed a satisfactory tree for horticultural
purposes, for although it is sufficiently hardy to withstand average
English -winters without injury, in exceptionally severe ones large speci-
mens, 20 to 30 feet high, have succumbed.

The specific name torulosa, 'Hufted," refers to the tufted appearance
of the branchlets.

Cupressus torulosa Corneyana.— A low tree, with slender droop-
ing branches and branchlets covered with small closely imbricated
leaves, so nearly resembling those of G. torulosa, that, except in
habit, this plant can scarcely be distinguished fi'om the species to
which we have referred it.*

Tliis Cypress was introduced to British gardens by Messrs. Knight and
Pen-y, our predecessors at the Eoyal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, who left
no account of its origin. In their Syjiojms of Coniferous Plants '(page
19), they state that it is supposed to be a native of cither Japan or
the north of China, a supposition that has not yet been verified.

Cupressus lusitanica.— A trc*- attaining a height of about 50 feet,
with spreading flexuose branches and numerous incurved scattered
branchlets, clothed with glaucous scale-like pointed leaves. It is popu-

M. Carri^re has also referred it to Cupressus torulosa for the same reason, anrl states that
it is a native of the Himalayas, but gives no authority. — TraU& General des Conifcrcs,
p. 151. Jlr. Gordon says, "It is found in .Japan and the northern parts of China," hut
(juotes no authority. — Pinctuvi, p. 81.

^40 A MANUAL OP THE CONIPEEJl.

larly known as the Cedar of Goa, and is supposed to liavc been
introduced into Portugal from Goa, on the west coast of India, but as
no Gymnospermous phmts are now found wild in that part of the
country, there is reason for doubting its Indian origin. It has become
naturalised in Portugal and some parts of Spain, from Avhence numerous
varieties find their way into English gardens, that generallj- perish
during the first severe winter to which they are exposed.

II.— RETINOSPOEA (SleboU). The Japanese Cypress.

The Retinosporas, which now constitute a rather numerous group,
are trees and shrubs presenting much diversity in habit and colour
of foliage. They are all referable, v/ith two or three exceptions, to
two well defined forms or species, Retinospora ohtusa and R. pisifera,
natives of Japan, but which, under cultivation, both in their native
country and in European gardens, have sported into many distinct
and beautiful varieties. Their introduction to British gardens is
comparatively" recent. The typical or normal kinds, together with
several of the most distinct of the Japanese varieties, were brought
to England by the late Mr. J. G. Veitcli in 1861, and in the same
year other varieties were sent to Mr. Standish, of Ascot, by Mr.
Robert Fortune.

The Retinosporas are quite hard}', thriving best in a moist soil and
in a situation not too exposed. The fastigiate and dwarf varieties
require but little space, but Retinosjoora ohtusa and R. pisifera attain
the dimensions of large trees in Japan, and are handsome specimens
for the park as AveU as for the la"\vn. The variegated and upright
forms are suitable for terrace and geometric gardens ; the dwarf and
procumbent kinds are excellent rock plants ; there is, in fact, no
department of ornamental gardening in which this beautiful group of
Conifers does not furnish some of the most appropriate as well as the
handsomest subjects.

Retinospora* is a compound word formed from [)}]Tivr] (rhetine),
^' resin," and aTc^^fy, (spora) '''seed."

The chief characters upon whicli >Siebold f()undc(l the genus are,
that each scale of the strobile or cone bears only two seeds, and
that the seeds themselves are marked with resinous blotches. But
instances of the scales bearing more than two seeds are of frequent
occurrence, and the seeds of Cupressus Lcncsoniana are marked with

* Siebold lias Retinispoia, Flora Jajwnica, ii., p. 36.

H-!

RETINOSPOEA.

241

resinous blotches in the same -way. Hence it is that Siebold's genus,
Retinospora has not been adopted by scientific men, and the name is
therefore relegated to the garden, where also it must in time give
place to the more comprehensive and simpler generic designation.

lu the following Synopsis^ the most distinct of the varieties are
given and described independently of the species to which they
are generally referred, for the purpose of simplifying tedious appel-
latives, consisting, in some cases, of four and even of five words —
FiUcoides, lycopodioides, and tetragona, are forms of ohtusa ; filifera,
plumosa, and squarrosa, are forms of pisifera.

SciEKiinc Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

RETIXOSPOEA

JuiiiiKTUs ericoidcs

The Heath-like

Garden variety...

4— 5

eeicoIdes

(Hort.) Retinospora

{Sort.)

Widdringionia ericoidcs

(Hort.)

Eetinosp'yrajuniperoides

(Carriere)

Chaincecmaris decussata

(Hort.)
Biota orv ntalis decussata

(Hort.)
Retinas^' 'ra decussata

(Hort.)

riLICOIDES

,, 6 tusa filicoidcs

The Fern-like

Garden variety

{Hort. Vcitch)

(Hort.)

Retinospora

from Japan

filIfeua

,, ibifcra filifera

{Hort. Standishy (Hort.)

LEPTOCLADA

,, squarrosa lejdo-

The slender-

Garden variety,

8— 10

{Hort.)

dada (Gordon)
Clmnu'XTjparis sq uarrosa
ZeptocZa^fc (Endliclier)
,, ''eptoclada

(Hoi-t.)

,, spJiccroide.'i andely-

e?wi« (Carriere)

branched
Retinospora

France

LYCOI'OUIoiDES

, , oht usa lycopodioidcb

The Club-moss

Garden variety

{Hort. Standish)

1

(Carriere)
llclinosimra monstrosa
(Hort.)

Retinospora

from Japan

2i2

A MANUAL OF THE CONII'ERiE.

SciEHTiFic Name.

Synonyms.

RETINOSPORA

OBTUSA

{Sicbold (t
Zuccarini)

, , albo-picta

{Ilort)

„ ainca

(ITorL Vcitcli)

,, compacta

[IIorQ

,, gracilis aiirea
{RoH. Vcitch)

,, nana

{Eort.)

„ pygm»a

{Gordon)

PISIFEKA

{Sicbold d:
Zuccarini)

{Eort.)

PLUMUSA

{Eort. Vcitch)

,, albo-picta
{Eort.)

, , argentea

{Eort.)

,, aurea

{Eort.)

SQUARROSA

{Sicbold d;
Zticcarini)

Clmmcccyparis obtusa

(Eiulliclicr)
(Parlatore)

Rctinospora obtusa alba
(Hort.)

Chamaxijparis obtusa

aurca (Carrierc)

iliibia

{Eort.)

TETRAGON'A aurea
{Eort. Barron)

,, obtiosa nana

(Caniere)

Thioia pyc/7)uca (Hort.)

Chaimccyparis jnsifera
(Endliclier)
(Parlatore)

Popular Name.

The Japanese

Cypress

The golden
Japanese Cypress

The dwarf
Jajianese Cypress

The Pea-fiTiited
Eetinospora

The feathery

Retinospora

Rctinospora pisifera

arqcntco, (Hort.)

Rctinospora pisifera

aurca (Hort. )

Chamoxyparis sq uarrosa
(Parlatore)
Cupressus squarrosa

(Lawson)

Rctinospora jjseiido-

squarrosa (Carriere)

Ratinospora jimip)croidxs

(Gordon)

Retinospora filicoidcs

aurca (Hort.)

Habitat.

Japan

Garden variety..

Garden variety
from Japan

Garden variety...

Garden variety
from Japan

Japan ...

Garden variety...

Garden variety
from Japan

n ))

Japan

Garden variety...

Height
in

Feet.

60— 80

5— 6

3— 5

1— 2

50— 80

15— 20
12— 15
12— 15
15— 20

10— 15

10— 15

EETIXOSrOEA FILICOIDES^ E. FILIFEEA.

243

Retinospora ericoides. — A small compact shrub, generally of
conical form, not exceeding 3 or 4 feet in lieiglit. Tlie branches
are very numerous, and furnislied -vvitli sliort branclilets clothed
•with linear pointed leaves arranged in opposite cross pairs, and
marked beneath with two glaucous lines. During the growing
season the foliage is of a deep pea-green colour, which changes
in autumn to a brownish- violet.

"Wc have included tliis plant among the Rctinosporas on account
of its name liavmg become too finuly fixed in garden nomenclature
to admit of its removal by a mere stroke of the pen. Its proper
place is under Biota, of which it is nothing more than a "juvenile"
fonn, that is to say, it originated from a seedling in which the pri-
mordial leaves only are developed. Mr. Gordon's assertion that this
shrub and Retinospoi-a leptodada " are cidtivated in Japan, in pots,
under the name of Xezu " (Piiwtmn, p. 363), is without foundation,
as neither of them is kno^vn to Japanese horticulturists.

Retinospora filicoides.— A beautiful
tree, resembling in habit R. ohtusa, of
which it is a variety. The branches
are thickly furnished "with short fern-
like branchlets, of equal size, and
distichously arranged. Tlie leaves are
closely imbricated in four rows, thick
in textnre, and of a rich deep green
colour on the upper side of the
branchlets, and sHghtly glaucous on
the under side.

Retinospora fllifera.— A low tree
of irregular outline, well distinguished
by its thread-like pensile branchlets.
"The branches are spreading, with
the secondary ones alternate, long,
somewhat distant, and furnished prin-

Fig. U.—Rdinofpora filicoidet. This and cipally OU OUO sidc witll numCrOUS
the four follomng figs, from the Gardenert' I J . i i .i x

Chronicle. branchlcts of various lengths, the ter-

minal ones longer, filiform, and with tufts of small spray at their
points." The leaves are subulate, pointed, distant, in alternate
pairs^ and fulvous gi'een in colour.

244

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

Retinospora lep-
toclada.— A low tree
or slirubj of fasti-
giate or pyramidal
liabitj and silvery
bluish. - grey foliage.
The branches are
close-set along the
stem^ shortj sub-erect,
and much divided ;
branchlets flattened,
fern-like, and clus-
tered towards the
extremities of the
branches and their
numerous sub - divi-
sions. The leaves
are of two kinds,
the primoidial ones
linear awl - shaped,
recurved, and light
glaucous green ; the
later ones scale-like,
closely appressed to
the branchlets, and
deeper in colour.

The slu'ub cultivated in this country under the name of Retinospora
leptoclada originated many years ago in the Nursery of M. Canchois,
at Aiidelys, in Franci . It appeared among a batch of seedlings of
Cujn'essus thijokles, and the proprietor finding it of very different habit
and aspect from the others, propagated it by cuttings, and subsequently
exhibited young plants of it at Paris, under the name of Ghavmoj-
2xirits sjJueroidea Andelyensis. The stock passed into the hands of
Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, of London, by whom it was
introduced to British gardens under the name it now bears. The
plant described by M. CarritTe, under tlie name of R. Icptodada, and
Avliich lie affirms to be distinct from the Andelys plant,* is unknown
to us. His statement tliat it " liabite le Japon, d'oii elle fut importee

* II n'a aucun rapport avec la plaute que la plupart des liorticulteurs vendent sous ce
leme nom lictinosjJora leptodada.

Fig. 55. — Retinospora fiUfera.

EETINOSPOEA OBTUSA.

245

en 1861, \)ax M. Veitch fils" (Traite, p. 139) rests on no evidence
that we possess.

As a garden shrub the Retinos^mra Jeptodada above described, is
both useful and distinct, and may be always employed with advantage in
the shrubbery and for winter bedding, a moist situation being best for it,

Retinospora lycopodioides. — A low tree or shrub^ of spreading
habit and irregular outline ; branches rigid_, spreading^ and much
divided ; branchlets numerous, irregularly arranged on all sides of
the primaries, more closely set at the extremities, where they are
contorted and flattened; leaves crowded, thickened, closely imbri-
cated around the stem, and of a deep rich green colour, which
is retained through the winter.

Retinospora obtusa.— A tall

tree, with straight, erect, and
tapering trunk, attain-
ing a height of from
60 to 100 feet, with a
diameter of 4 feet
near the ground. Tlie
branches are numerous
and spreading, the
lower ones decumbent
by the weight of their
appendages ; secondary
branches crowded, and
produced laterally
only ; the branchlets
flattened, frond - like ;
the leaves small, scale-
like, imbricated in four
rows, closely appressed
to the stem, and light
fulvous green. The
strobiles or cones arc
about half an inch in
diameter, and composed of eight or ten scales, arranged in opposite
pairs, each scale having an umbo or small protuberance on the
exterior surface.

0. — UclinoKiiora Mnm.

246 A MANUAL OF THE CONIPERiF.

Eefiiiospora ohtusa is one of tlie most useful tiiuljer trees in Japan ;
the wood is liglit, Avliite, iino in grain, and susceptiLle of a high
poKsh. The Japanese show th^ high estimation in which they hold
this tree hy selecting its wood for the constniction of their shrines
and tempk's. Retinospora timher is also much used in houses, especially
for flooring; it resists decay in water and under ground for a long
period, and is on that account employed for posts, piers, &c., it is
also used in shiphuilding. As an ornamental tree R. ohtn^nt has
long been cultivated in Japan, Avhere many beautiful and distinct
varieties of it have been obtained. One of tlie purposes for which
it is planted in that country is for the formation of avenues, in
which its fine proportions are very eff'ective. In England it should
be planted only for ornamental purposes, and always in a moist
retentive soil, and sheltered from the north and north-oast.

Retinospora obtusa albo-picta resembles the ordinary form in
liabitj but differs in having many of its young shoots creamy-
white^ which gives the plant a speckled and spotted appearance.

Retinospora obtusa aurea is more fastigiate in liabit tlian tlio
type, and lias the branchlets and foliage of a deep golden-yellow,
which is highly developed during the growing season. It is one
of the most remarkable coloured Conifers in cultivation.

Retinospora obtusa compacta. — A robust dwarf form, Avith the
stem much divided at the base, and the branches crowded and
more dense than in the species. The foliage is similar in colour
to that of It. ohiusa.

Retinospora obtusa gracilis aurea. — A beautiful tree, of pyra-
midal habit. The branches are spreading and elongated at their
extremities into slender sub-pendulous stems furnished Avitli short
branchlets, which with their foliage when first formed, arc of a
light clear yellow, but change to light green when mature. It is
one of the most graceful and attractive of all the varieties of
7?. ohfnsa.

Retinospora obtusa nana does not form a tapering trunk like
the species, but has its stem much divided and sub-divided near the
ground into numerous erect and sub-erect slender branches.

Retinospora obtusa pygmsea. — A singular little bush, rarely

RETINOSPORA PISIFEEA.

247

exceeding 1 foot liigli. It spreads liurizontally on all sidos^ but not
upwards^ and forms a dense tuft of green spray, as ornamental as
it is curious. It is one of the best dwarf Conifers for rock-work
and small gardens.

Retinospora pisifera is easily distinguished from 7?. oJilnsd by
the feathery appearance of its foliage. The^ trunk is erect and fur-
nished with spreading branches, here and there one projecting
beyond its nearest neighbours, the general outline of the tree being

Fig. 57. — Retinospora phifera.

pyramidal without being formal. The branchlets are slender, and the
scale-like leaves distinctly four rowed, but somewhat distant, more
pointed and less closely appressed than in R. ohtup.a ; in colour they
are light fulvous green above and marked with two glaucous lines

21-8

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

beneatli. Tlie strobiles or cones are about the size of small peas,
wbich suggested the specific name — pea bearing.

The timber of Rdinospora pisifern is like that of R. olhisa, and is
used for similar purposes.

Retinospora pisifera is the common Cypress of Japan ; it occurs more
frequently and in greater abundance in a wild state, and it is also
spread over a greater area than R. ohfusa.

Retinospora pisifera aurea has the whole of its fohage and
young growth of a rich golden-yellow. It is a very pretty variety,
quite distinct from B. plumosa OMrea described below.

It originated in the Nursery of Messrs. Barron & Son, at Borrowash,
near Derby.

Retinospora plumosa. — A dense tree, of conical habit, distin-
guished by the following characters : — The branches are numerous,

sub-erect, and thickly
furnished with lateral
shoots ; the branchlets
close set, slender, in-
curved, and with their
foliage of a deep green
colour; and the leaves
subulate or awl- shaped,
sub-erect or spreading,
and much pointed.

Retinospora plumosa
and its varieties are of
moderate growth ; their
short feathery branch-
lets and the rich colour
of their foliage render
them beautiful plants
for garden decoraiion ;
they are among the best
of Conifers for geome-
tric and formal gardens,
and also for winter and
permanent bedding.

Fig. 5B.—Retino»]pora iihimota.

Retinospora plumosa albo-picta.— A variety of the preceding, in

KETINOSPOEA SQUAEROSA.

249

which the tips of many of the branchlets are pure white^ giving-
the whole plant a speckled and spotted appearance.

Retinospora plumosa argentea has nearly the whole of its young
growth creamy-white^ which becomes green on attaining maturity, but
not before it is succeeded by the white growth of the following season.

Retinospora plumosa aurea has its terminal shoots and foliage
when first formed, of light golden-yellow, which gradually subsides
to deep green as the season advances, and till it is succeeded in
the following season by a renewal of the yellow growth. It is a
very distinct variety.

Retinospora squar-
rosa. — A low tree,
sometimes taking the
form of a large dense
bush with a well defined
outline. The trunk is
usually much divided
and forked, the divisions
being furnished with
numerous branches ; the
branchlets are also
numerous and spread-
ing, and with their foli-

^1

\W

^-^'7 /^/^^^Pir^S|^!g^i^^p^' ^^^ °^ "" ^'«^'^ glaucous
'.^y''''' '^f() '^'^^ii ii)/':^^S^V-^<>5>:$i^^ srreen, suffused with a

i^.A/h

a
tint of almost silvery
whiteness, quite unlike
that of any other Coni-
ferous tree ; the leaves
are short, needle-
shaped, and slightly
bent towards the
branchlets, upon which
they are arranged in
alternate opposite pairs.

Retinospora squarrosa is described by Siebold as a species Avliich is
said to grow wild {>iX)onte nascem dlcitur), on fSukejama in the isslaud

Fig. 59. — Retinospora squarrosa. Grown at Linton Park.

250 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEK-T].

of Kiusiu (/7. Jap., ii., p. 41). The figures and description Avhich lie
gives of the fructification are, however, so nearly identical Avith those
of R. i>isifera as to raise doubts as its being specifically distinct.
Moreover, Ave liave seen plants of R. squarrosa with branches liaving
R. ptsifera foliage, thereby unmistakeably indicating its real affinity. It
is, in fact, a variety of R. pU!f('ra, in which tlie primordial or acicular
foliage only is developed. "We have analogous forms in R. oricoides, Biota
vu'hleitsis, C'qin'&suti funehr/s in its young state, and others.

Retinospora squarrosa dubia. — A small compact bush^ with
glaucous light greeu foliage. The leaves are generally larger and
more erect tlian tliose of the preceding ; the secondary branches less
furnished with spray and the branclilets more rigid.

Like the preceding, it is most probably a " juvenile " form of Rrf/'nos-
pora pisifera.

Retinospora tetragona aurea. — A dwarf slow-groAving plant,
"with horizontal branches, tnfted at their extremities with short
undivided tetragonal branchlets, clothed with short scale-like leaves,
of bright golden-yellow, deepening in the second year to dark green."
It is a useful plant for the rock garden.

It originated in the Xursery of Messrs. Barron Si Sons, at Borrowash,
near Derby,

III. — BIOTA (EndlieJierJ . The Chinese Arbok Vit.^.

Biota includes but one recognised species, from which, under
cultivation, a great number of varieties have been obtained, differ-
ing from the normal form, chiefly in habit and colour of foliage,
but all having the following common characters : —

Tlie trunk is usually much divided, the branches numerous,
and turned upwards, the ultimate branches much ramified,
frond-like, erect, and pai-allel to each other.

The leaves are small, scale-like in opposite pairs, imbricated,
and closely appressed to the stem ; the cones or strobiles are
composed of from six to eight peltate scales, each with a
spiny projection, and bearing two Avingless seeds.

It is upon tlie last-named character cliiefly that the generic distinction

THE CHINESE ARBOR \IT-E.

251

of Biota rests ; in Tliuia tlie seeds are winged. The generic separation
of the Chinese from the American Arbor Yita^ by Endlicher, althoiigli
adopted by Parhitore and others, has not general!}^ found acceptance.
By Mr. Bentham and Sir J. D. Hooker both are referred to Thuia
(Thuya).— &V». 'PL, vul. iii., par. 1, p. 427.

The Biota is a native of China and Japan^ where it has also
been long' cultivated as an ornamental shrub, and "where nian}^
interesting- varieties have been raised, some of which have been
introduced to British gardens. The common form Avas first brought
to Europe about the middle of the eighteenth century, by French
missionaries; it has been in cultivation in England since 1752.

Biota from /5('or// (biote), meaning '' living ^^ or ''mode of Vde,"
a lengthened form of ftlog (bios), " life," in allusion to the ever-
green character of the plant.

The following Synoptic Table includes the most distinct forms of
European and Japanese origin.

SciKBTiFic Name,

BIOTA OKIEXTALIS

{Don]

SynoDyms,

Thuia mnentalis

(Linnfeas)

Popular Name.

The Chinese

Arbor Vitfe

,, argentea ,, argentea (Hort.)
{Hoi-i.)

,, aiirea 1 ,, aurea (Hort.) The goklen
(Hort.) ,, corapada aurca I Chinese Arbor

i (Hort.) Vitae

I I

,, aureo- ,, variegala (Hort.) The variegated

vanegatal

(ffart.)\

I

,, decus- ' Sec Jldinospora ericoides

s^ta I

{Em-L)

Chinese Arbor
Vita;

„ elegan-
tissima
(Ilort. RolUsson)

Thuia degantissima

(Hort.)

,, falcJlta j ,, falcata (Hort.)
(^Lhidlcy) Biota falcata (Hort),

,, japonica ,, orientalis Sicboldi

{Si''bold)\ (Endlicher),

I ,, japonica (Hort.)'

Habitat.

)> »)

)) >»

Japan

Height

in
Feet.

China and Japan: 18— 25

Garden variety...' 15— 18

5- 6

15— 13

5—

252

A MANUAL OF THE C0NIFEE5:.

SciENiiFic Name,

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in

Feet

BIOTA oriextalis

meldensis
{Hm-t.)

Siota meldensis (Hort.)
Thicia mclde^isis (Rovt.)
Iictinos2}ora meldensis

(Hort.)

...

Garden variety

,, pendula
(Parlatorc)

Biota 2>endula(Jj?i,'aib&ci)
,, filiformis

(Loddiges)

.

)> >>

, , semper-

aur^scens

{Hort.)

...

...

>) ))

,, Zuccari-
niana

...

...

>> ))

Biota orientalis. — A low tree or shrub of pyramidal, but very
frequently of columnar habit^ attaining a beigbt of from 18 to 25
feet in its native country, and seldom more in Europe under culti-
vation. It is easily distinguished from tlie American Arbor Vitfe
by its denser liabit and foliage of brighter green. It is one of
the commonest and most useful of garden shrubs.

Biota orientalis argentea differs from the common form in
having many of its branchlets creamy-white. The variegation is
rather inconstant, and not unfrequently disappears altogether in a
few years.

Biota orientalis aurea. — A dwarf, dense, globose shrub, having
its first growth in early spring, of a rich golden-yellow, which
gradually changes by age to the bright green of the species.

Tills valuable variety originated in the Nursery of Mr. Waterer, at
Knap Hill. It is generally known under the name of Thiiia aurea,
and is one of the most ornamental and popular of all the varieties of
Blotf(. on'entalis.

Biota orientalis aureo-variegata has about one-half of its
branchlets and foliage light yellow. It resembles the common
form in habit, and is quite distinct from the preceding.

It originated in the Xursery of M. Dauvesse, at Orleans, in France.

BIOTA ORIENTALIS. 253

Biota orientalis elegantissima. — A dwarf variety, of fastigiate
habit ; the brauchlets are somewhat more rigid than in the usual
type, and the foliage is of fine golden-yellow, which colour it
retains through the summer months.

This variety originated in the Xursery of Messrs. RolHsson, at Tootin^'.

Biota orientalis falcata. — A variety of dense conical habit, fi^om
10 to 12 feet high, producing large green cones or strobiles, having
the spine at the end of the scales turned backwards like a small
sickle.

It was introduced by Mr. J. G. Yeitch from Yokohama, in Japan.

Biota orientalis japonica.— A variety of very distinct habit. The
lower branches are spreading, and the tree assumes a bold globose
form ; the diameter of the spread of branches at the base is
nearly as much as half the height of the tree, which at top
tapers off abruptly. The scale-like leaves are pointed and less
closely appressed to the stem than in the common form.

Biota orientalis meldensis. — A low pyramidal tree with ascending
branches, often so flexible as to bend in any direction, by which
the plant acquires an irregular awkward habit. The leaves are
subulate, short, pointed, slightly inclined towards the stem, and
light bluish glaucous green, which changes to a deeper shade, with
a reddish-brown tint in winter.

Biota orientalis meldimda is a " juvenile " form in which the
leaves are never scale-like as in the species. According to M.
Carriere,* it originated at Meaux, about the year 1853, from seed of
B. orientalis, gathered in the cemetery of Trilbardon, near tliat town.
It was supposed to be a hybrid between the Virginian Red Cedar and
the Chinese Arbor Vitse, because, in the cemetery in question, several
trees of tliese two species are planted side by side. But as analogous
forms of Biota and allied genera are in cidtivation whose origin is
known, this hypothesis is unnecessary.

Biota orientalis pendula shows a wider departure from the typo
than any variety yet obtained ; the branches are elongated into
flexible, pensile cord-like appendages, with few ramifications, and

* TraiU General des Coni/ercs, p. 103.

254 A MANUAL OF I'UE C0N1FER.1':.

clothed with ahernate opposite pairs of subulate decurrent leaves —
larger, wider apart, and less appressed than in the species.

This cmious variety, long believed to be a distinct species, is now
known to have originated from the common form. It was met with in
cultivation in China and Japan many years ago, and forms perfectly
identical Avere subsequently raised from seed both in England* and
France, t During a visit to the Botanic Garden at Turin, in the autumn
of 1860, Dr. Hooker had his attention drawn to a fine specimen of
Biota poulula, bearing fruit in all respects like that of B. orlcntalis.
On inquiry, it was pro"\'cd to him that plants of B. orlentaUs, Avhich
were pointed out liy the Curator of the Garden, had been raised from
seeds of B. pendula, thus showing, beyond all doubt, that B. orientalis
and B. iieiichda are only forms of one species. | As a garden plant,
B. pendula is rather a curiosity than an ornamental subject — it casts
off its lower branches at a very early age, leaving the trunk bare to
a considerable part of its height.

Biota orientalis semperaurescens. — A dwarf globose shrub,
resembling in habit B. orientalis aurea. The foliage and terminal
growth are of a golden hue, which they retain throughout the
season.

It originated in the Nursery of M. Lcmoinc, at Nancy, in France.

Biota orientalis Zuccariniana. — A dense, dwarf globose variety,
with very bright green branchlets and foliage, a colour it partially
retains during the winter months.

IV.— -THUIA (ToumeforfJ. The American Arbor Yitm.

Tlie Thuias are evergreen trees, sometimes attaining a consider-
able height, with numerous spreading or sub-erect branches, covered
with smooth greyish-brown bark> and compressed branchlets dis-
tichously alternate, the ultimate ones being produced on the
anterior side only, and clothed with imbricated scale-like leaves,
arranged in opposite pairs ; the cones or strobiles are small oval
bodies, composed of from eight to ten imbricated scales in opposite
pairs, of which two only arc fertile, with two winged seeds at the
base. The Thuias are natives of North America, and are spread

* At Messrs. Lodcliges' Nursery, Gardeners' Chronicle, 1861, p. 575.

t Carricre, Traiti Gcniral dcs Conijtrcs, p. 101.

t Communicated to the Gardeners' Chronicle for 1861, p. 575,

THE AMERICAN ARBOR VIT.E.

ZOO

over the continent from Canada and New England to British
Cohimbia and Oregon. One form is also found in Japan^ and
another is said to have been met with in eastern Siberia. The
timber obtained from the large trees is valuable^ and is used for
many purposes by the colonists ; it is remarkable for its durability
and fragrance.

iVll the Thuias are perfectly hardy in England ; tlicy are among
the most useful of Conifcr^e on account of the numerous purposes for
which they may he planted, and the variety of soils in which they
thrive ; hut generally preferring in their native country, low lying,
moist situations, as the hanks of rivers or streams, the shore of lakes,
&c., they are also found to thrive best in Great Britain imder
similar conditions. Under cultivation, the Thuias are polymorphous,
and several distinct varieties have originated in gardens both in
England and America.

Thuia is from Ovix, the name of a tree or shrub that cannot
now be identified with certainty, whose wood, according to
Theophrastus, was fragrant, and thence employed for incense in
very early times. The origin of the application of the name Arbor
Vita3 (Tree of Life), to the American Thuia, is unknown. It is
so named by Gerard, in his History of Plants, published in 1597.

Thuja is the common orthogi'aphy ; Thuya is that of Tournefort, the
fomider of the genus. "VYe have preferred the original form as being
the most free from ambiguity, and which is also adopted by Carriere.

BoiBiraiPic Namb.

Synonyms,

Popular Name.

. Habitat.

Hciglit

in
Feet.

THUIA gigAntea

{NiMalT)

Thuia Mejiiiesii

(Douglas or
Caniere)
,, Lohbi (Hort.)

Lobb's Arbor

Vitie

N.W. America

50 to ir.o

OCCIDENTALIS

{lATvnceus)

The American
Arbor Vitte

Canada and K'eW
England States

40— CO

,, Elwangcriana
{Hort.)

Eelinospora

lllwaiu/eriana
(Gordon)
Thuia occidcntalis

ericoidcs (Hort. )

Garden variety

,j Hoveyi

{Wort.)

,, rjlobosa (Hoft.)

...

>) i>

256

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERJ!.

SciBifTiFio Name.

THLIIA occidentAlis
lutea

{Hort

, , peiidula

(Gordon)

, , variegata

(Hort.)

, , Yervaeneana
(RorL)\

Synonyms,

Thuia " George Pea

body" (Hort.)
,, clcgantissima

(Hort.)

Popular Name.

PLICATA {Don). >, sibirica (Hort.)
,, occidentalis
plicata

(Loudon)

,, dumosa

{Gordon)

„ variegata

{Hort.)

Srxsvitiiin

{Gordon)

Waueana {Ilort.)

, , antarctica

(Hort.)
,, minima (Hort.)
,, ^^yg^mfca (Hort.)

,, Wareana varie-
gata (Hort.)

T/miojJsis Standishii

(Gordon)
Thuia gigantca

(Parlatore)

,, japonica

(Maximowicz)
,, tartarica

(Lodiges)

GiGAXTEA {Hort.), see Libocedrus decurrens.

The pendulous
Arbor Vitse

The variegated
Arbor Vitte

The new Belgian
Arbor Vit;e

The Siberian

Arbor Vitte

Habitat,

Garden variety

Ware's Arbor

YitK

N.W. America
and E. Siberia

Height

in
Feet.

25— 30

18— 20

Garden variety
Japan

Garden variety

18— 20

40— 60

Thuja gigantea (syn. Lobbi). — A tall slender pyramidal tree,
attaining a height of upwards of 150 feet, in the rich alluvial
soil along the banks of the Columbia Eiver, but ranging fi'om
50 to 80 feet high in other localities. The branches are
numerous, short in proportion to the height of the tree, scattered
irregularly over the trunk, flexible, spreading, and frondose ; the
branchlets with their foHage are of a glossy bright green, a

Thaia iii'j'nd.n {Lohhi) at LiiUou Park. Present height (1881) 50 feet.

TnriA LOBBT, 257

colour they retain tlirongli the winter months, and by which this
species is easily distinguished from T. occidentalis.

Habitat. — 'i^ovth-yy est America, between latitudes 45° and 55° N.
and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. It attains its greatest
developement in the neighbom^hood of the Columbia Eiver.

Introduced by us in 1853, through our collector, William Lobb.

TJiin'u Lohhi is very variable, both in its native country and
under cultivation. There is a collection of many varieties in the Edin-
burgh Botanic Garden, formed by the late curator, j\Ir. McXab, all
showing some greater or less departure in habit or foliage from the
usual type. Among the forms that have been perpetuated by horti-
'culturists, may l)e mentioned an atrovircns, a pumihi, a vnr!i-<jnfii,
&c., names sufficiently indicative of the character of the varieties to
which they are appHed.

The economic value of Tliuia Lohhi in its native country is
considerable. " Its timber is fine gramed, bright yellow, and nnich
used for building purposes. The natives at Kootka Sound manufitcture
their cloaks of its inner bark, Avhich is very pliable and soft, and
is also made into mats, sails, ropes, &c. The bark, which is rather
thin, is also used in covering the roofs of houses and otlier buildings.*
In Great Britain, its chief value consists in its ornamental qualities.
It is an elegant tree for the park and lawn, and especially effective,
if planted in proxunity to ornamental water where the soil is nut
water-logged ; it is also one of the best Conifers for the formation of
evergreen hedges.

Tliuia Lohhi is described mider the name of T. gigantea by some
writers, and T. Menziesii by others,! while the name imder which we
distributed it is generally adopted by horticidturists. By Carri^re and
Hoclistetter, the Lihocedrus decurrens of Torrey is described rmder the
name of Thuia gigantea, and by this name that tree is generally
known among horticulturists in Great Britain. There is, therefore, a
confusion m the nomenclature of tlie two species, wliicli it is very
desirable should be got rid of. It originatetl in this manner : — A
few years previous to the introduction of T. Lohhi to British gardens,
xsuttall, an American botanist, pidjlished his Plants of the lloclij
Mountains. At page 52 of that work, a Thuia is described uiider
the name of T. gigantea, which some refer to om* 2'. Lohtil, and
others \ to the Lihocedrus decurrens of Torrey, discovered during the

* Sir E. Belcher, Voyage Rouml the World ; ex Gordon, Piaetum, p. 402. But it is quite
probable that Cupressus nxUkaensis may be the tree Sir Edward refers to, see p. 236.

t Carri^re, Traiti Geniral dcs Conifircs, j). 107. Henkel and Hochstetter, Nadellwhcr,
p. 281. Pinacece, by Senilis, p. 67.

t See Parlatore, Prod, xvi.., p. 457 ; A. Murray, in Gardeners' Chronicle, 1873, p.
1717 ; Gordon, Pinetum, p. 402 ; Hugh Eraser's Uaiuhj Book of Conifers, p. 151.

S

258 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

overland expedition to California, conducted by Colonel Fremont, in
1843 or 1844. The Libocedrus was first received in this country by
the Scotch Oregon Association, through their collector, Jolin Jeffrey,
without a name, a few months earlier than T. Lobbi was received
by us at our Exeter Nursery, from "William Lobb. The Oregon
Committee named Jeffrey's tree T. Crcdgkma, in compliment to
Sir William Gibson Craig, one of their members, Torrey's designation
being at that time unknown to the Committee,* and it was distributed
among the members of the Association under that name, but Carri^re's
name, T. gigantea, became generally current in English gardens.
T. Lohhi was not distributed till three or four years later. The
late Mr. James Veitch finding a T. gigantea already in cultivation,
and desirous of paying a Avell merited tribute to the exertions of
Lobb, selected this beautiful Thuia to perpetuate his name.f That
Lobb's name is worthy of being thus held in remembrance will be
seen from the following sketch of his life and labours as a collector.
William Lobb was born in the eastern division of Cornwall, in the
year 1809. The place is iinknown, nor is anything known of his
early Hfe. Wlien a young man, he applied himself to gardening, and
obtained a situation as gardener to Mr. Stephen Davey, of Eedruth,
whose horticultural establishment appears to have been on a modest
scale, but which, under Lobb's management, became thorouglily efficient.
After remaining in the service of Mr. Davey a few years, Lobb
entered the nursery of Mr. Veitch, at Exeter, for the purpose of
improving his knowledge of plants. For a long time previous, he
had cherished an ardent desire for travel and adventure ; he vras
quick of observation, ready in resources, and practical in their appli-
cation. Wliile at Redruth and at Exeter, he had availed himself of
every opportunity to remedy the defects of his education ; and his
numerous letters to Mr. Veitch, written in the course of his long
journeyings in South America and California, abundantly testify to the
success of his endeavours in that direction. He had also devoted
much of his leisure time to the study of Botany, in wliich he
acquired considerable proficiency. Mr. Veitch, finding him thus
qualified, proposed that he should go on a mission to South America,
for the purpose of collecting plants in that rich quarter of the globe,
an offer which Lobb gladly accepted. He sailed from Plymouth in
1840, for Rio Janeiro. On his arrival in Brazil, he first proceeded
to the Orgaos Mountams, where he met with several beautiful Orchids
at that time extremely rare in English gardens, and other useful
plants, some of them quite new, one of the most important of his

* Mr. A. Itlurray, iu The Garden, vol. ii., p. 542.

+ Aerifies Lohhi, Lolbophyllum Lohhi, ^scJujnanthus Lohhi, Cry2Jtomeria Lohhi, and
Selcifjimlla Lohhi, arc all named after his brother Thomas, by. whom they were dis-
covered.

WILLIAM LOBB. 259

earliest discoveries being Pleroma elegans.* He afterwards went to
Buenos Aj'res, and then proceeded to Chili by crossing the great
Pampas of the Argentine Kepublic and the Chilian Andes. After a
brief stay at Mendoza, Santiago, and Concepcion, he reached Valparaiso.
He then went southwards and penetrated the great Araucaria forests,
where he collected a large quantity of seeds of Armicana imhricata.
At that time this tree was so scarce in England that young plants could
not be obtained in nurseries. Hundreds of plants were raised from
the seeds sent home by Lobb, who was thus instrumental in bringing
this remarkable Conifer into general • use for ornamental planting.
Afterwards he proceeded northwards to Peru and Eucador, where he
remained for nearly two years, exploring the country and collecting
plants. He returned to England in 1844, renewed his engagement
with Mr. Yeitch, and sailed again for Brazd in April of the following
year. After sending home from Kio Janeiro, a consignment of plants
which he had collected in southern Brazil, he once more proceeded to
Valparaiso, for the purpose of exploring southern Cliili, at that time
but little known to Europeans, except along the coast. Here a rich
harvest awaited him. Among his earliest successfid introductions from
this region were Lapageria rosea, i Escallonia macrantha,X Embothrium
coccineum,% PMlesia 'buxifol{a,\\ Desfontainea spinosa,^ and many other
beautiful plants stiU foremost among garden favourites. Following up
these brilliant achievements, he continued his explorations in Valdivia,
Chiloe, and northern Patagonia, where he collected seeds and plants of
Lihocedrus tetragona, Fiizroya 'patagonica, Saxe-Gothcea conspiaia, and
Foflocarpns mihlgemis, " four most interesting Conifers for this countrj-,
after Araucaria imhricata, that South America produces."** Xor must
we omit mention of Bcrh-ris Darmnii,jj which was first introduced to
British gardens l)y him during the same expedition.

Lobb returned to England in 1848, not to rest upon his laurels, for
his love of travel was as strong as ever, and the fu-m friendship tliat
subsisted between him and Mr. Veitch remained unchanged. He, there-
fore, determined to continue his exploring expeditions. The wonderful
Conifers discovered by Douglas in California and Oregon, were then
still very scarce in England, and young plants of most of the
important species could scarcely be bought with money. |t Hartweg
had succeeded in sending consignments of cones and seeds to the
Horticidtural Society of London, three years previous, but the plants
raised from them were distributed among the feUows only. It was,
therefore decided that Lobl> should proceed to California with a view
of obtaining seeds of all the most important kinds known, and to
discover others, if possible. He landed at San Francisco in the

£ot. Mag., Tab. 4262, t Idem, 4473. t Idem, 4447. § Idem, 4856.

II Idem, 4738. ^ Idem, 4781. ** Idem, 4616. tt Idem, 4590.

XX Loudon, Arb. d FruL, pp. 2249, 2251, 2266, 2341.

260 A MANUAL OP THE CONIPEEJ].

.summer of 1849, aii<l at once mado avrangomonts for exploring soutliern
California. Lobb's experience as a collector, his indomitable perse-
verance and courage, which Avas deterred l)y no danger, no toil, or no
privation, enabled him to surmount difficulties and accomplish enter-
prises during the • succeeding seven years of his collecting excursions
through California and Oregon, Avhich were scarcely equalled by
.Douglas himself. One of the first fruits of his expedition to southern
California was tlie successful introduction of Ahif^^^ hmcfeata* During
tlie years 1850-1, he sent home consignments of cones and seeds of
Pinus oisi'gnis, P. riuiricafa, P. Salnniana, P. macromrpa, P. fubercii.
lata ; also of many shrubs and flowering plants, some of which were
quite new to British gardens. In tlie autumn of 1851 he extended
his operations further north, and collected cones and seeds of the
Redwood (Sequoia semperr irons), Pinus Lrnnhertiana. P. monficola, &c.
In 1852 he made an excursion to the Columbia River and Oregon,
Avhere he succeeded in obtaining seeds of Abies Douglasii and A.
nuhiJis, still rare at that time in England, and the lieautiful Thuia
named after him. Returning through north California, he collected
seeds of Abies grandis, A. magnifica, Avhich he sent home under the
name of A. amabilis, believmg it to be the A. amabilis of Douglas,
A. concolor (lasiocarpa), the first received in England of that fine Fir,
Juniperus occidental is, Pinus ponderosa, &c. In 1853 he explored the
Sierra Xevada, whither he was led by the reports of the discovery of
trees of extraordinary magnitude, and Avhich he had the good fortune
to find, and to secure the first cones and seeds of the Wellingtonia
received in England. He brought these home at the end of the
year. He also brought home Avith him tAVO living plants, Avhich AVere
afterAvards planted out in our Exeter Nursery, Avliere they survived
but three or four years.! Lobb returned to California in the autumir
of 1854, and from that time up to the end of 1856 ho continued
to send home consignments of plants and seeds. In 1857 his engage-
ment Avith Mr. Yeitch terminated. He remained, hoAvever, in California,
and sent collections of seeds to England from time to time. In
1863 he Avas seized Avith paralysis, and lost the use of his limbs,
Avhich probably his long journeyings in thinly populated countries, and
consequent exposure to all AA'eathers, had predisposed. He died at
San Francisco in the autumn of the same year.

Lobb's labours and journeyings as a collector of ucav and rare plants
extended over a period nearly as long again as that of any of the
excellent and fearless men Avho have ventured their lives in similar
missions ; the distance he travelled, the fatigues he encountered, and

* Bot. May., Tab. 4740. It is a remarkable fact that no seeds of Ahlcs hradeata were
received in England alive till more than twenty-five years afterwards.

t The statement of a correspondent in the Journal of Uoriicidture for January 25th,
1877, is incorrect.

mviA OCCIDENTALIS. 261

the privations he endured, doubtless exceeded tlicirs in a like propor-
tion. Very many of the beautiful plants introduced by him are still,
and -will always continue to be, among the most deservedly admired
and the most prized of garden ornaments, but not one of which worth
mentioning, will perpetuate his name, or by any apparent sign keep in
remembrance Ixis great achievements. This honour has been ungraciously
denied to him. It is not for us to call into question the strictness of
precedence in botanical nomenclature so much insisted upon. It is enou^i
to state the fact, but at the same time it is satisfactory to add that a
more appreciative application of personal names to plants now prevails.*

Thuia occidentalis, the common or American Arbor Yitse. A
medium-sized tree, of pyramidal habit, from 40 to 60 feet in height.
It has a rapidly tapering trunk furnished with branches at irregular
intervals ; the secondary branches are numerous and fi^equently
drooping, and the tree is more or less dense in appearance accord-
ing to the soil in which it is growing. The foliage is brownish-
green, becoming browner on the approach of winter, and resuming
its green tint during the growing season.

Habitat. — Canada, the New England and Middle States ; '' common
from Pennsylvania northwards, where it forms extensive Cedar
swamps; rare southwards along the Alleghanies.f^^

Introduced into England prior to 1597, in which year it is men-
tioned by Gerard as "growing in his garden very plentifully." if

Under the name of " Cedar," the timber of TImia occidentalis is nuicli
used in Canada and the adjoining States for fencing and out-door car-
pentry. !Mr. Eowan observes, § " That the wood of T. occidentalis is
most useful both to the settlers and the Indians. It grows generally
in wet places and on the banks of lakes and rivers, and is by no
means a sign of bad land. There are hundreds of square niiles of
Cedar forest in LoAver Canada and New Brunswick, but, strange to say,
it does not grow in Nova Scotia. It is the lightest and most durable
of Canadian woods. A bridge made of it lasts for fifty years without
repair, and a fence for seventy or eighty. Exposed to the air and clear

* Since writing tlie above we have received from our respected correspondent, Professor
Sargent, of Harvard, Massachusetts, seeds of a Eibes from Vancouver's Island, labelled
Ribcs Lohhi (Gray), but figured and described in the Botanical Marjazinc, Tab. 4931, under
the name of IL stibvestilum. This is traly an amende honorable on the part of the dis-
tinguished American botanist, but this pretty shrub will hardly bear comparison with the
noble Thuia with which British horticulturists associate Lobb's name.

t Dr. Asa Gray, Botany of the Northern States, p. 472.

X Hisfarie of Plants, p. 1369.

§ The Emi(jrant and Sportnnan in Canadat

262 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

of the ground, it actually wears out before it rots. The scent of the

timber is delicious. I think if its wonderful durability were better
kno^vn in England it would be largely imported."

The common Ai'bor Yitae is useful for belts and screens, and is one
of the best of Conifers for high hedges, in a moist soil, formed for

protective purposes. On dry sandy land it becomes thin and unfur-
nished, and should, if planted at all, be only sparingly used.

Thuia occidentalis Elwangeriana. — A dwarf dense bush^ with
numerous sub-erect branches, slender branchlets and dimorphous
foliage. In one kind the leaves are linear, acute, and spreading;
in the other they are scale-like and closely imbricated in four rows
like those of the species.

This variety is of American origin.

Thuia occidentalis Hoveyi. — A dwarf compact variety, resembling
in habit Biota orientalis aurea, and having short dense branchlets,
with foliage of a brighter colour than that of the common form.
This variety is also of American origin.

Thuia occidentalis • lutea. — A self-coloured variety, the whole of
the foliage and young growth being of a bright yellow above and
orange-yellow beneath. It is of a lighter tint than the variety Ver-
vaeneayia.

It originated in the I^urseries of Messrs. Maxwell, of Geneva, New
York, and is generally known in American gardens under the name of
George Peabody's Arbor Vitae.

Thuia OCCidentahs pendula. — In this variety the principal
branches are recurved towards the trunk, and the branchlets are
tufted at their extremities.

Thuia OCCidentahs variegata differs from the species only in
having many of the branchlets pale yellow.

Thuia occidentalis Vervaeneana is one of the most distinct and
ornamental of all the varieties of the American Arbor Vitae. During
tbe growing season, all the branchlets, which are more slender than
m the species, are tinged with a deep golden-yellow, which changes
in mnter to a brownish-orange.

It originated in the Nursery of M. Yervaene, at Ghent.

THL-JA I'LICATA^ T. .STANDISIIII. 263

Thuia plicata closely resembles the common American species.
It is a smaller and more compact tree^ more regularly pyramidal
in outline^ and with shorter branches ; the branchlets are numerous
and densely clothed with closely appressed leaves in opposite paii's,
of a brownish-green colour. It is very hardy, and may be planted
as an ornamental shrub where many other Conifers of the Cypress
tribe would not thrive.

Habitat. — North-west America^ in the neighbourhood of Nootka
Sound.*

Introduced by Archibald Menzies in 1796.

Thuia plicata dumosa is one of the dwarf est of the Thuias.
It is a dense little confused bush^ seldom growing more than 2 or
3 feet high^ with foliage and spray resembling in colour the pre-
ceding.

Thuia plicata variegata differs from the common form in
having many of its branchlets with their fohage of a bright golden-
yeUow.

Thuia Standishii. — A medium-sized tree, with the habit of the
common Ai'bor Vitse, and resembling also in some respects the
Japanese Thuiopsis ; it attains a height of from 40 to 60 feet,
according to situation. The branches are horizontal or ascending,
irregularly disposed over the trunk, distant, and spreading ; the
secondaries inclined or sub-pendulous ; the branchlets flat, slender,
lycopod-like, and pendulous at their extremities ; and the leaves
closely imbricated in four rows, and of a yellowish-green colour.

Habitat. — The central mountains of Japan.

Introduced by Mr. Robert Fortune, in 1861, and named in
compliment to the late Mr. John Standish, of Ascot, by whom it
was first distributed.

The Tluiia Staiulisliii of British gardens is derived from a culti-
vated form only, whicli is of smaller size and somewhat more dense
in haljit than the wild tree, which has only recently been met with
in the locality named above. By Parlatore, T. Standishii is referred

* Tarlatore (Prod., xvi., p. 458), observes of Thuia plicala, "Species in hortis frcquens
sfcd indigena vix nota et melius in patria invcstiganda. A T. occidentali, cui valdn ailinis
et cujus forte varietas liortensis, ramis secondariis ob folia marginalia navicularia et per-
sibtentia compresso-ancipitibus et fere alatis, ramulis crassioribus et longioribus strobilo-
rumi|ue paulo majomm sfiuamid augustioribus pra;seitim videtur diversa.

264 A MANUAL OP THE CONIFER^.

to T. r/igantea (T. Lohhi), Prod, xvi., p. 457 ; Init from tins it differs
in many points. It is a much smaller tree, the branchlets are less
flattened, the leaves thicker and more obtuse; they are, moreover,
marked with a gland above, and by whitish lines beneath, as in
Thuiopsis. It is also deserving of notice, that while the foliage and
young growth of T. Lohhi, in common with all the American
Thuias, emit a powerful aromatic fragrance when bruised or rubbed,
T. Standlshii gives out an odour more like that of the bruised
foliage of Biota orientcdis or Thuiopsis dolahrata, which is anything
biit agreeable.

Thuia Wareana. — A low tree_, of dense habit and conical out-
line, with short horizontal or ascending branches, having the
ultimate branches clustered tow^ards their extremities, and frequently
erect and parallel as in Biota. The branchlets and foliage are of
a much deeper green than either T. jplicafa or T. occidentalis, of
the latter of which it is probably a variety.

It is a useful hardy evergreen of neater habit and better colour
than the common form. It is said to have originated m the Nursery
of Mr. Ware, at Coventry.

v.— THUIOPSIS [Siobold Sf Zuccarini). The Japanese Thuia.

Thuiopsis is a beautiful Japanese tree, of which there is but oue
species, distinguished by the following characters : —

Tlie primary branches are verticillate, spreading, and sub-
pendulous ; the secondary ones distichous (produced laterally
only); the branchlets frondose, and much divided.

The leaves are in four rows, in opposite pairs, those above
and below closely appressed to the stem, the lateral ones
spreading; they are coriaceous in texture, variable in form,
convex, and bright green above, concave and silvery beneath.

The strobiles or cones are small sub-globose bodies, about
seven-tenths of an inch in diameter, and composed of from
eight to ten ligneous scales, each bearing five winged seeds.

Thuiopsis from 8via (thuia), and ox^i^ (opsis) "appearance,^' from
its resemblance to the Thuia, in whicli genus it is now included
by Mr. Benthara and Sir J. D. Hooker {Gen> Plant., vol; iii., p< 427).

TImiopsis dulahmta at Ashridge Park, the seat of Earl Bro^vlllow.

tHUIOPSIS DOiiOBEATA.

265

SciESTiFic Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feot.

THUIOPSIS borealis

see Ciqnxssus nutkaensis

dolabrAta
{Sicbold <L Zvccarini)

Thuia dolahrata

(Thuuberg)

The Japanese

Thuia

Japan

40— 50

„ Itetevirens
{LiiuUcij)

Thuiopsis dolahrata

'imna (Hort )

The dwarf ' Garden variety,
Japanese Thuia from Japan

„ variegkta
(Fortune)

The variegated , , , ,
Japanese Thuia

Thuiopsis dolabrata.— A beautiful pyramidal tree, varying in
size according to tlie situation in wliicli it is growing. " In a
young state, until it attains tlie heiglit of from 15 to 18 feet,
notliing handsomer can be conceived ; the branches assume a
pendulous habit, the lower ones trailing on the ground; when it
becomes a tree from 40 to 50 feet, its symmetry and beauty are
much diminished, the lower branches die off, leaving but a mere
tuft at top. It appears to prefer shady moist situations, the
fohage being more luxuriant than when exposed to the sun.''

The habit and aspect of Tlndopsis dolahrata vary very con.sideral )Iy.
On the mountain slopes in central Japan, at from 6,000 to 8,000
feet elevation, it is a straggling shrub, 8 to 10 feet high, fonning
an midergrowtli to Abies Veiteldi and A. Mar/'m'i, and not unfrc-
quently mixed with Rhododendrons and dwarf Maples. Lower down,
and in the plains, it takes an arborescent form AVith stouter branchlets
and leaves.

Tfm/'ojjsis dolahrata was first made known to Europeans by Tlmnbcrg,
in 1784. The first living plant received in England was sent to our
Exeter Xursery by Mr. Thomas Lobb, in 1853, from the Botanic
Garden at Buitenzorg, in Java ; this plant arrived in a -weakly condi-
tion, and all efforts to save it proved fruitless. In 1855, a plant
was received at the Botanic Garden at Leyden, from Dr. Siebold,*
but it was not till 1861, when Uv. J. G. Veitch, and later in tlic
same year, ]\Ir. Robert Fcjrtune, .sent plants and seeds to the Chelsea
and Ascot Nurseries respectively, that this fine Conifer became generally
distributetl. As an ornamental tree for British gardens, it takes a
high rank ; its gTowth is at first rather slow, but Avlien established
in a good moist loamy soil, and protected from piercing winds, its

* Gardeners' Chronicle, 1855, p. 24L

266 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

progress is satisfactory ; under such circumstances, it is one of tlio
finest of lawn trees.

Tlie specific name dolahmta, " shaped like a hatchet," refers to the
peculiar form of the leaves.

Thuiopsis dolabrata Isstevirens.— A dwarf compact variety,
"with slender much divided branches ; the leaves are smaller and
of a lighter green than those of the species, which suggested to
Dr. Lindley its designation "the cheerful green Thuiopsis."

Introduced by Mr. J. G. Veitch in 1861.

Thuiopsis dolabrata variegata. — A picturesque variety, resem-
bhng the species in habit, but differing from it in having the
tips of the branchlets pale yellow or cream colour.

Introduced by Mr. Fortune in 1861.

Teibe VI.— LIBOCBDRUS [Endlicher). The Incense Cedar.

Libocedrus includes a small group of handsome evergreen trees
of Thuia-like aspect, natives of southern Chili and New Zealand.
To these is now added a Californian species generally known
among horticulturists as Thuia gigantea. The Libocedri are tall
trees, of pyramidal or columnar habit, with horizontal or spreading
branches, and frondose branchlets, compressed or tetragonal, clothed
with scale-like imbricated leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and
having long decurrent basis, the last-named character being chiefly
that on which the genus has been separated from Thuia. The
cones are small, ovoid, composed of a whorl of four (seldom six)
scales in opposite -pairs, of which one pair only are fertile, each
scale bearing two winged seeds. The wood is white or yellowish,
compact, fine in grain, and very durable ; * the timber afforded by
the Chilian species is especially valuable in that country for
constructive purposes.

Libocedrus, from Xiiavoe (libanos), the name of a tree fi'om which
the ancients obtained frankincense, but which has not been satis-
factorily identified by modern botanists, and KidpoQ (kedros), " the
Cedar." The irame has reference to the fragrance of the wood.

* Prod,, xvi., p. 464.

LIBOCEDRUS CHILENSIS.

267

SoiBirnpio Name.

LIBOCEDRUS

CHlLfeXSIS

{Endliclicr)
DECUKRENS

{Torreij)

DONIANA

{Endlichcr)

TETRAGOXA

{Endlichcr)

Synonyms.

Popular Nome.

Tlmia cuncata

(Dombey)
,, chilensis (Don)

,, gigantea

(Carriere)
,, Craigiana

(Balfour)
Calocedrus calif or nica
(Km-z)

Thuia Doniana

(Hooker)
Dacrydium plumosuvi
(Don)

Thuia tctragona

(Hooker)

The Cliilian

Arbor Vitfe

The Californian
White Cedar

Don's Arbor

Vit«

The Alerze

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

Chili 50 to 60

California ..,i 120—140

New Zealand

Patagonia and

Chili

60—100

40— 80

Libocedrus chilensis. — A medium-sized tree of from 50 to 60
feet high, of pyramidal form, sometimes branched from the base,
but often with the lower part of the trunk denuded of branches,
and with a conical top.* In England, the young trees are symmetrical
and well distinguished by their bright glaucous green foliage, and
by the silvery line on the under side of the small pointed leaves.

Habitat. — Southern Chili, common on the slopes of the lower Cor-
dilleras of the Andes, from latitude 34° S. to Valdivia.

Introduced in 1847 by Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., of Clapton. f

As a timber tree Lihoccdrua chilensis is much vahied in its native
country ; its wood is soft and easy to work, but the planks are only
used for indoor carpentry. J As an ornamental tree in this country it
is one of the most beautiful and distinct ; but it is not very hardy,
and even when planted in a sheltered situation, rarely escapes injury
in severe weather.

Libocedrus decurrens. — A noble tree of largo dimensions, attain-

• Arbol bastante alta . . . desnudo en la basse, con los ramos tanto mas cortos que
se acercan mas de la parte superior, lo que la da una forma piramidal, — Claudio Gay,
Historia de Chili, v., p. 406.

t Gardeners' Chronicle, 1850, p. 439.

X Su madera es docil y soave para trabajar, pero solo se hace con ella cUartones que
sirven para trabajo interior de las casas.— C. Gay, Idem, p. 407.

268 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEfi,^.

ino- a heifflit of from 120 to 140 feet, with a trunk 6 to 7 feet
iu diameter near the base, and free of branches for 70 to 80 feet
of its height,* Tlie general form is conical, the trunk tapering, the
branches horizontal, with the extremities ascending ; the branchlets
fi'ondose, much divided, somewhat rigid, and with the foliage deep
bright green. In England the young trees are of columnar habit,
more or less dense, according to the soil in which they are grow-
ing, and well distinguished by the rich colouring of their foliage.

Habitat. — North California and Oregon; abundant about McCumbers
in north California, where it attains its greatest developement.

Introduced into Great Britain by the Scotch Oregon Association
in 1853, by their collector, John Jeffrey.

According to Dr, NewlDerry the wood of Libocedrus decurrcns is of
similar character and of about equal economic value as that of Thuia
ocddentalis. As an ornamental tree for the park and lawn L. decurrens
is one of the best of its tribe. It is quite hardy, requires but little
room, and on account of its very effective aspect, it should have a
place in the most select collections,

Libocedrus Doniana. — A tree from 60 to 100 feet high, with
spreading tortuous branches, and flattened fern-like branchlets ; the
foliage more resembles that of L. chilensis than any other species,
but may be distinguished from it by the leaves being more closely
set along the branchlets, the lateral ones stouter and less pointed,
and by the absence of the silvery line on the under side.

Habitat. — New Zealand, Northern Island, also on the mountain
slopes in the neighbourhood of Nelson, at 6,000 feet of elevation.

Introduced about the year 1848.

Libocedrus Doniana should only be }»lantcd in sheltered situatiuns,
even in the south of England and Ireland. In its young state, it is
a beautiful conservatory plant.

Libocedrus tetragona. — A tree or shrub of variable f orm>
according to the conditions under which it is growing. On the
lower slopes and in the ravines of the Andes of Valdivia, it is a
beautiful pyramidal tree ranging from 40 to 80 feet high ; near
the snow line on the Chilian Andes, as well as at its southern
limits, the Straits of Magellan, it is so diminished in size as to

* A. Jlunay, in 77tc Garden, vol. ii., \\. {^42.

PITZEOYA PATAQONICA. 2G9

be only a confused scrubby bush, over which a man can step.
On the larger trees, the branches are stout and spreading-, with
their extremities ascending ; the branchlets alternate distichous,
four-angled, and clothed with leaves broadly decurrent and adnate
at the base, pointed and free at the apex, and of a bright grass-
green colour.

Habitat. — Yaldivia, in southern Chili, the island of Chiloe,* and
the Andes of Patagonia, as far as the Straits of Magellan.!

Introduced by us in 18 ID, through William Lobb.

LiliDcedru-'i tdragona is the Alerze of the Chilians, by wliom it is
justly valued as one of tlie most important timber trees of their
country. Tlie wood is almost indestructible by the weatlier, boards
and shingle tliat ha-^-e been exposed for upwards of one hundred
years being worn quite thin but remaining perfectly sound. It is
reddish in colour, soft, easy to work, and useful for every description of
carpentr3\ Alerze timber is exported in considerable quantities from
Valdivia and Chiloe to the various ports along the Pacific coast of
South America. From the tliready inner bark is obtained a kind of
tow, imperishable in water, which is much used by the sea-faring
people of Chiloe and the adjacent coast, for making the joints of tlieir
skiffs and small craft water-tight.^ L. fetragona has, up to tlie present
time, generally failed in England, and has now become quite rare.

VII.— FITZROYA (Sir J. J). Hooler). The Patagonian Cypress.

Fitzroya is a sub-antarctic Conifer, taking the form of a large
tree or low shrub according to the situation in which it is grow-
ing, and having the following among its most obviOus characters : —
The branchlets are flexible and sub-pendulous, the leaves in
whorls of fours, but sometimes in threes and twos, decurrent,
" keeled beneath and on each side, the keel or midrib
having a pale glaucous depressed line." The flowers are
dioecious, and produced at the extremities of the branchlets,
and the cones are composed of small scales, two or three
only of which are fertile, each producing two or three seeds.

r)y Sir "W". Hooker, Fitzroya was considered to be nearest allied to
the Japanese Thuiopsis, l^nt Parlatore places it next to Disehna, a

* Claudio Gay, Historia del Chile, v., p. 408. f Prod., xvi., p. 455.

t De la corteza filamentoza se obtiene una estopa incorruptibile dentro del agua, y que la
gcnte del pais utiliza con mucha ventaja para tai>ar las juntuias de sus Piraguas. C. Gay, v.,
p. 403.

270 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

rare and reinarkaljle dicBcioxis Conifer, also including but a single
species found in Tasmania. By Bentliani and Hooker the Diselma is
now referred to Fitzroya as a second species.

The genus is named in compliment to Captain FitzRoy, by wliom
it was first discovered, when in command of H.M. sm-veying ship
" Beagle.'' *

Scientific Name,

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height,
in Feet.

FITZE6YA patagonica

{Sir J. D. Hooker)

The Patagonian Cypress

Western Patagonia

Variable

Fitzroya patagonica. — A fine tree, of from 50 to 80 feet high,
on the rocky precipices of the Andes below the snow line j at
the snow line it dwindles to a mere bush. At its southern limits
in the neighbourhood of the Straits of Magellan, it also dwindles
to a scrubby bush of small dimensions. In England, like the
Libocedrus tetragona, with which it is fi'equently associated in its
native country, it has failed thus far to adapt itself to the climate ;
it makes no permanent leader, or rather it forms a multiplicity
of leaders, none of which grow more than an inch or two in
the course of a single season ; the branches are irregular, and the
habit unsymmetrical.

Introduced by us in 1849, through William Lobb.

Nothing is known of the economic value of the timber of the
Fitzroya ; it has probably not yet been much employed for constructive
purposes, owing to the inacessibility of the places where it attains its
finest developement.f As an ornamental tree in this country, its
character is sufficiently stated in the above description. It is worthy
of notice tliat the young plants of Fitzroya growing in Great Britain
bear female cones in great almndance, but which produce no seed ;
no pollen bearing plants have yet been observed. ■ They have also
spreading leaves, while the adult trees in their native country have
the leaves closely imbricated and appressed like those of a Tlmia,

* The voyage of the " Beagle " will be ever memorable in the annals of science. The
vessel was despatched by the British Government in 1831, to survey accurately the southern-
most points of South America. Mr. Charles Darwin was invited to accompany the expedition
as Naturalist, an invitation which lie accepted. The " Beagle " returned to England in 1836.

+ A section of a plank of Fitzroya, brought home by William Lobb, ami preserved in the
Museum of the Royal Exotic Nursery, shows that the wood is of a reddish colour, straight,
and fine in grain, and susceptible of a high polish. The section contains 260 cubic inches,
and weighs 85 ounces, or about 3 c. in. to the oz. A similar section of a plank of the
Alerze (Libocedrus tctrwjona) of precisely the same size, is found to be of the same weight.

THE JUNIPERS.

271

VIII.— JUNIPERUS (Llnncvus). The Juniper.

The Junipers are medium- sized or low trees, of fastigiate or
columnar liabit, and busliy skrubs, occasionally quite prostrate,
inhabiting all parts of the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic
regions to the Tropic, being most abundant in the temperate
regions of Europe and North America. Unlike most of the
members of the Cypress Ti'ibe, the branches of the Junipers are
not fi'ondose, but the secondary branches are produced on all
sides of the primaries, and generally at a very acute angle to
them. The foliage is dimorphous, consisting either of small prickly

acicular leaves in whorls of threes,
or of scale-like leaves, imbricated
in four rows, as in Cy]jress, Thuia,
&c. Often both kinds are seen
on the same plant at different
stages of its growth. The Juni-
pers are dioecious, but exceptions
are sometimes met with, and in
such cases the staminate and
ovule bearing catkins are borne on
^^s^-z^^. different branches. Dr. Lindley
remarks, that " the distinguishing
character of the Junipers consists
in the female fructification being
succulent, consolidated, and re-
duced in the nuinber of its parts
below what is usual in the Oi-dcr
to which the genus belongs." Like other Conifcroe, the fruit is com-
posed of scales representing carpels spread open, and collected in a
spiral manner round a common axis. But they are not more than
six in number, generally three, and when ripe, are fleshy and consoli-
dated into a body resembling a drupe; in the language of the
pharmacopeia, they are berries, in that of the botanists they are
termed galhuli* They vary a little in colour in the different species,
being in some a deep purple, in others, black, red, or reddish-
brown ; they differ also in size, from that of a sloe to a small
* Eiuj. CycloprMia, iii., p. 310.

Fig. 60.— Fertile branchlet of Junlpems thurifem.

272 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.'E.

pea. The resinous odour common tlirougliout the Junipers is more
concentrated in the galbuli than in any other part of the tree.

The economic properties of tlie Junipers are not very niunerous,
and they are restricted to a few of the species, and appKed to still
fewer purposes. The Avood is light, fragrant, and of a reddish-bi'own
colour, and tliat of one or two American species (Juniporus Vinjinlana
and J. Bermndiana) sufhcieutly close gTained to Ijo employed in the
manufacture of " Cedar pencils." The berries of the 8avin arc used
as a diuretic in medicine ; and those of tlie common Juniper in large
quantities for flavouring gin.

As the species and varieties are numeronSj and sliow considerable
differences in some of their characteristics, the Junipers may be
divided into sections, chiefly in reference to the form of the leaves
and fi'uit ; each section also possesses tolerably well marked
characters in habit and aspect, and the division of the genus,
therefore, is not without its advantage in the practical operations
of planting. The sections are three : —

I. — Oxycedrl, in which the leaves are generally in threes, acicular or
subulate, sharp pointed, glaucous above, green beneath ; berries ovate-
globular, of various colours, purple predominating. The hardy species
in this section are all bushy shrubs or low trees, rarely exceeding 20
feet in height. The common Juniper (Juiupev communis), may bo
conveniently taken as the type of this section.

II. — Sahinue, in which the leaves are generally closely appressed to
the stem, variable in form, but in most species very small, scaly, and
imbricated. Berries small, globular, or egg-shaped. ]\Iany of the kinds
in this section are dwarf or prostrate shruljs, of these the counnon
Savin (Janlper Sahlna) will serve as the type. Others are low trees,
with the Savin type of foliage or some modification of it.

III. — Cupressoidece. In this section some of the characters of each
of the preceding are combined. The foliage is frequently dimorphous,
the acicular form prevailing in the young plants, which is gradually
succeeded by the scale-like form as it increases in age ; berries
elongated, egg-shaped, or globular, either quite smooth or covered with
a glaucous bloom. All the kinds in this section useful for British
gardens are Cypress - like trees, and of these the Chinese Juniper
(Jnmpents clnnensi-s) may be taken as the type.

Juniperus, the Latin name of the Juniper, -which appears to have
been applied indiscriminately to any of the species common in
southern and central Europe.

THE .lUNirEKS,

OT-^

Sorflon I. — Leaves acionlar, generally in wliorl>t of tliree, on tlie adult plant

spreading.

Scientific Kami;.

Synonyms.

JUNIPERUS ' Juniperus communis

CANADENSIS canadensis (Loudou)
{Loddigcs)

COMMUNIS

(Linnccus)

,, coiiipiessu
{Carricrc)

cracovia
{Loddigcs)

JuniiJcms vulgaris

(Bauliin)

comprcssa
(Einz)

ropuliir Name.

The Canadian

Juniper

The Common

Juniper

The Cracow or
Polish Juniper

Habitat.

Canada ...

Northern Europe
and Asia, as far
south as the
Ilimalaj'as

Pyreuecs
Poland ...

, , hibernica ■ Jun ijicnis strida ( Hort.) Tlie Irish Juniper! Ireland ( ?)
{LoddigcsY ,, hibernica i

(Loddiges)

,. niina

{Loudon)

,, olilonga
{Lottdon)

,, cc/pina j The dwarf or

(Gaudichaud) Alpine Juniper
,, minor montanm
(Bauhin)
,, sibirica{^loxt,)\

Europe and
Northern Asia

,, oblongata

(Hort.)
,, inter rupta

(Hort.)

The Caucasian , The Caucasus ...
Juuijier

sui'cica I ,, sM<;c2'ca(Hort.), Tlie Swcdisli Sweden.

{Loudon) ,, fastigiata \ Juniper

(Knight)!

DRrPACEA ' Arceutlios drupacca j The Aroeuthos or Asia ]\Iinor

'{Lahillardicrc). (Antoine)^ the Syrian

JunijMTUs latifoUa | Juniper

arbor ca, (Tournefort)

iiKMisni.^uiCA \ Juniperus ccMnqformis The hedgehog South of Eurojie

{Prc-il),

(Panz)
communis
liemisphcerica
(Par latere)

Juniper

(.\lpine)

Hciylit

iu
Feet.

2 to 5

12— 15

1— 3

12— 15

15- 20

1 —

10— 12

20- 25

1 —

274

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERJ:.

SciEKTiFic Name.

Synonyms.

Topular Name.

Habitat.

Height ■
in

Feet.

JUNIPERUS
maceocIrpa

(SibtJio)-}])

Junipcrus umUlicata

(Grenier)
, , s2)hccrocarpa

(Antoine)
,, Lobelli

(Gussoni)

The large- fruited
Jnnijier

Central Europe

10-

12

XEABOElkXSIS

{Lauson)

,, splunoeaipa,
(Antoine)

...

Garden variety.,.

10—

12

•

OXYCicDKUS

(Linnccus)

,, rufcscens

(Link)

The prickly-
Cedar

South of Europe

10-

12

KIGIDA

{Siehold)

The stiff-leaved
Juniper

Japan

15—

20

Juniperus canadensis. — A dwarf spreading busli of inelegant
habitj seldom exceeding a yard in height, foand in Canada,
Labrador, and tlie territory around Hudson's Bay, where it may be
regarded as the representative of the common European Juniper,
which it much resembles, especially the Alpine form (/.
communis nana), " but it is easily distinguished fi^om it by its
much narrower, sharper ]3ointed, and paler foliage, and by the
silvery band on the upper surface." *

It is a useful plant for tlie rock garden, but is frequently much
infested with red spider.

Juniperus communis. — The common Juniper of Britain and the
Europeo- Siberian region, over which it is spread, from Norway to
Kamtchatka. As a species, it varies exceedingly according to the
latitude and the elevation at which it is found. In valleys and
lowlands it attains the dimensions of a tree 20 feet high ; on
mountain slopes and on exposed hill sides, it is a dense shrub
from 3 to 5 feet high ; and at the highest elevations and in the
highest latitudes at which it occurs, it is a procumbent bush
rising but a few inches above the ground. In Great Britain " it
is a common bush, with long, narrow, sharp-pointed leaves, which
arc concave and glaucous on the upper side, but convex and

* Gordon, Piaetuin, p. 129.

JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS AXD VARIETIES. 275

green on the nnder. The fruit is used in consideral)lo f|nfintitica
on the Continent in the preparation of gin^ and in medicine it
is a powerful diuretic." *

The common Jimiper is not unfroqnent in a -wild state in EugLuul,
notably on the North Downs in Surrey, where, on the slopes, either
solitary' or in clumps, it often forms a low tree of from 8 to 12 feet
high. In this form, when furnished with branches from the ground,
it is by no means an inelegant tree. In other places, its form varies
much according to situation, from a low scrubby liusli to a small tree
with an undivided trunk.

Juniperus communis compressa. — A compact little shrub of
conical form^ attaining the height of only a few inches. The
branches and branchlets are slender^ erects and grow close together ;
the leaves are short, thin, and bright gTeen.

It is one of the smallest of ConiftTs ; the very diminutive size of
the plant rendering it interesting. It is found on the Pyrenees at
5,000 feet of elevation.!

Juniperus communis cracovia is known in gardens as the
Polish Juniper, from its having been brought from the neighbour-
hood of Cracow. It is an erect robust variety, with abundance
of foliage, and when growing in strong loamy soils the terminal
branchlets are pendulous. It is intermediate between the English
and Swedish forms.

Juniperus communis hibernica is the upright Irish Juniper.
The branches are erect, with numerous rigid, close-set, erect branch-
lets, clothed ^^-ith leaves shorter and deeper green than in the
common kind. The habit is columnar rather than pyramidal, and
it is one of the handsomest of all the varieties of J. communis.

Juniperus communis nana is a dwarf procumbent shrub with
short branches and In-anchlets covered with short, sharp pointed,
needle-like leaves, glaucous above and green beneath. It is found
in all the Alpine districts of northern Europe and Asia, from

• Dr. Lindley, Eiuj. C'ijclop., iii., p. 311.

+ Hence hibernica comjn-essa, the name under which this variety is freciucntly found in
nurserj' lists, is an hibcrnicism.

27G A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

Scotland to Kamtcbntka/'- and in Americn on tlio shores of the
f I rent Finkos and nortliwards.i"

Juniperus communis oblonga is a procumbent busli, witli
slender braiichcs and branclilets clotlied with long attennated leaves
of a deeper nnd brighter green than the common kind.

It is a native of the Cancasus.

This variety rarely thrives well in England. It is A^ery distinct as
regards the colom' of its foliage, and it sometimes takes an erect liahit.

Juniperus communis suecicse. — The Swedish Jnniper is a
fastigiate variety somewhat resembling the Irish^ but more robust
in growth^ and having its foliage more glaucous and of a lighter
green. The outline of the Swedish Jnniper varies, bnt it is always
formalj sometimes it is colnmnarj sometimes angular.

Juniperus drupacea. — A low or medium-sized tree with a
straight erect trunk furnished with numerous short branches, which
give the tree^ especially in its young state, a columnar or elongated
conical form. The leaves, which are in threes, are broader and
stouter than in any of the Junipers, very pointed, and light green
with but faint traces of the glaucescence common to this section of
the genus. The fruit is remarkable both in size and colour,
and may bo described as consisting of fleshy closely united scales,
arranged in verticils, enclosing a very hard bony kernel, generally
containing three cells, but sometimes, by non-developement, only
one ; it is about the size of the common sloe, of a deep purple,
covered with a glaucous bloom.

Hahitaf. — The mountains of northern Syria, Mount Taurus, places
in western Asia at from 3,500 to 5,000 feet of elevation.

Introduced into European gardens in 1854, by Theodor Kotschy.j

A very handsome and distinct Conifer, suitable for lawns, either as a
single specimen or for grouping M'ith other kinds.

Juniperus hemisphaerica.— A dense little rounded bush of singu-
lar appearance, with short rigid leaves, resembling those of the
cauimon Juuipar, and quite glaucous. It is a native of Mount

"" Prod., xvi., p. 480.
t Dr. A. Gray, F/ora of Xorthera Shc/.^s, p. 471. t Naiclhuhcr, p. 310.

jtJNirEKUS OXYCEDEUS, J. EIGIDA. 277

Etna, ill Sicily, as high as 9,000 feet elevation,* also of other
Alpine regions in the south of Europe.

Juniperus macrocarpa.— A shrub, from 10 to 12 feet high, of
more open and spreading habit than the common Juniper ; it has
also longer leaves, and, as its name implies, bears larger berries.
It is abundant throughout the Mediterranean region, and although
sufficiently hardy for some parts of England, it is rarely other than
an inelegant bush in British gardens.

Juniperus neaboriensis is a very distinct kind, of pyramidal or
fastigiate habit, with short branches clothed with short rigid and
very glaucous foliage. It is a handsome plant for the shrubbery.

The Juniper cultivated in Uritisli gardens under tlii.s name is
evidently a variety of Juniprrus communis. AVe have not lieen able
to trace its origin.

Juniperus oxycedrus is the representative of the common Juniper
throughout the Mediterranean region, where it is very abundant.
It is a bushy, much-branched shrub, with slender pendulous
branchlets, clothed mth sharp spreading needle-like leaves.

Junqx^rus o.'-ijccdrus may Ije distinguished from tlie connnon Juniper
by its somewhat broader and shorter leaves with more prominent wliite
Ijaiids on the under side. In Great Britain, owing to climatal causes,
it attains but small proportions, lias an inelegant habit, and is (piite
destitute of any ornamental finalities.

Closely allied to Jumperus o.i-ijccdrus are /. C'''h'/i-^, a tall trei', native
of the Canary Islands, and /. hrcvifolia, a husli 10 to 12 feet high,
inhal)iting the Azores, neither of which arc hardy in Britain.

Juniperus rigida is a low tree or shrub, of upright habit, with
a somewhat irregular, but by no means an inelegant outline, caused
by projecting and drooping branches. The leaves, which form a very
distinct characteristic of this species, are half an inch long, linear,
rigid, erect, sharp-pointed, and distinctly marked with a glaucous
furrow on the upper side — they are produced in close-set verticils ot
threes. The foliage and young growth, which is slender and pen-
dulous, arc of a lively light greeu, with a perceptible tinge of yellow,
to which is superadded a glaucous hue ] eculiar to this species.

* Carricre, p. 16.

278

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

These tints subside to a bright cheerful green as the f oh ago arrives
at maturity^ a colour it retains through the -winter months.

Habitat. — Japan, on Mount Hakone, at Atame on the oast coast,
and under cultivation.

Introduced into England in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.

The ornamental (j^nalities of Jiuu'perus rlijida are of a high order. The
graceful liaLit ami ai)pearauce of the plant, together with the very
distinct and. attractive colouring of the foliage, render it one of the
most useful of decorative plants, whether as a single specimen for the
lawn or for grou})ing with other shrubs.

Section II. — Leaves generally closely appressed, scaly in form, and
imbricated in the type.

SciENnrio Name.

Sjnoiij'ms.

Topular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in

Feet.

junIperus

EXCELSA

{Bicherstein)

JunijKrus oricntalis

fcctidissima
(Tournefort)
,, rclifjiosa

(Royle)

The Greek or
Crimean Juniper

Greece, Asia
Minor, and
Afghanistan

20 to 40

,, stricta
{Hort. Rollis-
son)

,, cxcchacjlauca
(Hort.)

Garden variety

IT.OCUMBEN.S

[Pursh)

, , j'l'ostrata

(Micliaux)
,, Sablna

humilis
(Hort.)
, , rcjKns

(Nuttall)

The Carpet

Juniper

Canada and
Northern United
States

itEcunvA (Don)

,, ncpalensis

(Hamilton)
,, recurva dcnsa

(Hort.)
, , repanda

(Hort.)

Himalayas

10— 30

SviiiNA {Linnaus)

,, ciqn-cssifolia
(Alton)

The Savin

South of Europe

5— 8

,, tamarisci-
folia
{Alton)

,, Sabinioldes

(Endlicher)

The Spanish

Savin

Spain

1- 2

„ Vcirie^^ata

{Loudon)

The variegated
Savin

Garden variety

THE SAVIN JUNIl'ERS,

279

Scientific Name.

Sy

lonjms.

Popular Namu.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

JUNIPEKUS

.■■QUA M ATA (Don)

Junii)eriu

dumosa

(Wallieh)
rccicrva
squamata
(Parlatore)

The scaly -leaved

Nepal Juniper

Himalayas

1—

TIIUIUFEUA

{Linncciis)

>,

hispanica

(Miller)

The Incense

Juniper

Spain and

Portugal

15— 2

VIEGI>-IAXA

(Linnccus)

...

...

The Ked Cedar

North America

10— S

, , aureo-

variegkta
{Hort.)

"

virginiana
aurea
(Hort.)

The Golden Red
Cedar

Garden variety

,, BeJfordiana
{Knight)

>>

gossain-
thaniana
(Loddiges)
virginiana
harhadensis
(Gordon)

>) !>

,, duniosa

{Loddiges)

>)

dumosa

(Hort.)

The Bushy Eed

Cedai

Garden variety

„ glauca

\{Hort.)

)>

argentca

(Hort.)

Tlie Silvery Ked
Cedai

,, pendula

(Eort.)

M

Chamber-
laynei
(Hort.)
virginiana
pe7idida
viridis
(Hort.)

The "Weeping

Eed Cedai

)> >>

„ Sthotti

iUorl.)

Schotti

(Hort.)

virginiana

viridis
(Hort.)

,, tripartita

(Hort.)

"

tripartita

(Hort.)

>i i>

Juniperus excelsa.-
liuight fro7u 2U to 40

-A symmetrical |iyrfiiiii(la] live, vnrying- in
feet according tu siituation. In tlic Hariub

280 A MANUAL or THE CONIFER.E.

district in Afg-lianistan, it is a large tree, forming fully half tlio
forests at 9,000 feet elevation. Tlie bark peels off in long fibrous
strips, M-liicli are collected and employed by tlie natives for
making pads for carrying tkeir water jars on, and for otlier
similar purposes. It has a straight trunk furnished with numerous
short branches, which are also much ramified; the branchlets are
clothed with thick decurrent, loosely imbricated leaves, either
opposite or more rarely in threes, covered with a dusty-like
glaucescence, giving the plant a greyish-green hue.

llahltat. — The Greek Archipelago, and the sub-alpiiie districts of
Asia Minor, also Armenia and Syria (Mount Lebanon).'-

Introduced in 1800 by Sir Joseph Banks.

The distribution of Junqxirm c.irchd. is very extensive. Beyond the
limits of the region named above, a variety of it lias been met
■with in nortliern Persia ; it also occiu's in Arabia, Afghanistan, Beloo-
chistan, and the Himalayas, as far east as Sikkim.f In the neigh-
bourhood of Quettab, it grows near the summits of tlu; bmestone
formation, at 10,000 to 12,000 feet elevation, and is the only valuable
timber tree in the district. And on the mountains of Abyssinia, a
tall Juniper has been discovered, and named /. prorera, but wliicl)
is Ijelieved to be a form of J. cxceha.X This proljaljly marks the
southern limit of the Junipers in the Eastern Hemisphere.

A Juniper has been introduced from the Himalayas, under the I'amc
of Juii/'iicrus rrJ///iosa, so called by Dr. Royle, from its being associated
■with till' religious rites of the natives. M. Carriere considers it to
be (»idy a variety of /. cxaisa {Tniiff, ]). 40); but by Parlatore, it
is referred to J., ch/iinms (rrod., xvi., p. 488). The specimens in
British gardens are scarcely distinguisbaLle from the typical form of
/. exccha.

Juniperus excelsa Stricta differs from the species in having a
more tapering outline and more glaucous foliage. The plant is of
a gi'eyish- white colour, slightly tinged with the bluish-green common
to the tribe.

The i)leasing colour and symmetrical habit of this -^-ariety; render
it very ornamental. It originated in the Xnrsery of jNIessrs. EoUisson,
at Tooting.

Juniperus procumbens.— A creeping spreading shrub, never

« Proil. xvi., p. 48 L + Sir J. D. Hooker, Ilimcdayan Journals, i., p. 256.

% Arbor excelsa, Jimipcro exceUcc aflinis, seJ ab iUa satis distincta, — Prod, xvi., p. 486.

JUNIPERUS EECL'RVA^ J. SABIXA. 281

risiDg ubove a few inclies from the ground, closely rosenibling
llie common ^avin in tlic coloui" of its foliage, with tho young
gTowth more glauccscent. It is the representative of the Savin in
North America, where it is found on the sandy beaches of New-
foundland, around Lake Huron, on the borders of swamps from
Maine to AVisconsin, and along the upper course of the Missouri.

Dr. Siebokl afhnns tliat it is also found in Japan, not only in
cultivation, but also abimdantly in a wild state on tlir niountains of
Nippon {Flor. Jap., ii., 60).

Juniperus recurva. — A shrub or bush, from 5 to 8 feet high,
growing among the crags and rocks of the Himalayas, from
Cashmere to Bliotan, but in the valleys, a tree 30 feet high.*
It is a very distinct species with recurved, pendulous, feathery
brauchlets, clothed Avith loosely imbricated pointed leaves, generally
in threes, of a g-reyish- green colour ; intermixed with these are
the rusty-brown chaffy or Avithered persistent leaves of the preceding
year, which, with the pendulous brauchlets, give the plant a
drooping and sickly but picturesque appearance.

The dioecious cliaracter of the Junipers is often sliown liy a marked
dissimilarity in hal)it or appearance in tho different sexes of the same
species. Jiuiipevas recurva is an instance of this. In this species the
mas or male form is more dense, dwarfer, and the foliage looser
than in tlie f<emina or berry bearing form, whicli is more o\)q\\, and
has the branclilets and small growth more pendulous and the leaves
more closely apprpssed to the stem. It is the . latter form that is
most commonly seen in British shrubberies.

Juniperus Sabina is the common Savin of gardens and shridj-
beries, well known as a bushy much branched shrub of spreading
irregular habit. The brauchlets are entirely covered with small,
scale-like, imbricated leaves, emitting a very disagreeable odour when
bruised. The berries arc blackish-purple, and about the size of a
small currant.

Habitat. — The sub- Alpine districts of southern Europe, from the
Pyrenees to the Caucasus.

Introduced into England prior to 1513, as it appears in Turner's
"Names of Herhcs/' pubhshed in that year.

* Sir J. D. Hooker, c: Prod., xvi., p. 482.

282 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

The Savin aiul its variotics are essentially mountain jilants, and
tlu-ive best in light soil in sunny and airy situations. The fonunon
Savin is a useful plant for the background of the rockery and for
variety in the shrubbery.

Juniperus Sabina tamariscifolia is a low trailing plant of
neater habit, and with foliage of a brighter green than the type.

Juniperus Sabina variegata has many of its branchlets creamy-
Avhite or pale yellow, which gives the plant a spotted or chequered
appearance. It is a useful shrub for the rockery and winter
bedding.

Juniperus squamata is a decumbent creeping shrub, much
branched and spreading, rarely exceeding a yard in height. The
branches are furnished mth numerous short stiff branchlets, clothed
with rigid, sharp pointed, scaly leaves, generally in threes, very
persistent, and glaucescent.

Habitat. — The Himalayas, chiefly in Nepaul and Thibet, at eleva-
tions of fi-om 10,000 to 15,000 feet.

Introduced into England in 1824.

Juniperus thurifera. — A small tree, with an erect, tapering,
slender trunk, furnished with short branches, which are spreading in
the lower portion of the tree and ascending in the upper portion,
giving it an elongated conical form tapering to a sharp point.
The branches are much divided into small spray covered with
minute, scale-like, greyish-green leaves in opposite pairs, and clasp-
ing the stem when mature, but slightly spreading in the young
growth.

Uahitat. — Spain on the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia ; I'urtugal
near Cape St. Vincent ; Algiers near Medina.*

Introduced in 1752 by Miller.

Juniperus virginiana is the Eed Cedar of gardens and shrub-
beries. It shows much diversity in habit and foliage, varying in
size from a dwarf bushy shrub to a tree with an erect trunk 50
to 60 feet high, and in colour from a deeiD glossy green to a light
glaucoub green, with many intermediate shades, tinged with red,

* Prod., xvi., p. 4S7.

JUNIPERUS VIRGINIAXA. 283

yellow, or browu. In its most familiar aspect it is a medium-
sized tree of pyi^amidal form, A\'itli branches tliat are at first erect
or sub-erect, afterwards liorizontal, and in old trees fi'equently
decumbent. The branchlets are numerous, often crowded, and
clothed with short acicular leaves in whorls of threes, but
frequently they are minute, scale-like, and imbricated hke those of
the common Savin. The berries, which are no larger than small
peas, are dark blue, covered mth a white glaucous bloom.

Habitat. — North America, from the Great Lakes to the Mexican
Gulf, and from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains.

Introduced in 166J^, by Evelyn.

The Red Cedar is distributed over a large extent of country.
" From Lake Champlain it spreads througli the Atlantic States witliout
interruption to Florida, and thence round the (4ulf of Mexico to
beyond St. Bernard's Bay. Further inland it is less common, but it
occurs abundantly on the mountain slopes of Xevada, and it has been
seen even further west ; it is also met witli in Texas and Xew
Mexico. Closely allied forms also occur in tlie Benuuda islands.
(Jun/p'Tus herriiudiana), and Mexico (J. mexicaiw ). In so ex-
tensive a range the Red Cedar varies much in form and colour of
fohage ; in dry and sterile rocky places in the Xorthern States it is
a mere shrub ; in the more humid and warmer climate of Virginia it
is a tree 50 feet high. Under cultivation it is also polymorphous,
of which every seed bed furnishes abundant instances, so that it is
not easy to select any particular tyjje as a representative one for the
whole species. M. Carriere* is of opinion that this variety of form
is an effect of the dioecious character of the plant." H' y a- des
individus exclusivement males, d'autres exclusivement femeUes, et d'autres
entin qui, a des degres differents, portent les deux sexes. Ce qui est
encore a remarquer, c'est ce (jue ces caracteres agissent sur le facies,
ct qu'elles donnent souvent aux i)lantes xui aspect particulier. Cette
particularite, qui probablement s'applique a d'autus especes de Juniperus
pourrait peut-etre expliquer la multiplicite qu'en a faite d'especcs ([ui,
pour beaucoup, ne sont probablement que des formes d'un seul type.

The economic value of the wood of the Red Cedar is very great, and
the uses to Avhich it is applied in America are numerous. Tlie
matured or heart wood is of a fhie red colour, whence the popular
name of the tree ; it is of close texture and fine in gTain, admitting
of a high polish ; it is also very fragrant, on which account it is
employed in ca1)inct work and inlaying ; it is durable, and free from
the attacks of insects ; it resists for a long time the action of water,

* Traite clc Gsmral Conijercs, p. 47.

2 si A MA^'UAL OF THE CONIFER J!.

ami was much used by tlic earlier colonists and s6ttlers for water
shoots, stakes, and under ground work.'"' But the tree does not in
general attain a sufficient size to yield planks of more than a few
inches in breadth and thickness, Avhich has proved an impediment to
its more extensive use for constructive purposes. The chief use made
of the wood in England is in the manufacture of " Cedar pencils,"
but even for this purpose the Avood of the Bermuda Juniper has
hitherto been preferred, but Avhich is now becoming too scarce to supply
the demand. The average groAvth of the Ked Cedar in England is
not more than from 12 to 15 feet in ten years, and the tree does
not often attain a timber-like size, except in deep and rich soils that
could be far more profitably cropped by other vegetation, so tliat it
cannot be recommended for planting in this country for the sake of
its timber. As an ornamental tree for the shruljbery its qualities are
well knoAvn, and these are even more manifest in some of the varieties
into which it has sported under cultivation.
Among the most distinct are the following : —

Juniperus virginiana aurea-variegata.— In this variety many of
the terminal and lateral branchlets are deep yellow ; the variega-
tion is^ however^ very unequally distributed^ being in some places
the entire branchlets^ in others a mere spot.

Juniperus virginiana Bedfordiana is a very handsome variety,
with longer and more slender brandies, and with foliage of a brighter
green than in the common form. The ultimate branchlets are fili-
form and pendulous.

The origin of this beautiful variety is not certainly known. Mr.
Gordon (Pmetum, p. 156), states that it is a native of Barbadoes and
other "West Indian Islands, Ijut quotes no authority in support of the
statement. It Avas extensively distributed by Messrs. Loddiges, under
tlie name of Junipn-us (jrmamfJtaniana, thereby indicating a Himalayan
origin, which is accepted by M. Carriere {TmiU, p. 45), Init rejected by
Professor Parlatore, who considered it to be a garden variety only.

Juniperus virginiana dumosa.— A dwarf variety, with a rounded
top, and foliage of Ijriglit green during the growing season. The
leaves arc for the most part acicular, either opposite or in threes,
others arc scale-Ukc and closely imbricated.

Juniperus virginiana glauca.— The Silver Juniper of gardens.

*■ Loudoi), Arh. ct Frut., p. 2497, ex. Mieliaux.

JUNIPEEUS VIEGIKIANA, ETC. 285

A free-,2"i'o-u4no' variety, ■s^-it^l brandies more slender thun in tlio

n^ual type. Tlie branclilets and tlieir foliage during- the q-rowinpc

season are of almost silvery wliiteness^ wliicli changes in winter to
a pale green.

Juniperus virginiana pendula.— ''There are three forms of the
pendnlons T?ed Cednr io bo found in collections: one of the male
form, another the fcmaJo, and the third a Jiriijht r/rcen one. The male
kind has shorter and much more numerous branchlets, while the
female one has longer, more slender, and much fewer branchlels;
the third variet}^ is of a light glossy green." *

Of those forms the /(em inn is i\i(\ l)est ; tlie foliage is ricliev in
colom' than in tlic other two forins, ami although the branches spviugiug
froiu the trunk are horizontal, the brauchlets have the iiemlulous
character strongly developed.

Juniperus virginiana ScllOtti.— A variety of pyramidal habit,
distinguished by its pecnliarly bright green foliage.

Juniperus virginiana tripartita is a dwarf spreading variety,
resembling in habit the common Savin, but much denser; the leaves
are acicular, short, sharp pointed, spreading, and glaucous.

Juniperus bermudiana. — A densely branched pyramidal tree,
attaining a liciglit of from 40 to 50 feet. Tlie foliage is dimorphous ;
on the yoimg plants the leaves are acicular, and arrange(l in threes,
hut as the tree advances in age they become scale-like and imbricated.
It was in cultivation in England prior to 1700, but is seldom seen
in collections excei)t in a ymng state — being too tendei- to endure severe
winters.

From Jiinipfrm h rniudlona was obtained the fragrant wood used in
the manufacture of "Cedar" pencils, till the increased demand made
the tree scarce. There was (1872) still existing in ]5ermuda an old
Cedar tree, the diameter of wli'ise li'uidc Avas 58 inches.f

Juniperus davurica. ~A low sprcuUng slirnl), native (if Siljeria.
lutrodiiced iu 1791,^ but now rarely seen in this country. The Juniper
met with in collection under this name is Jnnipi'i-m cnuadoi^ix, or a
variety of /. com ntiai /'■•<. ^

Juniperus pseudo-Sabina. — A low shrub, n'sembling tli-- common

* GorJon, J'iaelum, p. 156. t Gardeners Chronicle, 1872, p. 10.3,'5.

X Lortlon, Arh. cl Frul., p. 2500. § Gordon, riiictvni, p. 111.

286

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.S.

Savin in liaLit and af^poct, found on the Altain mountain?, whence it
Avas introduced into Europe through the Imperial Eotanic Garden at
St. Petershiirgh. * It is quite rare in England.

Section III.— Leaves hoth acicular and scale-like on the same plant at
different stao-es of crrowth.

Scientific Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

JUNIPERUS

Junijperiis dimorpha

The Chinese

China and Thibet

20— 25

CHINfeNSIS MAS

(Roxburgh)

Juniper, male

{lAnnccus)

»>

taxifolia
(Hooker)

form

,, fceniina

))

cernua

The Chinese

)! J>

20— 25

(Linnccus)

"

(Roxburgh)

flacjelliformis

(Reeves)

Juniper, female
form

,, albo-

The variegated

Garden varietj',

variegtita

Chinese Juniper

China

(Fortune)

,, aiirea

Young's golden

Gaiden variety...

{Hort. Young)

Chinese Juniper

JAruNICA

Juniiiei

?(s 2^^ocii7nbens

The Japanese

Japan

3— 5

{Carriere)

(Siebold)

Juniper

,, a urea

The golden

Garden variety.

3— 5

{Fortune)

Japanese Juniper

Japan

,, aureo-

The variegated

Garden variety...

3— 5

variegata
{Hort.)

Japanese Juniper

OCCIDRNTALIS

Junipci

MS excelsa

The western

California,

10— 50

{S!r W. Hooker)

J)

(Pnrsh)
dealha'a

(Loudon)
californica

(Carriere)
jnjriformis

(Lindley)
venicsta

(Hort.)
fr(((jrans

(Hort.)

Juniper

Oregon, &c.

* According to Parlatorc, " Species a Junipcro Salinu valde distincta ncc cum aliqua
confundeiula." — Prod., xvi., p. 482.

JUNIPERUS CHINENSIS.

287

SciEXTiFic Name.

Synonyms,

Popular Name.

Habitit.

Height

in
Feet.

JUNIPERUS ^

PACHTPHLCEA

{Tmrey)

...

New llexico

PHCENiCEA

(^Linnceus)

Junipems hacdformis

(Carriere)
, , Lanrjoldiana
(Hort.)
Cupressus hacdformis

(Weldenow)

The Phoenician
Juniper

Greece, Asia

Minor, &c.

15— 18

spii.VnicA

{Liiulhnj)

Jiinipcrus Fortuiui

(Hort. Van Houtte)
,, cUiiiensis

Smithii
(Loudon)

The glohular-
fruited Juniper

North Cliina ...

25— 30

, , Sheppardi
{Hort.)

, , sphccrica

glauca
(Fortune)

Sheppard's

Juniper

North China

Juniperus chinensis. — A low or medium-sized tree, of erect or
elongated pyramidal habit, with short branches and dimorphous
foliage. It is dioecious, each sex presenting an aspect distinct
from the other. The vias or male form has numerous branches,
the higher ones ascending or nearly erect, and all very much
ramified; the leaves are generally in threes, acicular, stiff, and
spreading, glaucous or bright green ; the small staminate orange-
yellow flowers are produced in profusion all over the plant in
spring. Tlie foimina or female form has its liranches longer, more
distant, and more spreading than those of the male; the leaves
are in opposite pairs, short, scale-like, and closely imbricated ;
the berries are small, of a brownish-violet colour, and rarely contain
more than three seeds. Tlie dimorphous foliage is common to both
forms ; acicular leaves are frequently found on the small side shoots
and lower branches of the focmina; and the imbricated scale-like leaves
are most common on the outer and upper branches of the mas.

Habitat. — China, Thibet, and the Himalayas of Cashmere and
Nepaul.*

* Prod, xvi., p. 188, ex Webb et Cliiirith.

288 A MANUAL or THE CONIPEE.Ii:.

Iiitroclucod in 1804.*

The Chinese Juniper is one of tlie most nseful of small evergreen
trees for the slu'uLliery and for ornamental planting generally ; for
single specimen for small lawns the mas form should ha preferred.
It is (piite hardy, and thrives in every description of soil not too
•\vet.

Juniperus chinensis aurea.. — A Ijcautiful and distinct variety,
having the whole of its young growth suffused with deep golden-
yellow. The colour is heightened by full exposure to the sun.

It originated from a male plant in the Xurseries of jMr. ^lauriee
Young, at IMilford, near Godalming.

Juniperus chinensis albo-variegata has its foliage more
glaucous than the species, with numerous twigs, and many of its
terminal shoots pure white. The plant is of dwarf compact habit.

It was introduced .to British gardens hy 1h. R(_»l)ert Fortune from
Japan.

Juniperus japonica is probably an alpine form of J. chinensis.
It is a dwarf bush, sometimes with only a single stem, but
oftener with a divided one; in the latter case tbe branches
or divisions of the stem assume a procumbent habit. The leaves
are at first acicular, very close set, arranged in threes, bright
green beneath, and distinctly marked with two silvery glaucous lines
above; on the adult plants they arc scale-like and bright green.

Juniperus japonica aurea kas the growth of the current
season tinged with golden-yellow, which gradually changes to
light green. The primary branches in this variety are few, and
produced at irregular intervals; they are robust and long in pro-
portion to the height of the trunk or principal stem, decumbent
and straggling, and densely clotlicd with spray and foliage.

Juniperus japonica aureo-variegata i;^ qnite distinct from the
preceding, both in habit and colour. It is a dense dwarf shrub,
having many of the branchlets and terminal growths of a deep
golden-yellow.

* Carriorc, TraitC GCnircd dcs Conifircs, p. 31.

JUNIPERUS OCCIDENTALIS. 289

Juniperus OCCidentalis.— A tall tree or low slirub, according
to the situation in whicli it is grooving. In tlie rich alluvial valley
of the Columbia River, where it was discovered by Lewis and
Pursh, and called by them J. excelsa, it is a fine erect tree,
50 feet high. On the mountain of San Bernardino, in California,
where it was found by William Lobb, and from whose specimens
Dr. Lindley described it under the name of J. pyriformis, it is
a shrubby bush, 10 to 12 feet high.* In the young state the
leaves are in whorls of threes, spreading*, sharp pointed, and
glaucous ; in the adult plant they are short, blunt, imbricated,
and closely appressed to the stem. The berries are small, deep
purple, and covered with a glaucous bloom.

Habitat. — North-west America, from the Fraser River to the
Sacramento, and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, but
only in diiferent localities within this region. Also east of the
Rocky Mountains from Utah to Texas.

Introduced in 1839.t

A variety called utahensis is abundant in the State of Xevada.
It is described by Professor Sargent, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as
a low bushy tree, branching from the ground, with a stout trunk
which rarely exceeds 2 feet in diameter ; it is of exceedingly slow
gi'owth owing to the dryness of the climate. Another variety called
monospei-ma occurs at Pike's Peak, Colorado, and extends through
western Texas and iSTew Mexico to Arizona. A third variety named
conjtmgens is an important timber tree of western Texas, where it forms
forests of considerable extent.

Juniperus pachyphloea.— A slender upright tree, of tapering
habit, with short erect branches; the leaves are subulate, almost
squamiform, closely imbricated, thick and broad at the base, and
sharply pointed. The young growth is very glaucous, which gives
the plant quite a whitish appearance.

JIaUtat. — The mountains of western New Mexico and Arizona.

Jmqjerus xKicliypMoea is still rare in British gardens, and the above
description is only applicable to the few specimens of it which we
have seen. It is quite possible that as it becomes more common the

* Gardeners' Clironiele, 1855, p. 420.

+ Loudon's Encyclopccdia of Trees, p. 1090, but tliis date is probably incorrect. It was
either introduced earlier by Douglas, or later by Hartwej?, as tliere is no record of any
trees and shrubs being introduced from California bctweiu 1832 and 1846,

390 A MANUAL OF THR COXTFET?.?'.

lialiit will lio found to vary. /. pacliyplila?a is certainly a remarkable,
but can scarcely be called a handsome species. Parlatore observes of
it, "/. occidental i valde affinis et forsan ejus varietas."

Juniperus phoenicea. — A low tree or slirub-like busb^ of conical
or pyramidal habit. Its stem is furnished with nmnerous slender
branches much di^aded at their extremities, and clothed with small
scale-like bright green leaves, the glaucescence common to the tribe,
being absent or nearly so in this species. The dioecious character
of the Junipers is frequently departed from in J. jilLnnncea, so that
staminate and pistillate flowers are found on the same plant, but
always on different branches of it, and thus showing the peculiarity
of some branches being' covered with berries while the others are
unfruitful. The berries are about the size of peas, and of a pale
yelloAV in this country, where they generally fail to arrive at maturity,
but in the south of Europe they are blackish-violet when ripe.

Habitat. — The Mediterranean region.

Introduced in 1683 by Mr. James Sutherland, of the Botanic
Garden, Edinburgh.

Juniperus spliserica combines the upright mode of growth of
J. chinensis with the habit of /. 'phoenicea in its much divided tufted
branches and scale-like imbricated leaves, the colour of the foliage
being on the whole brighter than the latter and less glaucescent
than the former. It shows the same psculiarity as J. 'phoenicea, in
often departing from the dioecious character of the Junipers, so that
particular branches are sometimes found loaded with berries while
the remainder of the plant has none. The berries are of globular or
spherical form, which suggested to Dr. Lindley the specific name.*
Hahiiat. — North China.
Introduced in 1846 by Mr. Robert Fortune.

Juniperus sphserica Sheppardi. — A shrubby bush, of rather
spreading habit, rendered dense by its numerous branchlets. The
leaves are acicular, rigid, open, and sharp pointed. In autumn the
foliage and young growth becomes very glaucous, almost of silvery
whiteness. It is a recent introduction from China.

* Parlatorc remarks that '^ JwniiJcrus spha'rica difTert a J', chbienm floribus monoieis, ramis
crassioribus, brevioribus, subtetragouis ; foliis subpatulis et glandula ovali vel subrotunda
pro[>e ba-siii pyelitis, et pr;ecipue galljulis majoribus. "—Prof?., xvi., p. 488.

THE YEW TCIBE. 291

Teibe IV.— TAXINE^. The Yew Tkibe. (Tamch),

Amidst much variety in liabit and aspect, the Taxads, sufficiently
hardy for the climate of Great Britain, possess the following
common characters^ those of fructification being deemed essential,
and distinguishing the members of the tribe from other Conifera?.

Their growth, with but few exceptions, is comparatively slow,
and their wood hard, tough, and very durable. Their leaves
are narrow, flattened, and entire, frequently distichous or sub-
distichous in arrangement, occasionally scattered, but in Ginkgo
(Sahsburia) they are expanded into a fan-like shape, striated
with veins of uniform thickness, and notched at the edges.

The flowers are monoecioas or dioecious and solitaiy ; the
male flowers having the stamens united at the base, and the
female with the ovule unprotected by scales. The fruit is
always one seeded (mono sperm ous) and not collected into
cones as in the other Tribes ; the seed is usually enclosed in
a fleshy covering.

Tlie Taxads are resinous, hke other Couifera^, but their secretions
are not abundant, nor are they applied to any useful purpose.
The young growth and foliage of the common Yew is known to
be poisonous, and it is highly probable that those of other mem-
bers of the tribe are more or less noxious. The timber of many
of the Taxads is extremely valuable in their native countries, as
that of the Yew in Great Britain, the Totara Pine (Podocarjyns
Toiara) in New Zealand, Dacryclinm Franldtiiil in Tasmania, Podo-
carpus cupressinus in Java, &c.

The Taxads are but thinly spread over the globe. The Yew has
an extensive area of distribution in the temperate regions of the
northern hemisphere ; the Podocarps take the place of the Yew
between the tropics, and the tribe is represented in the southern
hemisphere by Bacrydmm, Phyllocladus, Saxe-Gothcea, &c.

I.— TAXUS (Tournefort) . The Yew.

The essential characters of Taxus are sufficiently indicated above.
As regards its distribution, the Yew is rarely met with beyond the

292 A l^rANUAL OF THE CONIFER^:.

limits of the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, over which
it is sparingly spread. Preferring elevated situations often to an
altitude of from 4,000 to 5,000 feet, it nowhere forms a continu-
ous forest Hke many members of the Fir and Pine Tribe, and even
when plentiful it is mixed with other trees. On English Downs it
is sometimes found solitary, forming a conspicuous object from afar;
and generally in its wild state in this country, it is observed to be
more frequent on the north slopes of rising ground than on any
other aspect, and not unfrequently in the shade of deciduous
trees. Occasionally it is met with in groups, or forming small
groves unmixed with other trees.

One of the most remarkable of the Yew groves occurs on Mickle-
ham Downs, near Leatherhead, in Surrey, on the estate of A. Dickson,
Esq., of Cherkley Coiut. Here an extensive area is covered with
Yews, almost imniixed with other trees and shrubs, except a few
Jimipers scattered here and there through the grove. The aspect of
some of these Yews is pecuhar and even beautiful. Groups of from
five to a dozen may be seen with their trunks in close proximity to
each other, forming a dense copse or clump, and each tree being
thicldy furnished with branches from the groimd on the side freely
exposed to the air, the group has the appearance of being one tree of
gigantic dimensions. In one part of the grove, a considerable space
is completely covered with Yews, all of whicli, except the outside tree>,
have lost their lower branches, those remaining on the trees being
confined to the tops only, and with their foliage forming a dense
canopy impervious to the sun's rays, the interior being lighted only at
distant intervals by small openings in the thick foHage. On entering
the tliicket the aspect is weird and sombre, and when in winter the
tops of the trees are covered with a thick coating of snow, and the
diminished light takes a hazy yellowish hue, tlie appearance of the
interior causes an indescribable feeling of depression and gloom.

" There is a famous clump of Yews at Kingsley Vale, on the
South Do^\^ls, near Chichester, and another on the ISTorth Downs, in
a slight hollow of the hill, near Guildford. JSTumerous great Yews
here stand in a natural park or wood opening, among Hawthorns
and several indigenous shrubs, Holly, Furze, Blackthorn and Crab,
with Butcher's Broom beneath. This retired covert, forming part of
the primeval forest, is blameless at present of a foreign tree."*

On the continent of Europe the Yew is more or less common
in all the mountain and hilly districts, from the Mediterranean to
* H. Evershecl, in Gardeners' Chronicle, 1876, vol, vi., p. 99.

THE YEW AND ITS VAKlETlKy. 293

Sweden and Norway, as far as latitude 60"^ N., Lut it is very
rare in Russia, a circumstance accounted for by the level nature
of the country. It is also found in Algeria, on Mount Taurus
in CiKcia, in Armenia, and as far eastwards as the River Amour.*
On the Himalayas, '' it occurs as high as 10,000 feet, and spreads
east fi'om Kashmir to Assam and the Khasia hills ; and the Japan,
Philippine Islands, Mexican and other North American Yews belong-
to the same widely diffused species. In the Khasia, its most
southern limit, it is found as low as 5,000 feet.^^ t It is frequent
in Canada and the north-east States, and locally met with in
Florida, California, and Oregon. ^:

The Yew is of geological antiquity ; it formed part of the forests
of Britain at a period long anterior to historic times. It is found
among the buried trees on the Norfolk coast, near Cromer. § It also
" crops up in another forest, now beneath the Bristol Chamiel, in
Avhich, if there be any truth in bones, the elephant, rhinoceros, and
beaver roamed." ||

Taxus, the Latin name of the Yew, from the Greek ru^og (taxos),
which, from raaatj (tasso) " to arrange," probably in reference to the
two rowed or distichous arrangement of the leaves, or probably from
To'^ov (toxon) " a bow," the wood being used in ancient times for
making Ijows.

Yew, or Yeugh. In Chaucer and other olil authors, ewe ; in
Aubrey's Wilts, eugh ; Anglo Saxon, iw ; German, eibe ; Spanish, iva
and tejo ; French, if ; Welsh, yw ; Media Latin, ivus, iva, cr ua,
" an abbreviation of ajuga, wliicli Avas a misspelling of abiga, a ]ilant
mentioned by Phny as being the same as xaixcuirirvQ (cliamaipitus) so
called from its causnig abortion. These names of ■ tlic Yew Ave find .so
inseparably mixed up Avith others that mean Ivy, that dissimilar as
are the tAVO plants there can be no douht that their names are, in
their origin, identical. How they came to be attaclied to these trees,
the YcAV and the Ivy, is the dilliculty." (^Prior, rojjulai' Names of
Brillsli riaiits).

In the folio Aving synuplic tal.lc the Aurieties placed nndcr Toxm
haccata originated in Great Britain, or in continental nurseries.

* Do CandoUe's Prod., xvi., p. 500.

t Sir J. D. Hooker's Himalayan Joicrnals, vol. ii., p. 25.

X Dr. Asa Gray considers the Canadian YeAV to belong to the same species as the Old World
Yews ; the very local one in Florida is slightly diflerent ; that of California and Oregon dillcrs
a very little more. Address to American Association of ,^ciencc, 1872.

§ Dr. Ramsay, Physical Geology of Great Britain, p. 13-1.

ii H. Eversbed in Gardeiiers' Chronicle, 1876, vol, vi., p. 99.

204

A MANUAL or THE CONirElLTi;.

SciEXTiFic Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

TAX US ADrEES.sA

{Knight)

Taxus tardlva

(Lawson)
Cephalotaxus tardlva

(Siebold) (?)
Taxus laccata micro-

liliylla (Jacques)
,, parvifolia

(Wendworth)
,, hrcvifolia

(Hort.)

The flat-headed
Yew

-

8 to 10

, , erecta
{Ilort. Stamlish)

...

...

Garden variety

„ voriegata
{Ilort. )

)> )>

EACCATA

{Linnccus)

The Conunon

Yew

Euro])e and Asia

30— 45

, , aurea

(Hort.)

...

Tlie golden Yew

Garden variety

,, Dovastoiiii
(Loudon)

Taxus Do vastonii (Hort.)
,, iKnduk'j (Hort.)

Dovaston's or the
"Westfelton Yew

)) )>

30— 35

„ elegan-

tissima
{Hort.)

...

...

)) )>

,, erecta

{Loudon)

Taxus laccata jjyrawii-
dalis (Hort.)

The upright Yew

>> )>

20— 25

,, erlcoides
{Ilort.)

, , empetri/oUa

(Hort.)

,, mlcrophylla

(Hort.)

The Heath-like
Yew

M )>

4 — 5

,, fastigiata
{Loudon)

,, luhcrnka

(Hort.)

The Irisli Yew

...

20— 25

i, ,, aurea
{Ilort. Staiulii-h)

...

...

„ „ aureo-

marginata

{Ilort. Fisftcr)

...

Tlie goldcu Irish
Yew

Garden variety

,, fastigiata
argenteo-
variegata
{C'arrierc)

Tax us fast Ujiata argentca
(Knight)

TIic silver Irish
Yew

)) ))

ME YEW AND ITS VAEIETlES.

29;

Scientific Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name,

Habitat.

Height

in

Feet.

TAXUS baccIta
,, fructu-

luteo
(Loudon)

The yellow-
berried Yew

...

25— 30

,, nana

(Hort.)

Taxus Foxii (Knight)

The dwarf Yew

3—5

„ nigra

(ffort. Paul)

)>

haccata glauca

(Carri&re)

The glaucous
Yew, or Blue John

BREVIFOLIA

{Nuttall)

5J

!)

Lindlcyana

(Murray)
occidcntalis

avuricana
(Douglas)
Boursieni

(Carriere)

The Califoruian
Yew

California and

Oregon

30— 50

CAXADENSIS

( Wildenoiu)

))
»)
>)

baccata caiut'

dcnsis (Loudon)
baccata miiwr

(Micliaux)
procumbens

(Loddiges)

The Canadian

Yew

Canada and
north-eastern
States

5 — 15

J, variegata
{Hort.)

The variegated
Canadian Yew

Garden variety...

,, Washiiig-

touii

(ffort.)

Taxus canadensis aurca
(Hort.)

Washington's
Canadian Yew

!) J>

CUSI'IDATA

iSiebold)

The Japanese

Yew

Japan

15— 20

Taxus adpressa. — A low tree or shrub^ with numerous spreading
branches clothed with ovate-oblong blackish-green leaves, slightly
inclined upwards and forwards, and distichously arranged in double
rows. It is called the flat-headed Yew on account of its spreading
habit and want of a leader. It is a very distinct Yew.

The origin of To.rm ndprrsm is uncciitain. It is generally believed
to have been introiluced from Japan, Init our collector failed to meet
with it in tliat country, citlier in a wild state or in cultivation. A
higlier degree of probabiHty is attaclied to the supposition of its liaving
originated in a once famous nursery in nortli-cast London.

296

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFERS.

Taxus adpressa erecta is au upright variety of tlie preceding^
wliicli originated in the Nursery of Messrs. Standish, at Ascot.

Taxus adpressa variegata has the tips of many of its
branches creamy-white.

Taxus baccata. — The common Yew in its most usual form, in
a wild state, is a low tree rarely exceeding" 40 feet in height,

often much less, varying in height and
size according to the soil and situation in
which it is groAving, and presenting a
sky outline rather peaked and pointed, but
becoming rounded in mature age. It has
a short trunk, very thick in proportion to
the size of the tree, which divides or sends
out branches at a short distance from the
ground. The branches are much subdivided,
and the branchlets are clothed with dark
green shining persistent leaves in two lateral
double rows, but sometimes more or less
scattered, especially in some of its varieties.
The fruit consists of a brownish oval nut,
enclosed in a glutinous scarlet envelope or

Fig.ei.-FructificationoftheCommou P^^^Carp, OpCU at the top, thrOUgh which

(2TFemaieofovu'ie-berHngXwerrT3) ^"^^ ^^^ protrudos. The fruit-beariug trees

Ripe fruit; (4) Longitudinal section of i t • i n ^

the seed showing the position of the ai*© Very lianclsome lu autumn when covered

embryo.

with their bright coloured berries.

The Yew, like the Juniper, is dioecious relatively — not absolutely —
iatermediate degrees of fertility being constantly met Avitli. Thus some
trees are annually covered Avith fruit, others bear but little — certain
branches only bemg fertile, Avliile others, again, never produce any.
Many individual trees are completely dioecious, but there are others
that are not so. Loudon observes that " The Yew is of slow growth,
but in favourable situations it will attain the height of 6 or 8 feet
in ten years. In twenty years it will attain the height of 15 feet,
and it will continue growing for one hundred years, after which it
becomes comparatively stationary, but will live for many centuries." *
In a light warm soil the growth of young plants is someAvhat more
rapid than tliat stated by Loudon.

* Arb. et FriiL, p. 20G9.

THE COMMON YEW. 297

Tlie wood of the Yew is exceedingly hard and close-gramed, of a
beautiful reddisli-bro\vn, susceptible of a high poKsh, and very durable,
tough, and elastic — qualities that were turned to account during many
centuries iu the making of bows used in warfare and the chase, and
in modern times for archery. Yew wood was also formerly much used
in the manufacture of articles of domestic furniture, many antique and
curious specimens of which are still preserved in museums, &c. The
spray and foUage of the Yew are poisonous to cattle. The berries are
glutinous, and have a sweet taste ; they are often eaten by cliildren
without being followed by harmful consequences. The kernel, too, is
edible, and has a bitter flavour not luilike that of the seeds of the
Stone Pine (Pinus pinea).

The association of the Yew with religion and places of- worship is
of very ancient date. Many hypotheses have been brought forward
explanatory of the cause of the selection of this tree for planting in
proximity to churches and abbeys, or, perhaps, it Avould be more correct
to say, the building of churches and abbeys in proximity to large and
fiill groMTi Yews ; for it is indisputable that the finest and most
venerable trees at present existing in Britain are to be found in
churchyards, and in the vicinity of old priories and abbeys, but it is by
no means certain whether in all cases, or even in the majority of them,
the Yews were planted subsequent to the building of the edifice, or
the edifice erected near the spot Avhere the Yews were already standmg.*
The true cause of the association, in this country at least, is not, we
think, difiicidt to be foiuid — this is in the character and habit of the
tree itself. There is no other native evergreen tree at all to be com-
pared with the YcAV as regards its foliage, its massive sombre aspect,
and its longevity, and hence the Yew would be naturally selected to
represent the feelings, the sentiments,, and the hopes associated with
burial-grounds and in connection with places of worship where senti-
ments and feelings are most likely to seek expression by visible
representatives or enduring monuments. The feeling of Hope lives in
its evergreen foliage; Sorrow is remembered in its dark and sombre
shade, and Veneration is awakened in its aged aspect. It may be
safely assumed from the knoAra antiquity of many Yews still standing
in churchyards and the like places, that the association of the Yew
with religion must be of very ancient origin; and the probability is
very great that it took its rise at an epoch anterior to the introduction
of Christianity into Britain.

Among the ancient Yews still existing, that are, or have been asso-
ciated with sacred edifices, the folloAving are celebrated : —

* There was a very ancient Yew iu the churchyard of Kirkheating, near Huddersfield.
The inhabitants of the village have a tradition that the church (which dates before 1245)
was built to the tree, and not the tree jjlanted to tlie church. It was living iu 1864, but
is now dead. — G. Hoberts, in Science Gossi2>, 1875, p. 70.

298 A MANUAL OF THE CONIJEEA'.

Tlic Fountains Abbey Yews, in Yorkshire, are very aged. The
Abbey M-as founded in 1132. The monks are said to have taken
shelter luider tlic YeAvs groAving on the declivity of the hill while
the building was in progress.

In the churchyard of Overton, in Flintshire, is a very ancient
Yew, now fast going to decay. Tlie trunk, quite hoUoAv, is upAvards
of 30 feet in circumference at 3 feet from the ground.

Among the fine old Ycavs in Gresford churchyard, in Derbyshire,
is one supposed to he over a thousand years old. The circum-
ference of the trunk at 5 feet from the ground is 29 feet, and
the height of the tree upAvards of GO feet.

In the churchyard of Daiiey, in Derbysliire, is a venerable tree,
30 feet in circumference. The trunk, Avhicli is hoUow, is only
regular and straight to about 10 feet from the ground when it
divides into several large limbs, two of Avhich are erect and the
others spreading. It is a female or berry-bearing tree, and believed
to be upAvards of one tliousand tAvo hundred and fifty years old.

In the cliurchyard of Tisbury, in Dorsetshire, is an enonnous
Yew tree Avhose trunk is 37 feet in circumference. It is quite
liolloAV, and the interior is entered l)y means of a rustic gate.

The CroAvhurst Yew, on the borders of Kent and Surrey, not
far from Edenbridge, is one of the largest, and probably one of
the oldest, in England. It is still flourishing. The inside is holloAV,
and has been fitted up Avith a table in the centre and benches
around it for as many as sixteen persons.*

Other very ancient Ycavs are to be seen at Hurstmonceaux, in
vSussex ; at Withycombc, in Devonshire ; at Harden, in Hereford-
shire ; at Manliilad, near Monmouth ; on tlie North Downs, near
Guildford, in Surrey, &c.t

The association of the Ycav AA'ith early English History is varied and
important. Venerable trees still mark the spots Avhere great events
have taken place, and others are associated Avith the names of historic
personages. Tlie AnkerAvyke Ycav, near Staines, Avitnessed the con-
ference betAveen King John and the English Barons in 1215, and in
sight of AA-hich Magna Charta Avas signed. It is 275 f«ct in circum-
ference, and most probably its age exceeds one thousand years old.
Under the Loudon Ycav, in Ayrshire, it is said that Bruce bestoAved
the ancient castle and estate on the Loudon family, and on the same
spot, some centuries afterAvards, John, Earl of Loudon, signed the Act
of Union bctAveen England and Scotland. This tree is over 40 feet
high, with a trunk 4^ feet in diameter at 12 feet from the gi-ound.

* Science Goseiji, 1874.

. j Tlio_ above care a few instances selected from many. The reader desirous of further
mlormation should refer to Loudon's Arb. et FfuL, pp. 2073—2082; to the ])ages of
Science (Jossip, for 1873-4-5 ; the Cfardencrs' Chronicle, &c.

THE COMMON YEW. 299

In a luucli -wider bearing the Yew i)layed a prominent part in our
early history, as supplying the material of which the Lows of the
archers were made, and on that account was the subject of many
statutes of our early kings, and afterwards of Parliament, which made
provisions for the preservation and planting of Yews, and for the
supply of Yew wood for bows, for prohibiting the exportation of Yew
timber, regulating the import of it, &c. Every student of English
History can point to great events in wliich the Yew bow played a
foremost part. It was essentially the Saxon weapon both for warfare
and the chase ; and durmg the earlier part of the Norman supremacy
was often used with deadly effect by the oppressed natives to rid
themselves of their tyramiical masters. Deeds of daring were per-
formed, attesting the extraordinary prowess and skill of the Saxon
archers ; deeds that were long kept in remembrance by tradition,
celebrated in song and verse, or preserved in legends which afterwards
supplied subjects for modern romance.* The Yew boAv was fatal to
several English Kings, to Harold at Hastings, to "William Rufus in the
Xew Forest, and to Eichard Coeur de Lion at Chaloux, in France.
It was the skill of the English archers that enabled Henry II. to
gain a footing in Ireland, and the name of Strongbow, borne by the
leader of the expedition, attests the high repute in which the weapon
was held. Cressy, Poictiers, and Agmcourt were won cliiefly hj the
Yew bow ; it was the most popular weapon through the long civil
strife between the rival houses of York and Lancaster; and both in
warfare as well as in the chase, it was held in estimation long after
the invention of gunpowder had prepared the way to a complete change
in the system and science of Avar.

The association of the Yew AA-itli gardening in England began early
in the sixteenth century. It was brought into promijient notice
toAvards the end of the century by Evelpi, who claims the " merit "
of being the first to introduce the fashion of clipping it into artificial
shapes, A\hich became general during the next century. It Avas first
used in the formation of hedges for purposes of iitility, but the dense
groAvth it assumes Avhen piimed, its apparently unlimited duration, and the
readiness Avith which it may be cut into many shapes Avithout im paring
its vitaUty, soon led to its being extensively used in topiary Avork,
Avliich had l)een previously confined chiefly to the box and juniper. The
dark dense foliage of the Ycav, and its more robust and taller gi-OAvth
than the box or juniper, offered facilities for the introduction into
gardens, by artificial means, of many varieties of form, and the fashion
of clipping YeAvs into geometric figures, and also into the figures of
birds, beasts, and even the human shape, became for a time a very
prevalent practice, Avhich reached its height toAvards the close of the

• Sir AValter Scott's IvanJwe, Tales of Eobin Hood, &c. See, also, the learned and elo.iucnt
Thiery in liis ConquSte de VAngleterre par lee Normands,

300 A MANUAL OP THE CONIPEE^.

seventeenth and during the early part of the eighteenth century. The
popularity of the Yew as an ornamental garden plant durmg this period
may be partly accounted for by the paucity of evergTeen trees and
shrubs at that time available,* and the desire for variety created by
the taste for gardening Avhich began to be general among all classes.
The practice gradually fell into disuse as the introduction of exotic
hardy trees and shrubs became more frequent, and supplied a more
natural and pleasing variety than the uncouth figures wliich one khid
of tree was made to take, but into wliich Nature never intended it to
grow. Many evidences of the old topiary work are still to be met
with, and not a few old Yews are made to retain the figures into
Avhicli they were originally cut and trimmed. Some of the most
remarkable of these are to be seen at Leven's Hall, Westmoreland,
Avhere the topiary foible of our horticultural predecessors is still main-
tained in all its quaint antagonism to IsTature.f

Xot less strikmg but more modern, and, if we may use the ex-
pression, more rational, is the topiary work at Elvaston Castle, near
Derby, the seat of the Earl of Harrington. A large portion of this
consists of ornamental hedges of the common Yew, either dividing
parts of the grounds from each other, or enclosing spaces devoted to
special subjects ; and of smgle specimens, both of the common Yew
and its golden variety, cut into conical pyramids of imiform size and
height, and of such there are upwards of one thousand. There are
comparatively few representations of birds and animals ; the bolder
work represents the walls and bastions of a Norman castle, archways,
alcoves, arbours, &c. The great extent of the topiary work at Elvo.jton
is calculated to excite surprise rather than admiration, at the same
time its extreme formality is greatly relieved by the noble Conifers of
the Fir and Pine tribe which have been planted beside and around
it with no sparing hand, and by the beautiful vieAv afi'orded Ijy the
river Derwent, in its Avinding course through the grounds.

Throughout the counties of Kent and Sussex, and also in many
other parts of England, chiefly in the gardens of old farm houses and
wayside inns, may yet be seen an ancient Ye^v clipped into the figure

" The uuiiiljur of native evergreen trees ami shrubs uuiy be counted on the lingers, thus —
Yew, Scotch Pine, Juniper, Holly, Privet, Ivy, Butcher's Broom, Spurge Laurel, and Mistleto
(the Box is a doubtful native), and irp to the close of the seventeenth century the number of
exotic evergreen trees introduced was not much greater, and some of them were very rare. The
best known were the Spruce Fir, Silver Fir, Stone Pine, Pinaster, Red Cedar, Saviu, Arbor
Vitse, Evergreen Oak, Sweet Bay, Laurustine, Portugal Laurel, Phillyrea, and Arbutus.

t See the Gardeners' Chronicle for 1874, p. 264, where an account of the topiary work
at Leven's Hall is given, illustrated with woodcuts of some of the most remarkable groups
which include figiires of the British Lion ; Queen Elizabeth and ladies ; the Judge's Wig, a
number of Yews planted in a half circle, so as to form an arbour by bringing the branches over
the top ill a hood or wig-like fashion ; and many others. These figures were first formed early
in the eighteenth century, so that for upwards of one hundred and eighty years these
Yews must have had their young growth cut off to keep the iigures within the prescribed shape
and size, a proof of the astonishing tenacity of life possessed by the Yew.

a

^

3

a4
o
H

w

THE YEW AND ITS VARIETIES. 301

of a bird or a quadruped ; tlie peacock * appearing to have been
popular with tlic yeomanry, and the fox and greyhound with the inn-
keepers.

The Yew sports into many varieties and sub-varieties, from wliich
those given in the synoptic table haxe been selected as being useful
and distinct ornamental kuads, and including some valuable additions
to the resources of the gardener and landscape planter.

The specific name haccafa, "furnished with berries," is expressive of
the prolific character of the fruit-bearing Yews.

Taxus baccata aurea has the margins and tips of the leaves,
and also the stems of the terminal branchlets, a rich golden-yellow
during the growing season. It is one of the most useful and
attractive of variegated shrubs.

Taxus baccata Dovastonii. — A remarkable variety, with longer
leaves of. ^deeper green than the common form, and with pendulous
branchlets. It is a suitable plant for cemeteries, and when grown
as a standard, formed by grafting it on one of the ujDright varieties,
it supplies a quaint subject for contrast in the garden.

The origm of the Dovaston Yew is thus given by Loudon f — " The
"VYestfelton Yew stands in the grounds of J. F. M. Dovaston, Esq., of
Westfelton, near Shrewsbury, and the following account has been sent
to us by that gentleman : ' About sixty years ago (now over a hundred)
my father, Jolm Dovaston, a man without education, Init of imwearied
industry and ingenuity, had, with his own hands, sunk a well and
constructed and placed a pump in it, and the soil being light and
sandy, it constantly fell in. He secured it with wooden boards, but
perceiving their speedy decay, he planted near the well a Yew tree,
which he bought of a cobbler for sixpence, rightly judging that the
fibrous and matting tendency of the Yew roots would hold up the
soil. They did so, and independently of its utility, the Yew grew into
a tree of extraordinary and striking beauty, spreading horizontally all
round, with a single aspiring leader to a great height, eacli branch in
every direction dangling in tressy verdure downwards, the lowest ones
to the very ground, pendTilous and playful as the most go-aceful bircli
or willow, and visibly obedient to the feeblest breath of air. Though
a male tree, it has one branch self-productive, and profuse of berries,
from which I have raised several plants in the hope that they may
inherit some of the beauty of their parent.'" This beautiful tree is

* The climbing street, the mill, the leafy lane,
The ;peacock Yevj tree, and the lonely Hall.

Tennyson's Enoch Arden.

+ Arh. ct Frut., p. 2082.

302 A JIANUAL OF THE CONIFEE.^i:.

still floiirisliing, and in 187G tlie circumference of its branches was
found to be 72 feet, girtli of trunk 7A feet, and lieiglit 34 feet.*
Seedling plants raised from tlie tree , partook of the same pendent
character.

Taxus baccata elegantissima. — A variegated variety, dense and
compact in habit, having- its leaves striped with straw colour, and
sometimes whitish. As the variegation is constant, it is a very
useful as well as a highly ornamental shrub.

It Ava.'^ introduced ]>y Messrs. Fisher, Son, anil vSil)ray, of the
Handsworth JS'urseries, near Sheffield.

Taxus baccata erecta. — A variety with slender upright branches,
growing closely together, giving the tree a column-like form. The
leaves are two-rowed, like those of the species.

Taxus baccata ericoides is one of the smallest varieties of the
common Yew. It is a low shrub with slender branches, clothed
with small heath-like foliage.

Taxus baccata fastigiata.— A very distinct variety, readily dis-
guished from the species by its upright mode of growth and dec]j
green leaves, which are not distichously arraiiged like those of the
common Yew, but are scattered around the branchlets. It is the
Irish Yew of gardens.

The Irish Yew originated from a plant accidentally found on the
mountains of Fermanagh, near Florence Court, more than a century
ago. The original tree is a female, so that the thousands of plants
sprung from it are berry-bearing, a circumstance that greatly enhances
the ornamental cpialities of this shrub during the autumn months.

The following account of the origin of the Irisli Yew is taken from
the Gardeners^ Chronicle for 1873, p. 1336, where it is reprinted from
the Peoplc^s Journal, as it appeared in one of a series of chapters
entitled, " A Visit to the Eastern Necropolis " (at Dundee), by a Avriter
under the nora dc flume of " Norval," dating from Eossie Priory. It
will be seen that the account contains an apt illustration of one of the
purposes for which the Irish Yew is much planted : —

" Near by our place is a grave marked by a small and solitary Irish
Yew, and nothing more. I know not who had been laid under it.
That dark green 'mournful Yew,' however, serves a purpose in some
hearts. Here and there in the Necropolis are to be seen similar monu-

* W, Barron, in Tlie Garden, vol. ix., p. 341,

TITE IRISH YEW.

303

ments breaking the mnnotoiiy of the gTassj' range?. Each of them
seems to have a sad story in its custody. The dark Yew has long been
adapted as a favourite tree for shading the ground of our dead. The

Irish Yew, or Florence
Court variety of the
Yew, has in a special
manner become the
most prominent and
distinguished of the
family. The history of
the Irish Yew may be
of mterest to many.
Here it is, and I quote
from the MS. in posses-
sion of Lord Kinnaird —
' Above one hundred
years ago, ]\Ir. WiUis,
farmer, of Aghenteroark,
in the parish of Kill-
esher, county of Fer-
inanagh, found upon liis
farm on the moimtains
above Florence Court,
two plants of this tree.
These he dug up, and
planted one in his own
garden. He took the
other do's\Ti to his land-
lord at Mount Florence,
where it ^^•as planted.
The tree that was
planted in his own
garden remained there
till the year 1865, when
it died. The other is
stiU alive at Florence
Court, and is the one
from which the millions
of plants now distri-
buted in all parts have
spning. The fu^t cuttings were given by my father, the Earl of
Enniskillen, to Messrs. Lee and Kenne.l}-, then the largest Nurserymen
about London.' Sigmed, Enniskillen, Rossie Priory, September 8, 1867."
That the Irish Y^ew is a sport of the common Yew is proved by
the seedlings raised from it nearly always reverting to the common type.

Fig. G2.— The original Iri.-li Yew at Florence Court.

304 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

Occasionally intermediate forms appear, some of which have a toleralily
distinct character, and have been distributed under such names as
i-hesliuntensis, coluvmaris, intermedia, comjpressa, &c.

Our engraving, from a photograph kindly sent to us by the Earl of
Enniskillen, represents the original Irish Yew at Florence Court.

Among the variegated forms the following are distinct : —

Taxus fastigiata argenteo-variegata lias many of its terminal
gi-owths creamy-white, and leaves striped and marked with the
same colour scattered over the whole plant.

Taxus fastigiata aurea is analogous, as regards the colouring
of its foliage, to the golden variety of the common form; the
young growth and leaves being of a deep golden-yellow.

Taxus fastigiata aureo-marginata has the foliage of the current
season edged with bright golden-yellow, which changes to light
green as the growth of the succeeding season progresses.

This variety originated in the Xursery of Messrs. Fisher, Son, and
Sibray, at Sheffield.

Taxus baccata fructu-luteo differs in nothing from the com-
mon Yew, except in the colour of its fruit, which is bright
golden-yellow. AVhen covered with berries it is very ornamental.
The yellow-berried Yew is of Irish origin. It appears to have
been first discovered by a Mr. Whitlaw, of Dublin, about 1817, or
before, gn^owing on the lands of the Bishop of Kildare, near Glas-
nevin; but it seems to have been neglected till 1833, when it was
noticed in the gnrounds of Clontarf Castle, whence cuttmgs were
distributed.*

Taxus baccata nana.— A dwarf dense shrub, rarely growing
more than 2 or 3 feet high, but spreading considerably in pro-
portion to its height. The leaves are smaller, and darker in
colour, than those of the common kind.

Taxus baccata nigra.— A vigorous-growing variety, of spreading
habit. The upper surface of the leaves is darker than in the
common kind, while the under side has a bluish glaucous tint,
whence it has obtained the name of Blue John.
* London, Arh. et FruL, p. 20G8.

THE AMERICAN YEWS. 305

Taxus brevifolia. — The Califoruiau Yew differs considerably in
aspect from the common Yew; its growth is more open, and its
foliage lighter and more feathery. Its height varies according to
soil and situation, from 25 to 50 feet, and even more, being-
greatest along the courses of the rivers, and less in the more
exposed places on the mountain sides. The leaves are shorter and
narrower than those of the common kind, being not more than
from half to three quarters of an inch long Avith a short twisted
footstalk, abrupt or mucronate at the apex, and yello\\dsh-green in
colour. The habit of the young plants gi'owing in England is
very distinct ; the branches increase in length as fast as the leader
increases in height, giving the plant the outline of a cone with
a base broader than the height.

Habitat. — North-west America, from the Mexican boundary to
British Columbia, chiefly on the mountain ranges and on the
banks of rivers. It attains its greatest developement in the valley
of the Willamette.

Introduced by us in 1854, through our collector, William Lobb.

The speciiic name hrevifolia, refers to the leaves. Tins Yew should
not be confounded with Taxus adpressa, which has for one of its
synonyms T. hrev! folia (Hort.).

Taxus canadensis. — The Canadian Yew is a much smaller tree
than the European species, rarely forming an erect trunk like the
common Yew, or exceeding 15 feet in height. '^As it grows
about the great Lakes it is a low trailing shrub, forming a thick
and tangled undergrowth, covering the surface of the line and
Hemlock forests, seldom growing more than 3 or 4 feet frum the
ground .^^ * The leaves are shorter, narrower, and paler in colour,
and the berries smaller than those of the European Yew.

Habitat. — Canada and the north-eastern States, extending south-
wards only along the Alleghanies. It prefers moist banks and hills
near streams, especially in the shade of evergreen trees. f

Introduced about the year 1800.

The Canadian Ycav is commonly known as the gromid Ilemloclc in
.buerica.

* Dr. NewLeriy, Paxijic Railv-ay RejKjrt, ]>. 60.
+ Dr. A. Gray, Flora of Norlliern States, p. 474.

306 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

The Florida Yew (Taxus floridana) is a small tree 10 to 20 feet
in height ; it is found only on the banks of the Apalachicola river,
and is still imperfectly known.

Taxus canadensis variegata is a far more ornamental plant
than the preceding ; the leaves of the young growth are margined
with yellowish-white^ which becomes fainter by age, and finally
gives place to the natural green of the species during the growth
of the following season.

Taxus canadensis Washingtonii is a rather vigorous-growing
variety, with longer leaves, having their tips and part of the
upper surface of a bright golden-yellow. It is one of the hand-
somest of the variegated Yews.

Taxus cuspidata as seen in the forests of Jesso, is generally
solitary. It attains a height of from 30 to 40 feet, with a trunk
from 1^ to 2 feet in diameter. The branches are spreading, and the
general aspect is less dense than the common Yew and Avith a some-
what more irregular outline. The leaves are broader, more abruptly
pointed, more leathery in texture, and lighter in colour than those
of the European species. On the branchlets the distichous or two-
rowed arrangement predominates, but on the older growth ; nd
upright branches, the leaves are scattered as in the Irish Yew.

Habitat. — Japan, in the island of Jesso, and in cultivation
throughout the country.

II.— CEPHALOTAXUS (SiehoU). The Chinese Ye\\.

A smaU group of Taxads inhabiting northern China and Japan,
was discovered between forty and fifty years ago by Dr. Siebold
and Mr. Fortune, and introduced by them under the name of
Ccphalotaxus. Three species or forms are at present known, one
indigenous to China, one to Japan, and one occurs in both these
countries. They are straggling undershrubs, having the following-
characters : —

Primary branches whorled and spreading; the secondary ones
produced laterally only; the leaves linear, two-rowed, with
a short footstalk, and sharply pointed ; ilowers dioecious ; the

THE CHINESE YEW.

307.

fruit in clusters of twos and tlarees^ eacli with a single seed
enclosed in a fleshy envelope about the size of a damson or
wild plum^ and ripening the second year.

The Japanese species are found groAving abundantly on the mountains
of Xippori and Jesse, at 1,000 to 2,000 feet elevation, and always
below TJiuwjm's dolahrata. They are shapeless bushes, seldom exceeding
6 to 8 feet in height, and form a part of the undergrowth of the
woods composed of Maples, Cryptomeria, Abies, &c.

In Great Britain the Cephalotaxi are tolerably hardy, but their "rowth
is slow. They should be planted in the shade of other trees where
their foHage retains its deep glossy green as well as its persistency.
Under fidl exposure to the smi the leaves often become discoloured,
and manifestly unhealthy; they soon fall off, and the plant has a
bare and unfurnished appearance. Besides being shaded the Cephalotaxi
should also be sheltered from cold wdnds, and the soil i\\ which they
are planted should be moist, but sufficiently drained. Under these
conditions alone do they appear to thri\e in this country.

Cephalotaxus from KefaXi) (kephale)^ " head " and -ai'oe (taxes)
" the Yew ; '' in reference to the staminate flowers^ which are
small globular heads^ Avitli short footstalks^ produced from the axils
of the leaves.

SciEXTiFic Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name. Habitat.

Height

in
Feet.

CEPHALOTAXUS

Ccplialutaxus Forlitnei

The Plum-fruited China and Japan

6 to 8

DEUPACEA

(Siebold)

fmm (Hort. )

Cephalotaxus

FoRTUNEI

„ ,, mc(s

Fortune's

China

6— 8

(Sir IF. Hooker)

(Hort.)

Cephalotaxus

TENDUXCULATA

Tao:us Ilarriwjtoniana

Lord Harrington's Japan

6— 8

{Siebokf)

(Knight)

Yew

,, fiiatigiata

{Carrierc)

,, japonka

(Loddiges)
Podocarjjics koraianus
(Gordon)

...

Japan ...

6— 8
6— 8

Cephalotaxus drupacea.— A straggling shrub, with horizontal
frondose branches, and Avith the secondary branches and branchlcts
short, stiff, and quite flat. The leaves arc from three-fourths of au

308 A MANUAL OF THE CONIPEE.K.

inch to 2 iuclies long, arranged in two opposite rows, regularly
opposite, coriaceous in texture and yellowish-green in colour. It
was discovered by Mr. Fortune, in North China, in J 849.

Oephalotaxus Portunei has the finest foliage of the three kinds
in cultivation. The leaves are upwards of 3 inches long, gradually
tapering to a point, distinctly one-nerved, dark green above, much
lighter beneath ; the bark of the young growth is of the same
colour as the under surface of the leaves and furrowed.

Introduced from North China by Mr. Fortune at the same time
as the preceding.

Oephalotaxus pedunculata. — A shrub, with spreading branches,
clothed with distichously arranged foliage ; the leaves are from
1 inch to 2 inches long, bright green above and marked with two
broad glaucous lines beneath.

It was introduced from Japan in 1837 under the name of Taxus
Harringtoniana, by whicli name it is often known in collections.

Oephalotaxus pedunculata fastigiata. — A very distinct and
ornamental variety of the preceding, with the habit of the Irish
Yew, and showing a similar departure from the normal form in
the arrangement of the leaves. The branches are as erect as the
trunk, and the leaves are scattered or spirally arranged around
them. It was introduced fi'om Japan in 1861.

Tliis plant, which has now become common in British gardens, is
Letter ]cno^vu among horticulturists as Podocarjjus liondaims or Taxus
Japotiica than the name luider which we have described it. That it
is no other than a variety of CepJudotaxus pedunculata, M. Carricrc has
clearly demonstrated.* He remarks that " the doubts I expressed in my
former edition relative to the specific value of Podoca)2ms Iwraianus
are realised, and, as I suspected, instead of a Podocarp it is an accidental
fastigiate form of G. ipadimcidata. I have seen a strong plant of this
variety which, at 2 feet from the ground, had developed lateral
branches with cUstichous foliage, and which, at that point, had formed
a verticil like a projecting stage, while the parts both above and below
were ({uite upright." "We have ourselves observed a similar case in
Lady Kolle's Pinetum at Bicton : — An imusually fine and vigorous
plant of C. pednncid'da fadigiata has several branches growing in

* Train Giniral dcs C'onifercs, p. 717.

THE FETID YEW. 309

a horizontal direction, with distichous foliage like that of the species,
while the upright branches have scattered foliage like that of the Irish
Yew,

III.— TOEREYA (Arnnit). The Fetid Yew.

Torreya is a genus of evergreen trees including three or four
species^ each of which is restricted to a locality of limited extent,
in countries widely remote fi'om each other. The Torreyas possess
the following essential characters : —

Branches spreading, the primaries frequently in whorls ;
brauchlets produced laterally only, and opposite, or nearly so ;
leaves larger and longer than those of the common Yew,
distichously arranged in single rows, coriaceous, very rigid and
sharply pointed ; flowers dioecious ; fruit, a single seed enclosed in
a fibrous fleshy envelope, of a greenish-brown colour when ripe.

The young foliage, when bruised, emits a disagreeable rue-like
odour, whence, in America, the Torreyas are called the fetid Yews.
The wood, although hard and probably very durable, is not applied
to any economic purpose ; the trees of each species are compara-
tively few in number, a significant fact in their present history.

The Torreyas do not thrive well in Great Britain. In some places
they are growing into moderate-sized bushes, but more frequently their
growth is very slow ; the habit they assume possesses little that is
attractive, and is quite different from the handsome trees they become
in their native countries.*

In their scientific aspect the Torreyas possess a deep interest. Tlieir
distrilnition shows that they form part of the arborescent vegetation of
those regions in which the Californian Sec^uoias and tlieir nearest
relatives, the Deciduous Cypress and the Chinese Water Pine, are promi-
nent members, for where the one occurs the other is present. The
Torreyas, doubtless, attained their greatest developement during the same
geologdcal epoch as that in which their gigantic neighbours flourished.
The race appears to be doomed, although the species may be preserved
indefinitely by the hand of man. Dr. Asa Gray, pointing out the
peculiarities in the geographical distribution, and the natural causes
that are at work to produce the gi'adual extinction of the great trees,
thus refers to the Torreyas. f "There is another set of three or
four pecuHar trees, in this case of the Yew family, which has the

* M. Carriere is of opinion that this is owing to the plants having been raisea from cuttings
instead of from seed. Tr. Gen. de Coniflres,^]}. 725, 726.
t See page 208.

310

A MANUAL OP THE CONIFER^:.

.•^ame peculiar distribution as tlie Sequoias ami thoir noavost volatives.
The genus Torreya was founded upon a tree discovered ahout thirty-
live years ago (now forty), in northern Florida. It is a noble Yew-
Hke tree, and very local, being known only for a few miles along the
shores of a single river. Another species of Torreya is a characteristic
tree of Japan, and the same, or one nearly like it, inhabits the Himalayas.
There is only one more species of Torreya, and that is a companion
of the Redwoods of California ; it is a tree locally known under
the name of the Californian Nutmeg. Moreover, the Torreya of
Florida has growing with it a Yew tree, and the trees of that grove
are the only Yew trees of eastern America, for the Yew of our northern
woods is only a decumbent shrub. The only other Yew trees in
America grow with the Eedwoods and the other Torreya in California.
A Yew tree equally accompanies the Torreyas of Japan and the Hima-
layas, and these are apparently the same as the common Yew of
Europe. So we have three groups of trees of the great Coniferous
Order which agree in this peculiar geographical distribution ; the Eed-
Avoods and their relatives, which differ widely enough to be termed a
different genus in each region ; the Torreyas, more nearly akin, merely
a different species ; the Yews, probably all of the same species. *

Torreya^ named after Dr. John Torrey, " The Nestor of American
Botany/' originator and author of portion of the vahiable work^
Flora of North America.

SciESTiFic Name.

Synonyms.

T6RREYA GRANDIS

(Fortune)

MTRISTICA

{Sir W, Hooker)

NUCiFEEA

iSiebold)

TAXIFULIA

{Arnott)

Caryotaxus grandis

(Henkel)

Torreya californica

(Torrey)

Caryotaxus myristica

(Henkel)

Taxus nucifera

(Ksempfer)

Caryotaxus nucifera

(Zuccarini)

Taxus montana

(Nuttall)

Caryotaxus montana

(Henkel)

Popular Name.

Habitat.

The tall Torreya China and The
Himalayas t

The Californian
Nutmeg

The Japanese Japan
Torreya

California

The fetid Yew

Florida ,

neiglit,

in

Feet.

40 to 50

40 — 50

40 — GO

30 — 40

Dr. Asa Gray, Address to (he American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1872.

+ Idem.

THE FETID YEWS. 311

Torreya grandis.— A tree of Yew-like aspect, from 40 to 50 feet
liigli, with erect trunk and spreading branches. Tlie leaves are
about an inch long, shghtly convex above, and marked beneath on
each side of the keel by two furrows of a paler colour. The fruit
is plum-shaped, about three-quarters of an inch long.

It was introduced from northern China, by Mr. Fortune, in 1847.
It is scarcely distinguishable from the Japanese Torreya mtcifera.

Torreya mjristica. — A handsome tree attaining a height of 50
feet in the ravines of the Sierra Nevada, in California, where it
was discovered by our collector, William Lobb, in 1851. It is
easily distinguished from the other species by its longer leaves,
which are often two or more inches in length, nearly flat, deep
glossy green above, paler beneath, with a sunken line on each side
of the midrib. The fruit is elliptic, about 1^ inch long.

It was introduced by us in 1851.

Torreya nucifera. — A pyramidal tree from 40 to 60 feet high,
with the aspect of Abies firma. The leaves are about an inch long,
and present much the same characters as those of T. grandis,
described above. The fruit is egg-shaped, about an inch long. It
is found sparingly on the mountains, and also on the west coast
of Nippon, Japan.

It was introduced into European gardens about forty years ago,
by Dr. Siebold.

Torreya nucifera, as it grows on the western coast of Nippon, is
somewhat different from the inland tree. The trunk is stouter, attain-
ing a diameter of from 2?t to 3 feet, the head more dense, and
instead of the pyramidal fonn of Abies firma, it has a rounded top,
not unlike that of the older Yews of this coimtry ; the leaves are
also shorter, narrower, and more pointed. In this situation it has for
its surroimdings CamelHas, Diospyrus Kaki, and other well knoA\Ti
half-hardy garden favourites.
Torreya taxifolia.— The Fetid Yew of Florida, the first species
of Torreya known, was discovered so recently as 1838. It is a
handsome tree 40 feet high, clothed with very stiff leathery leaves,
having sharp spiny points, and emitting a disagreeable odour when
bruised. The fruit is obovate in shape, and about an inch long.
It is rather tender in the climate of Great Britain.

The wood of this species is said to be exceedingly durable, and
also odoriferous, especially when burned.

312 A MANUAL OP THE CONTFEK^E.

IV._GINKGO. The Maiden-Hair Tree.

In the Ginkgo or Salisburia we have a remarkable exception to
the Yew-like aspect which characterises all the other hardy Taxads.
So greatly does the Maiden-Hair Tree differ from all other Coniferous
trees, that its affinity to them would scarcely be suspected on
superficial inspection. An examination of the flowers, and especially
of the fruit, and comparing them with the same parts of the
common Tew, will show, however, that the Ginkgo belongs to the
same tribe, although an isolated member of it.

The fruit or berry is by no means common in this coimtry, for the
Ginkgo is dioecious, and the greater number of the large trees growing
in England are stammferous or males. Fertile trees are still rare, and
both kinds require in our climate to attain a considerable age before
they produce flowers,

Not much can be said of the economic value of the Maiden-Hair
Tree. The wood is yellowish-white, with a fine close grain, and
moderately hard. It is easy to work, receive a fine polish, and
resembles in its general appearance citron wood ; it is more solid and
strong that the ordinary wliite woods of Europe. The Ginkgo is peculiar
among Coniferous trees for the absence of resinous secretions. In China
and Japan it is cultivated for the sake of its fruit, the nuts being
much esteemed ; and in Japan, in Kgempfer's time, these formed part
of every entertainment.

The Ginkgo is of geological antiquity. In the Miocence period it
included several species or forms Avhich were spread over the greater
part of the northern hemisphere in company with the Glyptostrobus
and Liriodendron, trees that are still associated with it in its present
liaLitat.

Ginkgo * is the Chinese name, meaning " deciduous." This name
was adopted by Linnaeus, and by priority of application, should be
preferred to Salisburia, the scientific name hitherto generally current
in this country. It is called the Maiden-Hair Tree from the
resemblance of the leaves in shape to the pinnules of Adiantum
Gajnlhis-Veneris, the Maiden-Hair Fern. In France it is popularly
known by the eccentric name of L'arhre aux quararde ecus.\ There
is only one species at present known.

* It is called "Itclio" by the Jaiianese.
t For the origin of tliis curious name, see Loudon, Ari. et FruL, p. 2096.

THE MAIDEN-HAIR TREE.

313

Scientific Name.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

The Maiden-Hair
Tree or Ginkgo

The large-leaved
Maiden-Hair
Tree

Habitat.

Height

in

Feet.

GINKGO BILOEA

{Liniusus)

,, macrophylla
{Sort.)

Salisburia adiantifolia
(Smitli)

, , hiloha ladniata
(Hort.)

China and Japan
Garden variety

70 to 100

Fig. &Z.— Ginkgo lilola. (1) Leaf of sterile bran<l) ; (2) of fertile branch ; (3) male, or pollen-bearing
flowers; (I) femrile flowers; (5) fruit.

Ginkgo biloba (sjm. Salisburia adiantifolia) is one of the most

314 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERiF.

remarkable and distinct deciduous trees that adorns tlie gardens and
parks of Great Britain. Its light and airy aspect^ its peculiar foliage,
and the imposing dimensions it attains render it also one of the
most picturesque of trees. The following is Loudon's excellent
description with one or two necessary corrections : —

" In England, where it is in a favourable soil and situation, it
rises with a straight erect trunk, regularly but not formally fur-
nished with branches, at first inclined upwards, but as they become
older taking a more horizontal direction, so as to form a regular
conical and somewhat spiry topped head. The leaves resemble in
form those of the Maiden-Hair Fern; they are of the same colour
and texture on both sides, and in their smoothness and parallel
lines are like those of a monocotyledonous plant. They are some-
what triangular or fan-shaped, disposed alternately, wedge-shaped at
the base, with stalks as long as the disc; abrupt at the upper
extremity, those on the barren branches cloven or notched there in
a manner peculiar to this tree and some species of Ferns, but on
the fertile branches the notch is absent and the outer edge merely
crenulate ; they are of a fine yellowish-green with numerous parallel
ribs. The pollen-bearing catkins are sessile, about 1^ inch long,
and of a yellowish colour; the ovule-bearing catkins are produced
in pairs on long foot-stalks, and are enclosed in a sort of cap
produced by a dilatation of the summit of the peduncle. The fruit
consists of globular or ovate drupes about the size of a walnut, of
a yellowish-green when ripe, and enclosing a kernel about the size
of a hazel . nut, which has a flavour something like that of an
almond."

Habitat. — Northern China. It is frequently met with in Japan,
where it is most probably an introduced plant.

Introduced into England about 1754. It has been made known
to Europeans sixty years previous by Kasmpfer.

Ginkgo biloba macrophylla has much larger leaves than the
species ; they arc nearly semicircular, and often measure from 5 to
6 inches across ; they are divided into two lobes by a cleft opposite
the foot-stalks two-thirds the width of the leaf. The edges of the
nerves are more jagged and the nerves radiating from the petiole
more prominent than in the species.

PRINCE Albert's yew,

315

Tliis fino variety originated at Avignon, in Franco, about tlio year
I80O.*

A variegated and a pendulous variety have been brouglit under tlic
notice of liorticulturists, the former having some of its leaves stripeil
with pale j-ellow, and the latter having its terminal branchlets pendulous.
The colouring of the variegata is indistinct, and the weeping habit
of the pendula adds nothing to the beauty of the normal form,
but rather detracts from it. These varieties are both of Continental
origin.

v.— SAXE-CtOTH^A (Lindley). Prince Albert's Yew.

Saxe-Gothasa is one of a small group of Coniferous trees indi-
genous to the southern portion of the Cordilleras of the Andes^
which are distinguished from their northern congeners by several
peculiarities of structure and aspect. In the present subject the
singularity of structure is seen chiefly in the fructification^ which
includes forms peculiar to several distinct genera. According to Dr.
Lindley^ Saxe-Gotheea has the male flowers of a Podocarp^ the
female flowers of a Dammara^ the fruit of a Juniper^ the seed of a
Dacrydium^ and the general aspect of a Tew. It is monoecious,
but the male and female flowers are produced on different branches.

Saxe-Gotheea was named in compliment to the late Prince Consort.

ScmrciPio Naub.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height
in Feet.

SAXE-GOTHiEA conspicua

(Lindley)

Prince Albert's Yevj

Southern Chili and
Patagonia

15 to 25

Saxe-Gothsea conspicua is a low tree, with spreading branches
densely clothed with foliage of a lighter green than that of the
common Tew. The leaves are scattered, but sometimes partially
two-rowed on the branchlets, about 1 inch long, tapering, acuminate,
and pointing forwards, many of them slightly falcate, with a single
salient middle nerve above, and marked with two glaucous lines
beneath.

Eahitat. — The Andes of Valdivia and Patagonia.

Introduced by us in 1849 through our collector, William Lobb.
The Saxe-GothiBa is but moderately hardy in England; its growth
* Caniere, TraiU Gin., p. 713.

316 A MANUAL OF THE CONIPEEJE.

is slow, its habit unsymmetrical, and it will only live in sheltered
spots where there is good soil. Its claim to a place in the garden
rests on its distinct character and the scientific interest attached to it.

YI._PRUMNOPITYS (PhUippi). The Plum-feuited Yew.

It is not without hesitation that we retain the separate generic
rank assigned to this beautiful Taxad by Professor Philippi, of
Santiago, in which he is followed by Carriere,* but not by Parlatore^f
by whom it is included in the Podocarps, to which it is undoubtedly
very closely allied. The habit the Prumnopitys assumes in this
country, and its Yew-like foliage being quite distinct from every
Podocarp in cultivation, we have thought it best to adhere to the
name by which it is universally known among British horticulturists.

Prumnopitys, from Trpovfxvog (proumnos), '' the wild plum," and Trirvg
(pitys), "the pine tree."

Scientific Namb.

Synonyms.

Popular Name.

Habitat.

Height

in

Feet.

PRUMNOPITYS

IJLEGANS

{PMUxipi)

Podocarpiis andimis

(Pceppig)

The Plum-frnited
Yew

Valdivia, Chili

40 to 50

Prumnopitys elegans on its native mountains resembles in habit
a well-grown specimen of AUes Douglasi. It attains a height of
from 40 to 50 feet, well furnished with branches, the lower ones
drooping, often sweeping the ground and hiding the trunk of the
tree with a peculiarly rich and abundant foliage. The leaves are
linear, flattened from half to three quarters of an inch long, sub-
distichously arranged, deep bright green above and slightly glaucous
beneath. The fruit resembles in form and size, the berry of an
ordinary white grape, but in structure that of a cherry, the kernel
being contained in a hard stone or nut surrounded by a soft fleshy
pulp enclosed in a tough rind. The ripe fruit, both fresh and
dried, is oaten in large quantities by the natives, and has by no
means a disagreeable flavour. The wood is hard, dark red in colour,
and susceptible of a high polish.

BahifaL— The Andes of Valdivia, Southern Chili, at from 4,500 to
6,000 feet elevation.

* Tndlt Giniral dcs C'onifercs, p. 682. t Prod., xvi., p. 519.

THE rODOCARrS.

317

Introduced by us in 1860 through our collector, Eichard Pearse.
Prumnopltys elegans has proved moderately hardy in Great Britain. It
grows fairly in good soils, in sheltered situations, where it assumes the
form of a dense shrub, of pyramidal or columnar outline.

VII.— PODOOARPUS. (L'H^ritierJ.

The genus Podocarpus includes an unknown number of species,
which, under considerable diversity of form and aspect, are met
with in almost every part of the torrid zone, the extra tropical
regions of Australia, New Zealand, and the South Sea Islands,
China, Japan, &c. They are all trees or shrubs more or less dis-
tinguished by their leathery deep green leaves, which in most of
the species are linear, "with a prominent middle nerve, and not
unfrequently from 6 to 9 inches long*, and by their plum-like fruit
enclosing a single kernel or seed.

Oidy three or four species are sufficiently hardy for cultivation in
this country, and these require warm and sheltered spots. Other species
are noteworthy for their great value as timber producing trees in their
native coimtries, as the Totara Pine of New Zealand, the PoducarjJta;
aqireasinm of Java, &c.

Podocarpus from "tj-oDs-, TroSor (pons, podos) " a foot," and xapno'i
(karpos) " fruit ; " the berries or fruit of the Podocarps have foot-
stalks.

318 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

Podocarpus alpinus. — A shrub of spreading habit, A\ath slender
procumbent branches and foliage much resembling that of the
Totara Pine. The leaves are Hnear, about half an inch long, pungent,
and marked with a prominent rib on the under side.

Habitat. — Mounts Wellington and Marlborough in Tasmania, at from
3,000 to 4,000 feet elevation. Also on the Australian Alps in Victoria.

Podocarpus chilinus. — A medium-sized tree from 40 to 60 feet
high, Avell furnished vnth branches and foliage. The leaves are
from 2 to 3 inches long, distant, tapering at both ends, quite
smooth, deep glossy green above and paler beneath ; they are
spirally arranged on slender branchlets, and (in England) appear
to be persistent two seasons, falling off in the third, leaving a
scar on the bark of the mature wood.

Habitat. — The Andes of Chili and Peru, very abundant in the
former country.

Introduced into Europe in 1853.*

Podocarpus macrophyllus. — A tree from 25 to 40 feet high,
affording useful timber. In England, in sheltered spots, it is a
beautiful and distinct evergreen shrub, with numerous braiiches
clothed with rather pale green leaves 4 inches long and quarter
of an inch broad, tapering at the base and obtusely pointed at the
apex, but every branch also having leaves acutely pointed, the points
having a withered appearance. The nerve along the middle is
raised on both sides of the leaf, the margin slightly raised on
the under side only.

Habitat. — Japan, in the neighbourhood of Yedo and Nagasaki.

Introduced in 1804.t

Podocarpus nubigenus, — A remarkable tree of considerable size,
clothed with deep green fohage. The leaves are thick, rigid,
leathery in texture, from 1 inch to 1^- inch long, and one-eighth of
an inch broad, and marked on the under side on each side of the
rib with a more or less glaucous band. The fruit is oblong, and
on shorter footstalks than in most Podocarps.

Habitat. — Valdivia and Chiloe in Chili, and the Andes of north
Patagonia.

Introduced by us in 1849, through our collector, William Lobb.
* Caniere, Tr. Gen. dcs Con., p. 650. t Loudon, Arl>. d Frut., p. 2100.

PODOCARPUS CHINENSISj ETC. 319

Although found at considerable elevations on the Aiides of Patagonia,
in company with Lihocedrm tetmgona, Fitzroya patagonica, and SdJr-
Gothcea conspieua, this remarkable Podocarp may thus far be considered
as having failed to become acclimatised in Great Britain, a circumstance
to be regretted, in consequence of the very distinct character of the
plant, and the new feature it would introduce into our shrubberies.

Podocarpus Chinensis.— A shrub or small tree, with erect trunk,
short branches and slender green branchlets furnished with linear-
lanceolate leaves, from 2 to 3 inches long. It is abundant in south-
eastern China; it is also met with in Japan under cultivation. Living
specimens are uoav rare in Great Britain.

Podocarpus Nageia. — A beautiful Japanese tree, often from 40 to
50 feet high, Avith erect trunk, furnished with alternate and opposite
branches, rather slender, and sometimes pendulous. The leaves are
broadly ovate, attenuated at the point, and slightly glaucescent. It is
one of the trees first made known to Europeans by Keempfer so long ago
as 1690, but not introduced till the present century. From the shape of
the leaves it is sometimes called the Japanese Laurel. It is rather tender.

Podocarpus Totara is the Totara Pine of Xew Zealand, much
valued by the colonists on account of its excellent timber. It is the
typical tree of the central and south-eastern portion of the Northern
Island, where it attains a height of from 60 to 100 feet. It has long
slender branches, rather twiggy at their extremities, and clothed with
rigid sharp-pointed leaves, varying from one-third to one inch in length,
and of a pale yellowish-green. The species is now quite rare in England
owing to its inability to stand the severity of some of our winters.

Dacrydium Franklinii. — The Huon Pine of Tasmania. A tall
tree, often attaining a height of 100 feet, with a trunk proportionately
large. The branches are short, and grow horizontally from the trunk ;
the branchlets numerous, slender, pendulous, and clothed with scale-like
imbricated leaves like those of an Arbor Vitae or Cypress. It is
moderately hardy, and is not unfrequently met with in British collec-
tions. The timber of the Huon Pine is close grained, durable, and has
an aromatic fragrance.

Dacrydium CUpressinum. — A pyramidal tree, Avitli weeping
branches and pale green fohage. Tlie leaves are small and closely
imbricated aU round. " It is the typical tree of the western district of
the Xorth Island, New Zealand. It is usually from 60 to 100 feet
high, with a tnuik 3 to 5 feet in diameter. The timljer is largely
used in the colony fur building and for other con.structi\-c i)urposes."*
It is rather tender in England.

* Captain C. Walker, EepoH on New Zealand Forestn.

320 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.E.

PART III.

THE VARIOUS PURPOSES

FOR WHICH THE

CONIFER.E ARE PLANTED

The various purposes for whicli some of the most important Coni-
ferous trees and shrubs^ described in the preceding pages, are best
adapted in their relation to Horticulture have been already alluded
to in the notes appended to the descriptions. We now proceed to
enumerate these purposes in a connected form with a view of giving
lists of the trees and shrubs suitable for each, or from which a
selection may be made.

I.— THE PINETUM.

The Pinetum, in its comprehensive sense, is a complete collection
of living specimens of all the Coniferous trees and shrubs known ;
but as such a collection is impracticable in this country o^sving to
chmatal causes, the term has acquired a restricted meaning, and
is applied to collections, more or less complete, according to the
localities in which they are formed, of all the kinds that will live
in the open air in Great Britain,

The object of forming a Pinetum may be (1) for studying the
Coniferai in their scientific aspect, for which end the various trees
and shrubs would be best arranged according to their systematic

THE riNETUM. 321

places; or (2) for artistic effect^ such as the formation of an out-
of-doors winter garden, &c., when the arrangement would be that
which is most pleasing to the eye, or according to the taste of the
planter.

The planting of Pineta originated in the beginning of the present
century. One, the tirst formed in this country, was that of the Messrs.
Loddiges, at Hackney, which was hegun in 1816, but which has now
long since disappeared and the ground occupied by it built upon.
During the twenty-five years immediately following, many others were
formed partly through the exertions of Mr. Loudon, who was an earnest
advocate for them, and partly by the examples afforded by the Duko
of Devonshire, at Chatsworth ; the Duke of Bedford, at "VVoburn ;
Lady KoUe, at Bicton ; Lord Grenville, at Dropmore ; the Earl of
Harrington, at Elvaston ; W. E. Baker, Esq., at Bayfordbury ; T,
Gambler Parry, Esq., at Higlmam Court, and others. Of late years
the practice has faUen into disuse, which is much to be regretted,
not only because numerous introductions of new and beautiful kinds
have added greatly to the resources at command, so that both
variety and effect can be increased in a corresponding degree, but also
the Icnowledge and experience of Coniferous plants in Great Britain is
60 much enlarged that the mistakes and errors which liut too frequently
occurred in the older plantations, may now with certainty be avoided,

Fine collections of Coniferee, including most of the recent introduce
tions, have, however, been formed by noblemen and gentlemen in
different parts of the country, among which we may mention that
of Earl Ducie, at Tortworth Court ; Viscount Holmesdale, at Linton
Park; ^Y. Parker Hamond, Esq., at Pampesford Hall, Cambridge; the
Earl of CourtoAvn, at Courtown, county Wicklow, Ireland ; J. M.
Livesey, Escp, at Stourton Hall, Horncastle ; Charles Lucas, Esq., at
Warnham Court, Horsham, &c., &c.

It will be useful to recapitulate in this place, some obvious general
principles that should be kept in view when planting Coniferai for
ornamental purposes, and which are alike applicable to the formation
of a Pinetum, a smaller collection, or the selection of a spot for a single
specimen.

Many of the Fir and Pine tribe grow naturally and attain their finest
developement on the slopes of mountains where the soil is generally
very shallow, and beneath which is the solid rock. Although the rain-
fall in such places is usually very heavy, no water can settle or
.stagnate in loose soil on steep hillsides. It is essential, therefore, that
the ground in which it is proposed to plant the trees belonging to
tliis tribe, should be thoroughly drained, so that water cannot stag-
nate at the roots. If the subsoil does not permit the free escape of
water, artificial drainage should be resorted to. And, generally, ajl

322 A JIANUAL OP THE CONIFERiE.

Conifers thrive in well-drained, but not in too dry, soils. Thoro are a
few exceptions to be hereafter specified.

Many of the Silver Firs, although occurring in lower latitudes than
the Spruces and some of the Pines, have to endure in their native
country, from accidents of situation, a longer and more severe winter
and also a hotter summer than in England. Most of these in a mild
season, are prone to start into growth early, and are thence liable to
injury, often of a permanent kind, by late spring frosts. A rather
exposed situation is best for these, such as a north-west aspect, biit at
the same time protected from north-east and easterly winds. The Hima-
layan Abies, several of the finest Californian species, and those from
south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor frequently suffer from the inequality
of our climate compared with that of their habitats.

Those Conifers whose habitat is in close proximity to the ocean, as
some of the Californian, the Japanese, and South European species,
reqrdre protection from north, north-east, and east, either by a screen
of deciduous trees, or by a belt of the hardy European and common
North American Conifers. A loamy soil, moist and deep, is the most
suitable for them.

Nearly all the Cypress tribe, with the exception of the Thuias and
some of the Junipers, are natives of countries having a higher mean
temperature than Great Britain. They are liable to injury by piercing
north-east and easterly winds, from which they should be protected.
The true Cypresses, {Cupressus Lawsoniana, and C. nutkaensis with their
varieties excepted), the Libocedri of Chili and New Zealand, the
Athrotaxes, and some others, must always have sheltered situations,
or such as escape the worst effects of the severe frosts that occur at
intervals in this country.

The lower branches and foliage of Conifers soon die and fall off
when they are in contact with other trees or objects, or with each
other. No Coniferous tree or shrub retains a symmetrical form unless
it is in a situation where the air can circulate freely on all sides of it.
To secure good specimens, in addition to the conditions stated in the
preceding paragraphs, it is indispensable that a sufficient space should
be allowed to each tree or shrub to admit of a free circulation of air
around it. The lengths attained by the lower branches of some of the
finest specimens of the most important ornamental Conifers cultivated
in Great Britain, are given in the notes following the descriptions.;
from these dimensions the minimum of space to be allowed for each
can be deduced.

No Coniferous tree or shrub thrives or lives long under the influence

of the smoke of large towns. The common Yew and the Clunes(i Arbor

Vitse appear to possess the greatest power of endurance of a smoky

atmosphere, but these eventually succumlj.

The further cultural aids to Coniferce depend much upon local cir-

CONIFERj; FOR THE PARK. 323

cumstances and tlie purposes for which tliey are planted. In woods and
plantations they are " top-dressed " by Nature's own processes — the fall
of the leaf, the droppings of birds and other animals, &c. But Avhcn
they are planted for the decoration of the lawn and pleasure-ground,
these natural top-dressings are frequently, if not constantly removed
before they are in a condition to afford nutriment to the trees around
and under which they lie. And not only so, the surface of the ground
above the roots is usually covered with close cut turf wliich assimilates
to itself all, or by far the greater portion of, the nutritive ingredients
of the surface soil, and at the same time renders it impervious to sun
and air. In these cases top-dressings may be applied with advantage.

" The best and safest of all top-dressings is one composed of turfy-
loam from the surface of an old pasture, laid up to rot for two years
before it is used. It is better to add nothing to it; some are fond
of leaf-mould, and, at first sight, one might suppose that Nature's ovni
top-dressing must be best. But it must be borne in mind that the
quality of leaf-mould is very much modified by the mode of preparation,
and Nature's method is not exactly ours. It is also most certain that,
as we make and use it, it is generally more fertile of fungus than of
root food, and these are always injurious to the roots of trees.

" The loam is cleaner, and in all respects better. It is also far more
potent as well as the more durable food. Experience is altogether in
favour of it, but one great difficulty is, it cannot always be had. In
this case, the soil out of an arable field or kitchen-garden proves a good
substitute for the loam. Four inches may be accepted as a usefid safe
average for depth of top-dressing. November is the best month for
removing turf, where the roots are covered with it, and for applying
top-dressLug ; but if the verdure under the trees is not considered
indispensable, April or May woidd be best." *

The growth and well-being of Conifera? are greatly influenced by the
annual rainfall of the district in wliich they are situated (see page 12).
It is thence self-evident that in dry seasons, as well as on naturally
dry soils, the occasional soaking of the roots with pure water is bene-
ficial.

II.— THE PARK.

All the larger Coniferous trees are appropriate subjects for Park
scenery; but when a selection is desirable, it may be made from
the following kinds : —

A^.^.— The names in this and most of the lists that follow are

* Mr. D. T. Fish, in Journal of Forestry for July, 1880, in which the subject is treated
in his usual thoroughly practical and efficient manner. It is with much satisfaction that
we find Mr. Fish's experience and suggestions in perfect accord with our own.

324

A MANUAL or THE CONIFERJE.

given in tlic Order in whl
Those marked (*) require a

Abies ajanensis

„ Alcoquiana

,, cxcelsa

„ orientalis

„ polita

* „ Sniithiana

„ bracliyphylla

„ cephalonica

„ concolor (lasiocarpa)

,, firma

„ grandis

„ magnifica

„ nobilis

„ Nordmaimiana

„ niimidica

J, pinsapo

,, saclialinensis

„ Veitchii

,, Albertiana

„ Douglasii
Larix europaea
Cecbus atlantica

* „ deodara
„ Libani

•h tlie Trees arc described in
more or less sheltered situation.

Part 11.

Pinus austriaca
„ densiflora
„ Pallasiana
,, pyrenaica
„ Jeffrey!
,, macrocarpa
,, ponderosa
,, Cembra
,, excelsa
,, Lambertiana
,, monticola
,, Strobus
^Araucaria imbricata

Wellingtonia gigantea
^Sequoia sempervirens
Taxodium distichuni
*Cryptonieria japonica

,, Lobbi

''''Cupressus macrocarpa
„ Lawsoniana

Thuia Lobbi (gigantea)
Taxus baccata
Salisburia adiautifolia.

III.— THE LAWN AND PLEASURE GROUNDS.

All the trees enumerated in the foregoing list are of sym-
metrical habit_, and include the best that can be selected from
among the larger Coniferge, as single or isolated specimens^ for
large Lawns and Pleasure Grounds.

The following list includes select medium-sized and low Coniferous
trees of symmetrical habitj also suitable as single or isolated
specimens for the Lawn and Pleasure Ground.

Abies Engelnianni glauca

J, Hookeriana

„ Tsuga
Pinus contorta

,, Pjungeana

,, Cembra

„ koraiensis

Pinus parviflora

Sciadopitys verticillata

Cryptomeria elegans

Cupressus Lawsoniana

argentea
„ ,, erecta viridis

„ ,, intertexta

CONIFER-E FOK THE LAWN, ETC.

325

Ciiprossus nutkaiinsis

„ „ argentea

A^aricgata
„ thyoides varicgata

Retinn.'^pura filicoides
,, obtusa

„ „ auroa

,, „ gracilis auiva

,, pisifera

„ plumosa

„ „ alba picta

„ „ aurea

Biota oiientalis

Tliuia occidentalis
„ Standisliii
,, Vervaoucana
Tlmiopsis dolabrata
Liboccdrus dccurrcns
Juniperus rigida

„ virginiana

„ „ glauca

,, cliincnsis mas

,, drupacea

„ tliurifera

,, spliserica.

Coniferous trees and shrubs of fastigiate or upriglit habit and of
dense growth, requiring but Httle room ; suitable for the Lawn,
the Terrace, and the Geometric or formal Garden.

Pinus cembra
Cupressus Lawsoniana

,, „ erecta viridis

„ sempervirens

Ketiuospora leptoclada
Biota orientalis elegantissima
Libocednis decurrens
Jimiperas hibernica

,, suecica

Thuia plicata variegata
Jimipenis di-upacoa

,, excelsa stricta

Junipenis neaborensis

,, tliurifera

Taxus adpressa erecta
,, baccata aurea
erecta

„ ,, elegantissima

„ „ fastigiata

„ „ ,, argentea

„ „ „ aurea

Ccplialotaxus peduuciilata fas-
tidata.

Select coniferous small trees and shrubs of dense growth and
regular outline, suitable for the Lawn, the Terrace, and Geometric
Garden, as single or isolated specimens.

Abies excelsa Clanbrasiliana
,, ,, pumila
„ „ pygmsea
Cryptomeria elegans nana
Cupressus Lawsoniana albo-

variegata
„ „ lutea

„ ,, nana

„ nutkaeusis compacta

Ketinosi)ora obtusa compacta
„ ericoides

Rctinospora ],)lumosa

,, ,, albo-iticta

„ „ argeutea

„ aurea
,, tetragona aurea

IJiota orientalis aurea
Thuia occidentalis lioveyi
Juniperus coiiiiiuniis coiiij)ressa
,, cliiuensis aurea

,, „ albo-variogata

,, japonica aureo-variegata.

326

A MANUAL OF THE CONIPEKJS.

Coniferous slirubs of dwarf bushy habit and bright coloured
foliage^ suitable for permauent aud winter bedding.

Abies excelsa pumila

„ „ pygmcea

Cryptoincria elegans nana
Cupressus Lawsoniana alba spica
„ „ albo-

variegata
„ , , argentea

,, ,, anreo-

variegata
,, ,, erecta

viridis
„ „ lutea

„ ,, nana giauca

,, nutkaensis conipacta

„ thyoides variegata

Retinospora ericoides
„ leptoclada

5, obtusa anrea nana

„ „ pygmtea

Retinospora pluniosa

„ „ albo-picta

„ „ argentea

„ „ anrea

„ tetragona anrea

„ sqnarrosa

Biota orientaHs anrea

,, „ elegantissima

Thuia occidentalis lutea
Thuiopsis dolabrata

„ „ variegata

Juniperus sabina variegata

,, „ tamariscifolia

„ chinensis anrea

„ „ albo- variegata

,, japonica

„ ,, aureo-variegata

„ excelsa stricta

Taxns baccata anrea

„ „ elegantissima.

Coniferous shrubs of dwarf or prostrate habit, suitable for the
Rock Garden.

Al)ies excelsa Clanbrasiliana
pygnisea
,, canadensis parvifolia

Cryptomeria elegans nana
„ japonica nana

Cupressus Lawsoniana nana

), ,, ,, giauca

„ „ albo-variegata

,, nutkaensis conipacta

Retinospora ericoides
„ filifera

,, le})toclada

„ lycopodoides

„ obtusa anrea nana

„ pygmsea

,, i)kunosa albo-picta

)) ,, argentea

J) ,, aurea

,, tetragona aurea

,, squarrosa

}) „ dubia

Biota orientalis aurea

„ „ elegantissima

Thuia occidentalis

„ „ Elwangeiiana

„ plicata duniosa
Thuiopsis l^tevirens
Juniperus canadensis
„ communis

„ „ compressa

,, hemisphserica

„ procumbens

„ Sabina

,, „ variegata

,, tamariscifolia

„ squamata

„ japonica

„ „ aurea

„ ,, aureo-variegata

Taxus baccata aurea
„ ,, Dovastonii

„ ,, elegantissima

,, ,, ericoides.

CONIFERS FOR CHALK SOIL.

327

A few Coniferous trees_, cliiefly Novtli American^ grow naturally on
the banks of streams^ lakes, &c., and some even in swampy places.
All sucli are available for planting in proximity to ornamental
water, lake, or river. Of sucli are the following : —

Tlmia occidentalis

Abies Menziesii

„ nigi-a

,, canadensis
Larix microsperma
Piiius rigida
Taxodium disticlium
„ pendulmu

Cnpressus thyoides

varicgata
Eetuiospora leptoclada
Tliuia Lobbi (gigantea)

„ ,, pendula

,, ,, variegata

,, „ Vervaeneana

Junipenis virguiiana

„ „ aureo-

variegata

„ „ duniosa

,, „ pendula

„ recurva

,, ,, densa.

Tlie following Coniferous trees and shrubs A\dll grow on
chalk soil : —

Abies excelsa

„ canadensis
Cedrus atlantica
*■ „ deodara
Abies magoiifica

„ nobilis

„ Xordmamiiana

,, pinsapo
Pinus austriaca

,, Laricio

„ pinaster

,, sylvestris

,, excelsa

* „ insigniis

Larix europea

„ leptolepis
WeUingtonia gigantea
Sequoia sempcrvirens
Cupressus Lawsoniana

*Cupressus macrocarpa
„ nutkaiinsis

Biota orientalis

aurea
Thuia Lobbi
,, occidentalis
,, plicata
„ „ Wareana

Juniperus communis

„ ,, hibernica

„ Sabina

„ virginiana

„ chineusis

Taxus baccata

aurea
„ „ elegantissima

fasti'^'iata
Salisburia adiantifolia.

erecta viridis

The foregomg list, with the exception of four or five of the included
names, is ''taken from an article in the Gardeners' Chronide for
Xovember 6th, 1875, communicated by James Salter, Esq., F.E.S., m
wlhch he enumerates tlie kinds of Coniferous and other trees he
found on trial to flourish on his own chalk land. Mr. Salter remarks
that "amon" the larger Conifers that thrive in chalk soil, the conm...,,

328 A MANUAL or THE CONIFERS.

Spruce ranks first, scarcely one dies, and in a short time the young
trees grow "with great vigour and rapidity. Pinus Larlcio comes
next, few die, and they grow with singuhar rapidity and strength. P.
mistriaca grows well after the second year, but a larger proportion die
than with P. Laricio. The Scotch Fir grows well, but some die.
These four species are the best of the common sorts for block
planting, and may be thoroughly depended on. Qxlras atlantlca and
G. deodara do very well, but the latter is apt to become pale and
yellowish where the soil is superficial. The colour of Ahies Nord-
manniana degenerates, but A. pinsajM retains its rich deep green,
wliile its growth is more free and healthy. TJinia Lohhi and
CupressHs nutkamsis grow most luxuriantly, and the WelUiiijtonia is a
complete success."

IV.— AVENUES.

Avenues for approaches and carriage drives^ and for -vistas may
be formed with any of the larger Coniferous trees, but it is evident
from the form and outline assumed by them during the best period
of their gro-wth, and also when they have attained their maturity,
that there are some incomparably superior to others in producing
stately and picturesque effect. Of such the following are among the
best that can be selected : —

Wellingtonia gigantea
*Cedrus deodara
Araucaria imbricata
Abies nobilis

,, Nordmanniana

„ pinsapo

,, concolor (lasiocarpa)
Cedras atlantica

,, Libani
Pinus austriaca

„ pyrenaica

Pinus excelsa

„ Strobus

„ monticola
Abies brachyphylla

„ Douglasii

„ orientalis
Thuia Lobbi (gigantea)
Thuiopsis dolabrata
Cupressus Lawsoniana
„ nutkacinsis

Libocedrus decurrens

The above-named trees arc synnnetrical in habit, hardy in constitution,
and clothed with foliage of a distinct and pleasing colour. To secure
uniformity of growth throughout an avenue planted Avith any one of
these khids, seedlimj plants of the same age should be selected and the
soil should be of the same constituents and of equal drainage. If
naturally good and well drained, it will be sufficient to break up the
soil to a good depth before setting the young plants; but if it is chiefly
composed of sand or gravel, a good supply of fibrous loam, mixed

EVEEGREBN HEDGES. 329

\vitli tliorouglily decomposed vegetable refuse, should be used, in order
that the young trees may get well established. Au avenue of striking
effect may be formed by alternating the "Wellingtonia with the Araucaria,
of which there is a good example at our Coombc "Wood Nurser}-.
(S''t; AVoodcut). The Araucaria may be also alternated with the Deodar
with fine effect. The Cedar of Lebanon is open to objection on
accoimt of its sombre aspect and want of uniformity in outline ; it
is also of comparatively slow growth, so that a considerable period
of time [is required for it to become effective. The jMount Atlas
Cedar may be advantageously substituted for it on chalk soils and
in exposed situations. Very formal avenues may be planted with
Thuia Lohhi, Ciq^ressus Lawsonlana, C. nutlmeims, and Lihocedrus
decurrens, all of which require much less room tlian the trees of the
Fir and Pine tribe, and may, therefore, be employed where the space
is limited.

v.— EVERGREEN HEDGES.

The Conifera3 include some of the best subjects for the formation
of evergreen hedges that are intended for ornamental as well as
for useful purposes. Very handsome hedges can be made with the
following kinds, all of which have been proved to withstand for
years without injury, the severest tests of our climate, Cedrus deodara
and Retinospora ohtusa alone requiring a situation not exposed to
the north-east, and the latter, as well as the Thuias, preferring a
moist soil : —

Taxus baccata
Cedrus deodara
Thuia Lobbi
Biota orientalis
Retinospora obtusa
Thuia occidentalis

Cuj)ressus Lawsoniana

„ nutkaensis

Juniperus chinensis

„ virginiana

„ „ argcntea

Abies cxcelsa

The common Yew forms the strongest, the most durable, and the
most impervious hedge of any Coniferous tree. For protective purposes,
the Yew hedge is unsurpassed, and if less ornamental than hedges
fonned with the other plants named above, its deficiency in this respect
is more than comiterbalanced by its utility. To fonn a Yew hedge of
medium height, that is to say from 6 to 8 feet, the i)lants should be
set at a tUstancc of 12 or more inches apart, according to the age antl
size of the plants iised.

The Deodar forms a higlily ornamental hedge. Tlic annual cutting
to which it must be subjected to keep it within the prescribed width,

330 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

causes it to produce numberless pendulous shoots with very pleasing
effect. For a hedge of from 8 to 10 or 12 feet high for a short
length in a conspicuous position, the Deodar will be found to be one of
the best plants that can be selected. To form a Deodar hedge, plants
of almost any age and size may be selected that have been kept in
condition for removal by frequent transplanting.

Tliuia Lohhi forms a strong dense hedge in a comparatively short
period. It is one of the best of plants for an ornamental hedge on
accoimt of its bright green colour, which it retains through the winter
months ; and for a protective hedge, it is surpassed only in a small
degree by the Yew.

Biota orientalis forms an excellent hedge of low or medium height,
from 8 feet and upwards in good soils. It may be substituted for
either of the Thuias or Bettnospora oUusa where a narrow hedge is
required.

Betinospora ohtusa forms a handsome and compact hedge in a moist
retentive soil and sheltered situation. Its rich fulvous green foliage
supplies a pleasing contrast to that of other plants.

TJiida occidentalis is scarcely inferior to T. Lohhi as a hedge-forming
Conifer in retentive soils. It should not be selected for a high and
exposed situation, nor for dry sandy soils, where it becomes thin and
unfurnished.

Cupressus Lawsoniana should be planted in quite a young state to
fonn a compact hedge of small dimensions. It is a cheap, and on the
whole, a useful substitute for the more expensive kinds.

Cupressus nutliaensis forms a compact hedge, which is rendered "v'ery
ornamental by the light feathery pendulous terminal branchlets. It is
slower in growth than G. Lawsoniana, and for distinctness the glaucous
variety should be preferred to the common form.

Juni-perus dwiensis, J. virginiana, and its variety J. virginiana argentea,
form good hedges ; the light glaucous foliage of the last-named renders
it very effective for contrast. These and the six preceding kinds should
be planted at intervals not greater than from 15 to 18 inches, accord-
ing to the age and size of the plants selected.

Ahies ezcelsa is used as a hedge-forming plant in several parts of
Europe where other Coniferous trees are not available. It forms a strong
and impervious fence, and bears close cutting. Planted at intervals of
from 2 to 2 1 feet, according to the size of the plants, it soon fonns a
compact hedge of any height, but it is surpassed in all respects by the
common Yew.

All hedges and partitions niailc with living plants require periodical
cutting and clipping to keep them dense, strong, neat, and within
prescrilicd limits. Hedges made with deciduous and evergreezi plants,
not Coniferous, are usually trimmed in mid-season while growing, but
in the case of Conifers, it will be remembered that during the

BELTS AND SCREENS. 331

growing season, the circulation of the sap is exceedingly active, and
that if much cut at tliat time, they are liable to suffer from excessive
" bleeding." From this important fact may be deduced the rationale
of the after treatment of Coniferous hedges when estabUshed, viz.,
that they shoidd be cut only when the sap is comparatively quiescent,
either in autumn when the growth of the season is completed, or
early in spring before the commencement of growth. It is the growth
of the current season that chiefly gives beauty to the Coniferous hedge,
and if that is cut off in the full vigour of its formation the effect is
marred, and the health of the plants is liable to be impaired.

VI.— BELTS AND SCREENS.

No trees are better adapted for belts and screens planted for
protective and other purposes than the common hardy Coniferse.
Their rapid and dense growth render them the best of " nurses "
for more tender kinds^ especially during ''infancy;" they afford the
most effectual protection from north, north-east, and easterly winds;
they are the most suitable for shutting out of \aew an incongruous
feature in the landscape, or for forming some bold or distinct distant
addition to it ; also for hiding unsightly buildings, and for seclusion.
The following list includes all the common kinds available for Belts
and Screens required for such purposes : —

Abies excelsa

„ nigra

„ Nordmanniana

,, pectinata

,, canadensis

,, Douglasii

Cedrus atlantica

Larix europea

Pinus austriaca

,, Laricio

,, Pinaster

„ sylvestris

Pinus Strobus
„ excelsa
„ Cembra
Cupressus Lawsoniana
„ nutkal-nsis

,, thyoides

Thuia Lobbi

,, occidentalis
Biota orientalis
Juniperus virginiana
,, chinensis

Taxus baccata

In forming mixed belts with any of the above, the Thuias, Lawson's
Cypress, the Xootka Sound Cypress, and the Junipers, if used, are best
planted on the outside, where they will retam their lower branches
and dense habit for a longer period. The Hemlock Spruce should
only be used where it has been proved to grow rapidly. Pimis pinaster,
P. Laricio, and P. 'I'luiflora arc excellent seaside Pines; P. ianir/uin.

332 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.

Sequoia sem-pervirens, and Gupressus macrocarpa (not included in tlic
above list), also attain their finest proportions within the influence of
the sea air, but require a sheltered south aspect and a moist loamy
soil. The common Yew, Spruce Fir, and the Larch Pine are the best
for chalk soils in an exposed situation. . P. Btrohus and P. excdsa arc
dense on heavy soils; P. rigkla, Abies nigra, Thuia occidentalism and
Gupressus fh//oidcs arc suitable for wet or moist places only.

VII.— CONSERVATORY AND WINTER GARDEN.

Coniferous trees and shrubs do not meet "with much favour as
decorative plants for the Conservatory, except a few species,
limited chiefly to one genus (Araucaria), all of which are of
remarkably formal but elegant habit, and are densely furnished
■with bright green foliage. To these may be added a few others
with distinct foliage that are too tender for out-door culture. The
following list includes all the tender Araucarias cultivated for con-
servatory decoration, with a few other kinds occasionally used for
the same purpose : —

Araucaria excelsa

„ ,, giauca

„ ,, robusta and

other varieties
,, Cunninghami
„ „ giauca

„ Rulei
;, „ olegans

,, Cookii

Araucaria Bidwilli

„ brasiliensis
Callitris quadrivalvis
Libocedrus Doniana
Dacrydium elatum

,, araucarioides

Agathis robusta
„ australis
,, Moorei

VIII.— MEMORIAL TREES.

The great age and size attained by many of the Coniferas,
together with their majestic aspect, render them especially appro-
priate for perpetuating the memory of events and circumstances.
Tlio following list includes the most important trees remarkable
for longevity, stately aspect, and perfect hardiness in our climate.
None of them, however, will fulfil the object of a Memorial Tree
in the immediate vicinity of large towns. The antipathy of the
whole Order to the influence of smoke is irremediable.

Codrus Libani
„ cleodara
„ atlantica

Wellingtonia gigantea

Abies nobilis

„ iS'ordmanniana
„ concolor
„ Douglasii
„ Albertiana
,, magnifica
„ pinsapo
„ cephalonica

MEMORTAT, TREES. 833

Abies grandis

„ brachyphylla
Araucaria inibricata
Pinus Lainljertiana

„ excelsa

„ monticola
Thuia Lobbi
Tliuiopsis dolabrata
Libocedrus decurrenf?
Taxodium disticlium
Taxus baccata
Salisburia adiantifolia.

As an ancestral tree, as a living memento of some important family
event, the Cedar of Lebanon is one of the most appropriate on
accoimt of the many interesting associations connected with it, and
for its own characteristic form and majestic grandenr. To fulfil, in a
befitting manner, the purpose of a Memorial Tree, it is indispensable
that a sufiicient space should be allowed to enable it to attain its
fine proportions without impediment ; when this is not provided for
the tree assumes the appearance of old age before it reaches it. The
Deodar has associations that entitle it to respect apart from its own
intrinsic beautj' ; as an ancestral tree, it may properly be substituted
for the Cedar of Lebanon where vsufficient space is not available for
that grand tree. The Atlantic Cedar may be advantageously substi-
tuted for either of the preceding in an exposed situation. Tlio
Wellingtonia, bearing an historical name, may properly be selected to
commemorate national or public events. It is also an appropriate
tree to plant as a souvenir of a visit by royal and distinguished
personages. Ahles Albertiana, which bears a royal name, and the
noble Fir A. nohiUs, are also magnificent trees for commemorating
royal and distingaiished visits ; but the latter sliould not be selected
for a dry sandy soil. The cheerful colour of A. Nordmanniana and
the light aspect of Ginkgo hiloha, for -whicli Taxodium didiclmm may
be substituted in retentive soils, are fitting subjects to commemorate
the foundation or opening of useful or charitable institutions. Pinm
Lamhertiana owes its name to one of the most enlightened and
munificent patrons of science and art in England, particularly botany
and horticulture, in the first half of the present century ; Ahirn
Doufjlasii and Tliuia Lohhi bear the names of the most intrepid and
successful discoverers of new and beautiful trees and plants in the same
period; all of these, therefore, are suitable IMcmorial Trees ior auy
object in connection with botany and horticulture.

Abies bracJujphijUa is one of the hardiest of its tribe, and may hn
selected for a Memorial Tree for spots Avherc other Conifers would he,
Kable to injury from cold piercing winds, A. cephalonica should only

334

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER^:.

be planted as a Memorial Tree on elevated ground. A, ])insapo may
be selected for a chalky and A. Douglasii for a loamy soil.

To enable the young specimens selected for Memorial Trees to get
well established, especial attention shoidd be given to the preparation
of the soil in the manner pointed out in page 328. The trees
should also be protected from the depredations of cattle, &c., by an
iron wire or wooden fence, if exposed to injury from those causes.

IX.— CEMETERIES AND BURIAL GROUNDS.

The following Coniferous trees and shrubs are recommended as
suitable objects for the improvement of Cemeteries and Burial
Grounds. Many of them present aspects especially in harmony
Avith the associations connected with these places, and all of them
are hardy and thrive generally in any ordinary soil. Those
marked (*) are suitable for avenues, and those (t) for graves.

tAbies

excelsa ClanbrasiHana

fRetinospora ericoides

J5

„ elegans

t ,

leptoclada.

}>

,, Finedonensis

Biota orientalis

)>

„ inverta

t „

„ aurea

!)

,, pumila

t „

„ elegantissima

5>

pygmeea

>>

„ pendula

SJ

orientalis

Thuia occidentalis

5J

canadensis

t „

,, Elwangeriana

*Cedrus Libani

J)

„ pendula

5J

atlantica

t „

plicata dumosa

*

deodora

5>

Standishii

*Pinus austriaca

*Libocedrus decurrens

J)

Cembra

Juniperus communis

*Ai'aucaria imbricata

jj

„ cracovia

fCupressus Lawsoniana albo-

5)

„ suecica

variegata

)J

rigida

t „

„ erecta viridis

>)

virginiana

t „

,, nana

J>

„ pendida

J.

1 »

,, nana glauca

J>

chinensis

J)

nutkaensis

t »

„ aurea

t 5,

„ compacta

Taxus

adpressa

5J

sempervirens

>>

baccata

fRetinospora filifera

t „

,, Dovastonii

j>

lycopodioides

)>

,, erecta

jj

obtusa

t „

,, fastigiata

J)

pluiuosa

))

,, fructu-lutea

t „

„ aurea

t Cejihalotaxus pedunculata

t „

„ argentea

fastigiata

CONIFEROUS TIMBER TREES.

385

XI.— CONIFEROUS TREES VALUABLE FOR THEIR TIMBER.

The great value of Coniferous timber for constructive work has
been frequently adverted to in the preceding pages. The following
Synoptic Table contains the names of the principal Coniferous
trees felled for their timber, either for use in their native
countries, or for exportation. Many other Coniferous trees, not
included in the table, are known to yield more or less useful
timber, but owing to their present inaccessibihty, or the presence
of other kinds of superior quality, or from some other cause,
their wood is not yet much employed for economic purposes.

There is much confusion in the commercial nomenclature of Coni-
ferous timber, so that it is frequently impossible for those not
engaged in the business to identify the tree referred to imder the
commercial name of the timber it produces. Thus " fir " and " pine "
are used indiscriminately for Abies and Pinus ; and such terms as
white pine, yellow pine, red pine, &c., are not nnfrcquently applied
to timber produced by the same species but brought from diflereut
ports

The timber of some of the Agatkis ( Dammara), Podocarps, and
Darydiums is also called " pine " in Australia and New Zealand.

SciEiTTiPio Name.

Popular Name.

Country or Region whore
used or exported.

Remarks.

ABIES ALBA

The White Spruce...

British North

America

Timber inferior, and used
chiefly for certain pur-
poses in shipbuilding.

ALCOQUIANA ...

Japan

CANADENSIS ...

The Hemlock Fir ...

North America

Timber inferior.

DOTIGLASII ...

The Douglas Fir ...

N.W. America

The Red Fir of the settlers
in British Columbia.

EXCELS A

The Spruce Fir ...

Northern Europe ...

Commonly known among
builders as " Baltic Fir."
It supplies tlic "White
Deal of commerce.

Engklmanni...

Engelmann'.s Fir ...

Colorado and New
Mexico

FIKMA

Japan

Mo-mi of the Japanese.

336

A MANUAL OF THE CONIPER.E.

SOIEHTIFIC Ni.UE.

abies grandis
Menziesii
^'IGIlA ...

NOBILIS
OBOVATA

OEIENTALIS
PECTINATA

Popular Name.

The tall Fir
Menzies' Fir

The Black Fir

The noble Fir

The Siberian Spnice

The eastern Fir

The common Silver
Fir

Smithiana ... The Indian Spruce

ARAUCARIA The Chili Pine

4MBIIICATA

BiD-sviLLi ... Bidwill 's Araucaria

Ctjnninghami

CEDRUS DKODARA ...

CRYPTOMERIA

JAPONICA

CUPRESSUS

Lawsoniana

nutkaj-nsis ...

SEMPEnVIRENS

DACRYDIUM

CUPRESSIN0M

Country or Region where
used or exported.

Tlie ]\Ioreton Bay
Pine

The Deodar

The Japanese Cedar

Lawson's Cypress ...

The Nootka Sound
Cypress

Oregon & California

N.W. America

British America and
New England States

CaUfomia & Oregon

Northern Asia

Ai-menia
Central Europe

Himalayas

Soiithern Chili

Queensland,

Australia

») >>
Western Himalayas
Japan

North California

British Columbia

and Oregon

The common Cypress South of Europe and
the Levant

The New Zealand New Zealand
Spruce

Remarks.

The White Fir of the settlers
as distinguished from the
Red Fir, Abies Douglasii,

Timber light, straight
grained, and very valu-
able.

The American White Pine
of commerce.

The most important timber
ti'ee in northern Asia.

Morinda and Khutrow of
the natives,

Pehuen of the aborigines.

The Bunya-bunya.

One of the most useful timber
trees of the colony.

The most important timber
tree in north-west India.

Sung-l ef the Japanese, and
the most useful timber
tree of Japan,

The Yellow Cj-press of the
settlers.

One of the most durable
woods known.

Timber valuable for build-
ing and constructive pur-
poses generally.

CONIFEROUS TIMBEK TREES.

J37

SciBKTiFic Name.

DACRYDIUM

Fraxklixii ..

DAMMARA (AgaiJih)

AUSTKALIS

JUNIPERUS

EEKMUDIAXA

EXCELSA

VIRGIXIAXA

LARIX EL'ROr^A
lIICROCAlirA

LIBOCEDKUS

CHILENSIS
TETKAGONA

D0XIA>iA

PINUS ATJSTRIACA

dexsifloea

Lauicio

Pinaster

MITIS ...
EESIKOSA

STLVESTEIS

Popular Name,

The Huoii Pine

Countrj- or Region where
used or exported.

Tasmania ...

The Kauri or Co\me New Zealand,

Pine Northern Island

The Bermuda

Juniper

The tall Juniper ...

The Virginian Red
Cedai

The common Larch

The American or

Black Larch

The Chilian Arbor
Yitffi

The Alerze

Don's Lihocednis ,.

One of the most important
timber trees of the colony.

A verj' useful timber tree.

Bermuda Islandfj ...' "Wood fonnerly much used
in the manufacture of
"Cedar" pencils.

Western and central
Asia

]\Iuch used in parts of
Afghanistan, where other
timber is scarce.

North America, Wood substituted for that

Eastern States oi Junipcrus Bermiuiiana.

Central Europe I

Canada and New The Tamarack of the
England States Colonists.

Chili

Chili and Patagonia
New Zealand
Central Europe

The Austrian Pine

The Japanese Pine

The Larch Pine ...' Southern Europe

The Cluster Pine .

The "Cipres," or Cypress
of the Chilians.

The most valuable timber
tree of the country.

The Kawaka. Wood used
for indoor carpentiy.

Japan Matsu. The common Pine

of the country.

Timber soft, coarse in grain,
and of little value.

The soft-leaved Pine
The Canadian Pine

The Scotch or Wild
Pine

New England States I American Yellow Pine of
commerce.

Canada

Red Pine of commerce. Tlic
best of the Canadian
Pines.

North of Europe ... Commercially known as
I Russian Pine, Memel Fir,
Baltic Yellow Deal, kc.

338

A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEK.E.

Sctbnxipio Name.
PIXUS AUSTRALIS .

roXDEKOSA .
KIGIDA...

Balfoitjaxa
Cemera

Popular Name.

■■ Country or Region where
I used or exported.

The long -leaved The Atlantic littoral

Pitch Pine from Carolina to

Florida

The "Western Pitcli California & Oregon
Pine

The Pitch Pine . . . ' United States

The Fox- tail Pine..., N. ^Y. America ..,

The Swiss Stone Central Europe and

Siberia'

Remarks.

Red or Pitcli Pine of tlie
Americans, Wood su-
perior to that of any other
American Pine.

The Yellow Pine of Western
North America.

Timber much used in the
mining works in Nevada,
Colorado, &c.

Cembra Pine of commerce.

Pine

FLExiLis j The White Pine ... Rocky Mountains

Lambertiaxa I The Sugar Pine .. J California

Stkoeus

PODOCARPUS

CUPKESSINUS

The Weymouth Pine North America,

eastern portion

The Cy^n-ess-like

Podocai-p

RETINOSPORA

oetusa

riSIFEKA

SALISBURIA

adiantifolia

SEQUOIA

SEMPERVIRENS

...| TheTotaraPine ...

I

I The Japanese Cypress

The Maiden-Hair

Tree

The Californian |
Redwood!

Java

New Zealand
Japan

China and Japan
California ...

TAXUS EACCATA ... The common Yew... Europe

TAXODIUM I The deciduous ' Southern Atlantic

DisTicjiuM Cyprc-js States of Nortli

I : America!

Canadian White Pine, but
sometimes American Yel-
low Pine of Britisli mar-
kets.

One of the best timber trees
of the island.

One of the best timber trees
in the colony.

Hi-no-ki of the Japanese.
Timber very fine and
durable.

Sawara of the Japanese.
Timber not so good as that
of Bctinospora oUusa,

The Ginkgo of the Chinese.
It-cho of the Japanese,

Redwood is more used in
California than any other
timl)er.

Bald Cyin'ess, of Black
Cy[»ress of the Americans!

CONIFEROUS TIMBER.

339

SoiEsnpio Name.

Popular Name. Country or Region where

used or exporteJ.

THUIA LoBBi I Lobb's Arbor Yitaj..

(gigaxtea);

occiDDXTALis... The American Arbor
i Vitte

THUIOPSIS j The Japanese Arbor

POLabrataI Vitne

California & Oregon

Canada and New

Eu£(laud States

Japan

Remarks,

Timber called "Cedar" by
builders, &c., in Cali-
fornia.

The wood is called "Cedar"
in Canada.

Asu-naro of the Japanese.
"Wood yellow and durable.
Much used for masts of
junks, &c.

Scotch, Weymouth, and Pitch Pine, and Norway and American
Spruce Fir constitute the bulk of the Coniferous timber imported
into Great Britain. The same description of timber is also more
largely used than any other in the countries and regions in Avhich
the trees that produce it, are the pi*epouderating members of the
forest. The Corsican Pine, Red Pine, Larch, Californian Redwood,
Kauri Pine, and Sungi (Cryptomeria) are used in enormou.9
quantides in their respective native countries, in consequence of
the accessibility of the forests in which they form the predomi-
nating element, and the proximity of a dense or rapidly increasing
population. The timber yielded by the trees above enumerated,
probably exceeds by many times over that obtained from all the
other Coniferous trees taken together.

The consumption of Coniferous timber is proceeduig at a rate that
would exceed belief, were it not attested by reliable statistics. Our
space does not permit us to enter fully into the details that have
been published from time to time, but the following instances will
suffice to show the importance of the subject.

"A rough estimate of the value of the Norwegian forests, has put
them down at about £22,000,000 ; and, according to the last census,
13,638 persons were occupied in the wood cutting and rafting. The
exportation of timber from Norway has doubled witliin the last
quarter of a century ; the average annual rate of exportation between
1870-74 being about 84,510,000 cubic feet, of which Great Britain
took about 50,000,000 cubic feet."— (/. of Soc. of Arts, Feb. 6, 1880).

" From the New York census returns for 1865, we learn that the
amount of Black Spruce lumber produced in tlie preceding year was
71,000,000 feet. If we suppose 5,000 feet to be the product of an

340 A MANUAL OF THE CONIPERiE.

acre, it would require more tlinn 14,000 acres to fnrni.sli this quantity.
As these figures represent the (juantity of Black Spruce timber felled
in a portion of the Ignited States only, the extent of Spruce forest
annually cleared, both in the United States and in British America,
must be set down at a much higher figure." — (From The Gardev,
vol. ix., p. 481).

" The area of the Redwood fore?;ts of California was estimated, five
years ago, at 500,000 acres. The consumption of Redwood tindjer in
1874 amounted to upwards of 600,000,000 feet, or 50,000,000 feet
in excess of the previous year. At this rate it is estimated that, in
less than a quarter of a century, the whole of the Redwood forests
will have been felled." — (From the Gardi'iirrs' Ghrom'cle, Oct. 23,
1875).

" Xo less than 70,000,000 cubic feet of the Kauri Pine of- New
Zealand (Agafhis australis) was cut down and sawn for home use
and for exportation in the province of Auckland alone, during the
year 1878. The Kauri Pine is a tree of rapid growth, and
produces timber of great economic value ; but at this rate of con-
sumption, it is evident that the native forests must become extinct
in the course of a few years." — (Capt. C. Walker, Rejport on New
Zealand Forests).

XII.— COLLECTIONS OF CONES AT CHELSEA.

Cones of different species gathered from the trees growing in
their native countries by our collectors^ and sent home by tliem
from time to time_, are preserved in the museum attached to the
Royal Exotic Nursery at Chelsea. To these have beeii added
many other kinds gathered from trees in cultivation in this country.
From this collection most of the drawings and descriptions of the
cones given in the preceding pages were chiefly taken. The cones
can always be inspected by visitors to the Nursery.

INDEX.

ALies (The Fir)

Abies Doiiglasii

Abies Fortimei ...

AgatMs (Danimara)

Araiicaria

Araucaria Avenue at Bicton
Arbor Vita? —

American ... ...

Chinese ...

Japanese ...

Athrotaxis

Avenues, Conifene for

Belts anil screens, Coniferte for

Biota

Californian Redwood

Cedars —

Synoptic Table of

Canadian Cedar ...

Cedar of Lebanon

Deodar

Incense Cedar

Mount Atlas Cedar

Eed Cedar

Cedrus

Cemeteries, Coniferre for

Cephalotaxus

Chalk soils, Coniferte for

Cliinese Water Pine

Cones at Chelsea ... ...

Conifene —

Definition of the Order

Developement of, during the geo-
logical periods ...
Distribution of ...

Europeo-Siberian forest region

MediteiTauean region

Himalayas

Chino- Japanese region
North American forest region
Californian and llexican region

■AGE

PAGE

61

Coniferse —

119

Distribution of —

124

Tropical region

42

197

Southern Hemisphere

42

187

x\ustralia and New Zealand ...

43

194

South African region

43

South America

44

254

Scientific classification of

49

250

Literature of

50

264

Parlatore's Classification of the...

56

222

Synopsis of Genera, Species, and

328

Varieties

Coniferous Plants —

57

331

Diseases and accidents

30

256

From fungi

31

Matters absorbed by roots

31

212

Stagnant water

32

Smoke of towns

32

133

Wounds

32

261

From animals ...

33

137

Insects ...

34

134

Meteorological causes ...

36

266

Enumeration of

47

133

Foliage

20

283

Flowers, structure of

23

131

Fruit or cones, .structure of

24

334

Polymorphism in ■

27

306

Roots of

9

327

Secretions

28

217

Seeds

26

340

Stems

Coniferous timber-

11

5

Colour of

19

Durability

IG

44

Elasticity

18

37

Fragrance

10

38

Strength

17

39 ,

Coniferous trees, age of ...

15

40

Coniferous wood, structure of

G

40

Conservatory and Winter Garden, Coni-

41

fers for

327

42

Cryptomeria japonica

219

842

INDEX.

PAGE

PAGE

Cunninghamia sinensis

221

Pine —

Cupressus

225

Totara

319

Cypress Tribe

223

Umbrella of Japan

201

Cypress

225

Pinctum, the

320

Synoptic Table of Species and

Pinus (The Pine)

140

Varieties of

227

Pines with two leaves in a sheath

142

,, three ,, ,,

159

DacrycUum Franklinii

319

,. five

173

,, cupressinum

319

Podocarps, the

317

Deciduous Cypress

214

Pruninopitys elegans ... ...

316

Douglas, David

122

Douglas Fir

119

Petinosjwra

Synoptic Table of Species and

240

Fir and Pine Tribe

59

Varieties

241

Hemlock Firs

111

Silver Firs

81

Saxe-Gothjea

315

Spruce Firs

62

Sciadopitys verticillata

201

Fitzroya patagouica

269

Sequoia sempervirens

212

Ginkgo biloba

312

Tar and turpentine, properties of

28

Glyptostrobus heterophylliis

217

How procured

Taxads

29
291

Hartweg, Karl Theodor

185

Taxodium distichura

214

Hedges, Conifers suitable for

329

Taxus (The Yew)

291

Synoptic Table of Varieties

294

Jeffrey, John

166

Thuia

254

Juniper

271

Synoptic Table of Species and

Common Junipers

273

Varieties

255

Savin Junipers

278

Lobb's

256

Cypress-like Junipers

286

Standish's

263

Ware's ,

264

Lambert, Aylmer Bourke

188

Thuiopsis

2J4

Larch

125

Timber trees, table of

335

Diseases of

31

Topiary work at Elvaston Castle and

Synoptic Table of Species

126

Leven's Hall

300

Lawn and Pleasure Grounds, Conifers

Torreya

309

for

324

Libocedi-us, Synopsis of Species

266

Water, Ornamental, Conifers for

327

Lobb, William

258

Wellingtonia gigantea

204

Maiden-Hair Tree

312

Yew Tribe

291

Memorial Trees

332

Yew

291

Menzies, Archibald

74

American Yew

305

Chinese ..,

306

Park and Landscape, Conifers for

323

Dovaston's

301

Pine-

Fetid

309

Chinese AVater

217

Grove at Cherkley

292

Huon of Tasmania

319

Irish

302

Kauri of New Zealand

197

Prince Albert's

315

Stone, at Olenthorne

155

Yews, old

298

H. M. POLLETT & Co., Generul Steam Printers, Fann Street, Aldersgate Street, City, K.G.

INDEX.

'^^ The names in ilaJics are sijnonijms still in common iise.

Abies (The Fii) ...
ajaneusis
alba ...
Albertiana ...
Alcoquiana . . .
amabilis
ApoUinis
balsamea

bifida

brachj^phylla

bracteata

Brunoniana ...

canadensis ...

cephalonica ...

eilieica

Clanbrasiliana

communis

concolor

Douglasii

varieties of
Eugelmanni ...
excelsa

varieties of
finedonensis ...
iinna ...
Fortunei
Fraseii
Glehnii
grandis
Hanburyana
homolepis
Hookeriana ...
Jiudsonica

I'AGE

61

Abies jezoensis

63

Khutroiv

66

lasiocarpa

113

Lowiana

67

magnifica

86

Mariesii

S3

Meiiziesii

88

Maximowiczii

84

Mertensiana ...

88

microsperma ...

89

Morinda

119

nigra

114

nobilis

92

Nordmanniana

110

uuiiiidiea

70

obovata

64

orien talis

93

Varrymia

119

Farsonsii

120

Pattoniana ...

68

pectinata

69

Pindiow

70

Pinsa[io

70

polita

95

religiosa

124

mhra

96

sachalinensis...

SO '

Schrenkiana ...

97

sibiriea

113

sitchcnsis

84

Sinithiana

115

subalpina

83

Tschonosl-lana

PAOE

72

65
93
83
99

100
73
SO

112

65
74
101
102
103
80
70
64
94
116
103
110
105
77
111
76
100
80
111
65
78
111
83

a

344

INDEX.

Abies tsuga

Veitchii

monstrous cone of

Wcbliiana

Williamsonii
Abietinere ...
Agathis (Dammara)
Arancaria ...

Avenue at Becton ...

Bidwilli

brasiliensis ...

C'ookii - 1

Cunninghami

excelsa

imbricata

Rnlei ...

Arbor Vitre—

American

Chinese

Japanese
Aiccutlios drupacca

Athrotaxis

cupressoides ...

laxifolia

selaginoides

Avenncs, Conifers for

Belts and screens, Conifers for

Biota

orientalis
varieties of

Californian Eedwood

Cedars —

Synoptic Table of ...

Canadian Cedar

Cedars of Lebanon ...

Deodar

Incense Cedar

Mount Atlas Cedar . . .

Red Cedar

Cedrus

atlantica

dcodara

varieties of

I'AGE !

'A(!E

118

Cedrus Libani

137

107

argentea

137

81

Cemeteries, Conifers for ...

334

109

Ccpbalotaxus

306

113

drupacea

307

59

Fortuuei

308

197

pedunculata

308

187

Chalk Soils, Conifers for

327

194

Clmmcecyr.aris Boursieri

227

195

Laicsomana

227

195

Icptodada

241

195 j

mdhaensis

228

196 1

oUusa

242

196 '

insifcra •

242

. 191

spJiaroidca

229

. 197

Cones at Chelsea

340

. 251

. 250
. 261

Coniferfe —

Definition of the Order

5

Development of, during the geo-
logical periods

44

. 273

Distribution of

37

. 222

Europeo-Siberian forest region ...

38

. 223

Mediterranean region

89

. 223

Himalayas

40

. 223

Chino- Japanese region

40

. 328

North American forest region . .

41

Californian and Mexican region..

41

. 331

Tropical region

42

. 250

Southern Hemisphere

42

.. 252

Australia and New Zealand

43

. 252

South African region

43

South America

43

212

Literature of

50

Scientific classification of

49

.. 133

Parlatore's Classification of tlie ..

56

.. 261

Synopsis of Genera, Species, am

.. 139

Varieties ...

. 57

.. 134

Coniferous Plants—

.. 266

Branches

. 19

.. 133

Diseases and accidents

. 30

.. 233

From fungi

31

.. 131

Matters absorbed by the roots ..

31

.. 133

Stagnant water ...

. 32

.. 134

Smoke of Towns

. 32

.. 135

AVounds

. 32

INDEX.

345

Couiferous Plants— Diseases aud
Acculcnts —

From animals 33

Insects 34

Meteorological causes 36

Enumeration of 47

Foliage 21

glaucescence 23

variegation 22

Flowers 23

Fruit or cones, structure of ... 24

Leaves ... ... ... ... 20

Polymorphisms in 27

Boots of 9

Secretions 28

Seeds 26

Stems 11

Coniferous timber 16

Consumption of ... 339

Commercial nomenclatiu'c of ... 335

Colour of ... ... ... ... 19

Dm-ability 16

Elasticity 18

Fragrance 19

Strength ... ... ... ... 17

Coniferous trees, age attained by ... 15

valuable for timber 335

Coniferous wood, structure of 6

Conservatory and AVinter Garden, Coni-
fers for 332

Cryptomeria elegans 21 8

japonica 219

Lobbi 219

varieties 220

Cunninghamia sinensis ... ... ... 221

Cupressinete ... ... 223

Cupressus ... 225

atlenuata ... ... 227

hacciformis 287

calif arnica 227

casluncriaiw. ... ... 229

funebiis ... ... 220

Goveniana ... ... ... ... 2j0

Knigbtiana ... ... ... ... 2:J1

Laiiibertiana ... ... ... --ii

Cupressus Lawsoniana

varieties of ...

lusitanica ...

Macnabiaua

inacrocarpa ...

Nutkaensis

varieties of

sempervirens

horizoutalis

th3-oides ...

varieties of ... ... ...

torulosa

Corneyaua...

Cypress, The

deciduous. See Taxodium cUstichum.
Japanese

Patagouian

Roman

Tasmaniau. Sec Athrolaxis.

Dacrydium cupressiuum

Franklinii

Dammara. See Agathis.

Douglas, David ...

Douglas Fir

Fir aud Pine Tribe

Hemlock Firs

Silver Firs

Sx)ruce Firs

Fitzi'oya patagonica

Ginkgo biloba

Glyptostrobus heterophyllus

pendulus

Geometric Garden, Conifers for

Hartweg, Karl Tlieodor

Hedges, Conifers suitable for

JcUVcy, John

Juniper, Tlie

Common Junipers

Cyprcs.s-like Junipers

.S.iviu Junipers

TAOE

231
232
239
233
234
235
235
236
236
238
238
239
239
225

240
269
229

319
319

122
119

59

111

81

62

270

312
217
200
325

185
329

166
271
273
286

278

346

INDEX.

Jituiperus alpiiia ...
harbadcnsis ...
Bcdfordiana ...
berinudiaua ...
Lrevifolia
caJifornka ...
canadensis
Cednis
chinensis

varieties of
connniinis

varieties of
comjjressa
daviirica
dcalbata
drupacea
echinoformis...
excelsa
fastigiata
fragrans
Gossccintlmniana
hemisplirerica
hibemica
liispanica
japonica

varieties of
Langoldiana . . .
macrocarpa . . .
'liana ...
neaborieusis ...
nepalcnsis
oblonga

occidentalis ...
oxycedrus
pachyphlaa ...
phceuiuea
prociimbens ...
prostrata
pseudo-Sabina
recurva
religiosa
repanda
rigida...
rufcsccns
Sabina

varieties of

PACE

I'AGK

273

.Juiiiperus Sheppardii

... 290

279

sphrerica

... 290

284

squamata

... 282

285

strida...

... 273

277

succica

... 276

286

tliurifera

... 282

274

virginiana

... 282

277

varieties of

... 284

287

288

Lambert, Aylnier Bourke

... ISO

274

Larch, The

... 125

275

Diseases of ...

... 31

273

Synoptic Table of Species ...

... 126

285

Larix americana

... 126

286

davurica ..

... 127

276

enroptea

... 127

273

Griffithii

... 128

279

jcqwnica

... 126

273

Kaempfeii

... 129

286

Lcdcbouri

... 127

284

h'ptolepis

... 130

276

Lyalli

... 130

275

microcarpa ... ... ...

... 130

279

occidentalis

... 130

288

Lawn and Pleasure Grounds, Conifer.'-

for. 324

288

Libocedrus, Synopsis of Species

... 267

287

chilensis

... 267

277

decurrens

... 267

275

Doniana

... 268

277

tetragona

... 263

278
276

Lobb, ■\Yilliani

... 258

289
277
289
290

Maiden Hair Tree

Memorial Trees

... 312
... 332

Menzies, Archil>ald

... 74

280

278

Park and Landscape, Conifers for

... 323

285

Picea. Sec Abies.

281

Pine—

278

Chinese Water

... 200

278

Huon of Tasmania

... 319

277

Kauri of New Zealand

... 197

274

Stone, at Glenthorne

... 155

281

Totara of New Zealand

... 319

282

Umbrella of Japan

... 201

INDEX.

317

riuetuui, The

Piims

Biiiio, witli two leaves in eaeli s'

Terniu, with three ,, ,,

Quinpe, with five ,, ,,

See also Abies, Ccdrus, Laru
Vma&albicaulis

aristata

australis

uustriaca

Ayacahiiite ...

Danksiaua

Balfouriaua ...

Bcardslcyi ...

Bcnthamiana

Bolaudeii

India ...

Bungeaua

calif ornica ...

Cembra

cembroides

contorta

Coulteri ...

ilensiflora ...

Don Pedri. Sec Ayacahuitc.

Devoniana

Edgarianct ...

edulis

cxcelsa

flexilis

Fremonliancc..,

Gerardiana

halepensi.s
HamiUonii ...
Hartwegii

inops

insignis ,.

Jeffreyi

koraiensis ...

Lambert iana...

lanceolata

Laricio

Llavcana

longifolia

Liiulleyana ...

Loiuloniaaa

PAGE
... 320

... 140
leath H2

159
173

. 174

. 176

. 17:2

. 144

, 184

, 158

. 175

, 161

. 161

145

152

161

161

176

162

145

160

146

184
147
172
177

177 i
147
163 •
140
153
184
158
163 I
165 I

178 !

179 ,
200
147
160
172
174
174

riiiiis macroearpa...
maritima
Massoniana ...

iiiitis

monophylla

luontana

Moutezuiiue

monticola

MlKjlt us

imirieata

2Iurrayana ...

ooearpa

PalLisiaiia

]i(tli(stris

Parry ana

parviilora

patula

Pence

Pinaster

pinea ^.

ponderosa

pseudo-Strobns

Fumilio

pungens

jiyrenaica

radiatct

resinosa

rigida...

Itusselliana ...

Sabiuiana

serotina. Sec F. Tada

sinensis

Strobus

sylvestris

Tieda

Teocote

Tkunhcryi

ToiTeyana
tuberculata ...

taurica

niiciiuUa

PodocarjHis
alpinns
andinus
cliiliiius
chinensis

rAiJK
. 166
. 147
. 148
. 158
. 150
. 151
. 185
. 181
. 117
. 151
. 147
, 185
, 152
, 160
160
182
172
177
152
154
167
185
147
158
156
160
159
169
185
169
172
159
183
156
172
172
147
173
170
147
147

317
318
316
318
319

348

INDEX.

PAGE

Podocarpus raacropliyllus 318

Koraicnsis 307

Nageia 319

nubigenus ... ... ... ... 318

Totara 319

Pnimnopitys elegans 316

Eetinospora ... ... 210

SjTioptic Table of Species auci

Varieties ... ... 241

Elivangcriana ... 255

ericoides 243

filicoides ... ... ... ... 243

filifera 243

jurdjjcroides ... ... 2-11

leptoclada ... ... ... ... 244

lycopodioides .,, 245

obtusa 245

varieties of 246

pisifera 247

varieties of 248

plumosa 243

varieties of 249

squarrosa 249

dubia 250

tetragona aurea 250

Kock Garden, Couifers for 326

Salisburia adiantifolia ... ... ... 313

Saxe-Gothsea conspicua 315

Sciadopitys verticillata 201

Sequoia gigantea 199

sempervirens ... 212

Tar and Turpentine, properties of, liow

l)rociired 30 |

Taxads 291 j

Taxodieai 198 I

Taxodium distichum ... 214

pendulum... ... ... ... 215

mexicanum ... ... 217

Taxus 291

Synoptic Table of varieties ... 294

adpressa ... ... 295

J'AGE

Taxus baccata ... 296

varieties of ... 302

brevifolia ... ... 305

canadensis 305

cuspidata , 306

Dovastoiiii ... ... ... ... 301

fastigiata .., 302

Foxii 295

hihcrnica ... ... 294

japonica , 307

Lindleyana ... 295

occidcntalis ... ... ... ... 295

Tliuia 254

Synoptic Table of Species and

Varieties ... 255

antarciica ... ;,-. ... ... 256

aurea ... ... ... 251

cliilcnsis 267

Craicjlana 267

clumosa , 263

Elwaiujcriana 262

clcgantissima ... 256

gigantea 256

Hoveyi ... ... ... ... 262

Lohhi 256

mcldensis 252

Mcnzicsii ... 25'

occidcntalis ... ... 261

varieties of ... 262

orlcntalis ... ... 251

plicata 263

2^)jgmcca 242

sihirica ... ... 256

Standisbii ... 263

tartarica 256

Vervaencana 262

Wareana 264

Tliuiopsis 264

lorcalis ... ... ••. ... 236

dolabrata 265

lactcvirens ... ... 265

filaiidiiihil ... ... ... ... 256

Timber Trees, Table of o:J5

Topiary Work at Elvaston Castle and

Leven's Hall S':'0

INDEX.

:11.0

Torreya
grandis

myristica ...

nucifcia ...

taxifolia

Water, Ornamental, Conifers for
Wellingtouia gigantea ...

varieties of

"Winter and Permanent Bedding
fers for

Colli-

309

Y

BW Tribe

311

Y

3W

311

American

31]

Chinese

311

Dovaston's ...
Fetid

327

Grove at Cherkloy

204

Irish

206

Lord Harrington's
Prince Albeit's

326

Yews, Ancient

I'AGE
291

201
305
300
301
309
292
302
307
315
297

ILLUSTKATIOlSrS.

TAGE

Abies amabilis, foliage of

86

bracli}'phylla, cone of

89

bracteata at Tortwortii Court

90

cone of

91

foliage of

90

canadensis, fertile branclilet of ...

114

concolor (lasiocarpa) at Higlinam

Court

93

Douglassii, fertile branchlet of

120

firma, coue of

95

forms of foliage of

96

grandis, cone of

98

foliage of

97

Ilookeriana, foliage of

117

magnifica, section of leaf of

100

nobilis at Highnam Court

102

fertile branclilet and cone of ...

101

oi-ientalis at Highnam Court

76

Pattoniana, foliage and cone of ...

110

polita, cone and foliage of

77

sachalinensis, fertile branchlet of...

106

Tsuga, cone and foliage of

118

Veitchii, cone of

108

monstrous cone of

81

foliage of

107

PAGE

Abies Webbiana, fertile branchlet of ... 109
Araucaria Avenue at Bicton ... Frontispiece

imbricata at Dropmore 194

female cation of 193

male catkin of 192

monoecious brancli 189

Avenue at Coombe Wood ... ... 328

Cedrus Deodara at Dropmore ... ... 134

at Tortworth Court 135

Libani in Goodwood Park 137

Cupressus macrocarpa, cone of ... ... 224

Cryptomeria ekgans at Linton Park ... 218

fertile branchlet of 218

Lobbi at Dropmore ... 219

fertile branchlet of 25

Ginkgo biloba, foliage and fructification of 313

Japanese Conifers, group at Linton Park 240

Junipcrus thurifera, fertile branchlet of. 271

Libocedrus decurrens, cone of ... ... 224

Pinus austriaca, cone of ... 144

fertile branchlet of 145

insignis, cone and leaves of ... 164

koraiensis, cone of ... ... ... 178

monticola, cone of ... ... ... 181

parviflora, cone and leaves of ... 182

350

INDEX.

ILLUSTRATIONS -continued.

Turns piuea (Stono rino) at Gleiithorne

section of cone of. . .

scales of cones of . . .

Betinospora filicoides, foliage and cones ot

filifera, foliage and cones of

obtusa, do. do.

])isifera, do. do.

|ilumosa, do. do.

squarrosa, do. ilo.

■Soiadopitys verticillata, cone of

■ foliage of

Scotcli Fir, wood cell of . . .

I'AiiF.

1.55

24

26

243

244

245

247

248

249

202

203

8

Spruce Fir, female catkin of

male catkin of
Stem, three years old, section of
Taxodium disticlmm, with "knees,"

Syon

Thuia gigantea (Lobbi) at Linton Par
Thuiopsis dol -brata at Ashridge Parl'i
Topiary wor: a Elvaston Castle
"Wellingtonia ;Ti<^;antea, fertile bvanchlc
male flower and cone of ...

Yew, fructification of

original Irish, at Florence Court

at

tof

•AOE

24
23

216
257
265
3U0
205
207
276
303

M4 V^^^^4,

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