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CORNELL UNIVERSITY
435.V4o ol University Library
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Cornell University
The original of this book is in
the Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924002870438
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
3
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See page 194.
The Araucaria Avenue at Bicton.
A MANUAL
OF
THE CONIFERA,
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 WOODCUTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
JAMES VEITCH & SONS,
Royat Exoric Nursery, 544, Kine’s Roap, CHsisea, S.W.
1881.
All rights reserved.
341685
H. M. POLLETT & Co.,
HoRTICULTURAL AND GENERAL STEAM PRINTERS,
Fann STREET,
ALDERSGATE STREET, LONDON.
Teal ony rnoece tate, ce aa
2, ee ae OR tee iii valice,
INTRODUCTION.
Tue 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 Coniferee which we are constantly receiying 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 progress 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 from 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 popular
as possible, so as to render the Manual acceptable to every class,
While avoiding technical terms, as far as it could be done, consistent
B
2 INTRODUCTION.
with a clear explanation of the 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 Review of the Coniferous Order. It contains a
brief 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 Coniferea over the globe; and lastly,
the scientific arrangement and nomenclature, as given by the most eminent
botanists, who have studied the Order.
Part II. containssa Synopsis 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
different purposes for which Conifere 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., although 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 first column 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 by 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,
with the names of their authors; obsolete synonyms are purposely
omitted. The third column contains the popular name of each tree
or shrub, where a recognised one exists; in other cases, the scientific
name is expressed in its equivalent English. The habitat given in the
next column is referred to the most important or best known country
or locality of which the tree or shrub is native; in the popular descrip-
tions following, the habitat is more precisely stated. The height in
feet in the last column is approximately that attained by the tree in
INTRODUCTION. 3
its native home. The 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 characters are in many cases still more vaguely framed,
so that the species of some authors are by others considered to be
varieties of some more common form.t 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, and under which the trees and shrubs in Part II. are
described, are the names of kinds which, for Arboricultural and
Horticultural 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 term, or not. We
have not, however, hesitated to quote authorities, whose opinions are
entitled to respect, on a few controverted points which have arisen,
and which could not be passed over in silence. ;
In the descriptions of the trees and shrubs, many botanical details
are omitted; for these the reader must consult the more elaborate
works especially devoted to the subject; but, we trust, enough is given
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 information respecting the
economic properties and the purposes for which it is employed.
We have derived much valuable information from existing Pineta.
Foremost among these we may mention that of the Right Hon.
Lady Rolle, whose magnificent collection at Bicton stands unrivalled
in this country. We must also name those of the Right Hon.
Earl Ducie, at Tortworth; the Right Hon. Viscount Holmesdale, at
* Abi edrus, and Larix are brought by some authorities under Pinus; Wellingtonia
ade Sa Chamecyparis and Pedinesbore under Cupressus; Biota and Thuiopsis
under Thuia, &c.
a, C. atlantica, and C. Libani_are regarded by eminent authorities as
sie Eats be species. Pinus austriaca and P, Pallasiana are described by Parlatore
as varieties of P. Laricio. Abies Cephalonica is considered by the same botanist to be
only a variety of A. pectinata ; and many other instances might be cited. It must,
however, be admitted that the difficulty of framing specific characters is often very
eat, and that a divergence of opinion among botanists as to the relative specific
Palte of any character, or combination of characters, would seem to be almost inevitable,
4 INTRODUCTION.
Linton Park; T. Gambier Parry, Esq., at Highnam Court, Gloucester ;
W. Parker Hamond, Esq., at Pampesford Hall, Cambridge ; His
Grace the Duke of Devonshire, ae ; the Right Hon. the
Earl of Harrington, at Tlvaston Castle; the Right Hon. Lord
Windsor, at Hewell 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.
GENERAL REVIEW
OF
CONIFEROUS PLANTS.
Contrer#, or Cone bearing, is the 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. The foliage 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.
The Fruit of the Fir and Pine tribe, which slightly resembles
a cone, doubtless suggested the name Conifere 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 Gymmnospermous tree inhabits the peninsula of India, not even the
genus Podocarpus, which includes most of the tropical Gymnosperme, and technically
Coniferous, and has glandular woody fibre, though, like the Yew, it bears berries.”—
Himalayan Journals, vol. ii., p. 282. Central Africa is also a probable exception, but
even there the curious and anomalous Welwitschia mirabilis has its home.
6 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
Following the rule observed in designating other Natural Orders, the
selecting of one of the contained genera as a type to which the others
may be referred, the name Pinacee has been used by some authors
in preference to Conifere.* It may be observed, however, that if
the name Conifer 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
nwnber of the species, especially in their young state, is strictly that
of a Cone in outline. The German name, Nadelhdlzer, is expressive
as regards the Fir and Pine tribe and some others, but is scarcely
applicable to the whole Order.
Structure of Coniferous Wood.—Microscopic investigations of the
tissues and minute parts of plants by men of science show, that
while the anatomical structure of Coniferous wood resembles that
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 of that important mineral, but also the
existence of a Coniferous vegetation at an early period in the
Earth’s History.t They will be best understood from 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
purpose. 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
_ * Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom, p. 226. Pinacew, being a Handbook of the Fi
Pines, by “ Senilis.” 1866, ? i C pennies eee
+ “That Coal is little else than mineralised vogetable 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
enabled men of science to say what the plants were which contributed to the formation
of Coal, and in 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 the following arrangement of the
parts: Ist—A central pith, which is larger or smaller
according to the kind of tree or shrub to which the
branch belongs, large in the Elder, smaller in the
Sycamore, a mere point in the 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
i the age in years of the stem examined. 8rd—These
rings are crossed by lines generally of a lighter
ae ial i colour, all radiating from the central pith, and known
Foe iB gle gy Tmsverse and by the name of medullary rays. 4th—The whole
longitudinal sections of a - : .
three years old stem. is surrounded by, and enclosed in, a cuticle or
covering familiarly called the bark.
This form 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 are 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 ring of woody fibre during its formation,
next between the first ring and the bark during the formation 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 always contained in the fluid absorbed or sucked up
by the roots. As such a stem increases in size by successive layers
from without, the bark being as it were pressed outwards to admit
of the successive yearly addition of rings, it is technically called an
Exogen.
The stem or branch of a Coniferous tree shows the same general
structure as that we have just described. The medullary rays are,
however, generally much fainter, and often quite inconspicuous, but they
are nevertheless present; there are also differences and modifications in
the minute parts, which we will now 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 thread.
Examined by means of the microscope, these minute fibres are found
to be elongated transparent cells, with imcmbranous walls, tapering to a
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
point at each end. The spiral vessels much resemble the woody fibrous
cells, but with 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.
Now the minute parts of the stem of a Coniferous tree,
as the
Pine or Fir, are found to differ from those of other trees in the
following particulars—
1. The tubes have a diameter much greater than that of the
wood cells of any other class of Exogenous trees.
Fig. 2. Wood
cell of Scotch
Fir, with bor-
dered pits; m m
pores connecting
the cells of the
wood with those
of the medullary
rays. X about
250. Copied from
Thomé.
* Dr. Carpenter, Vegetable Physiology, § 53.
+ Thomé’s Structural Botany, p. 871.
2. They alone transmit the sap upwards,t 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.t :
4, There are marked on the sides of the tapering
wood cells, towards the medullary rays, a peculiar set
of dots or circular disks.
hoe
Fig. 3, Transverse section
of two wood cells of Scotch
Fir, each with a pore, g’?
widened at the base. By the
disappearance of the original
cell walls, the two widenings
have united to form the “ bor-
der’ h, i, intercellular spaces.
X about 400. Copied from
Thomé,
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
their presence is owing to the want
of uniformity in the increase in the
thickness of the cell walls, and that
at certain spots, pitted or cell pores
are formed, the membrane between
the cells disappearing, and the cells
becoming actually perforated. In
Coniferous wood these pore cells are widened at their base,
rendering them comparatively easy to be detected under the
microscope.
and 3.
They are called “bordered pits.”
“The characteristic position of the pits which, in
See Figs. 2
the cells of the stems, are usually arranged in one; in
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.’§
+ Idem, § 51.
§ Idem, p. 372,
ROOTS OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. §
We now proceed to note the most evident characteristics of
Coniferous plants in their external aspect, including the parts buried
in the soil.
Roots——The Roots of Coniferous plants are produced freely from 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 surface.* At first but slender fibrous threads,
ramifying at very short intervals and sub-dividing repeatedly, they
form a network spread over a circular 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,”’+ 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 through 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 spongelets 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 Coniferze 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.t 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 grow for
many years after the trunk has been cut down.
The foregoing characters are, generally speaking, common throughout
* The primary radicle is, of course, an exception; but this is too minute to affect the
general statement.
+ Dr. Lindley, Theory and Practice of Horticulture, p. 21.
+ It is not, however, advisable to remove large trees, especially of the Fir and Pine
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 Order, but a few peculiarities that are met with in the. different
tribes require separate notice. ; ‘
In many of the species belonging to the Cypress tribe (Cupressine),
and which are mostly of fastigiate or strict habit, the primary roots
lengthen but slowly, although they increase in thickness considerably
during the first years of the life of the tree; but the rootlets form a
dense plexus, occupying 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, which they do in conformity with a law universal
throughout the Vegetable Kingdom. The 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 Yew;
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 (Taxodiz) all the principal members of which
are not only among the largest of Conifers, but 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 (Tawodium distichum) 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 hollow 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 are 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 equally from all sides of the stem, they will, as in other plants,
develop in one direction more than in another when 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 they are prevented
by obstacles from extending equally on all sides ;+ they will also grow
downwards to a considerable depth under similar influences,
earn eae Sac distichum in Part II, with the engraving of the tree
+ See some remarkable instances of the rooting of the Spruce Fir in London. Arb. ef
Frut., p. 2298.
STEMS OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 11
The power of forming roots by pieces detached from the 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 when the leaders are,
in garden phraseology, “headed back,” cuttings take root very readily
when placed in circumstances favourable for their development. In the
Sequoia 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 Hemlock Firs less so; it is feeble in the Silver Firs,
and wanting, or nearly so, altogether in the true Pines.
Stems.—The Srems 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 growth, 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 exceptions 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 800 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 are 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
* Juniperus communis compressa, native of the Pyrenees.
+ Wellingtonia gigantea, the Mammoth tree of California.
12 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
own country, grows from 50 to 70 feet high; at its northern limit,
in the Siberian Plains and Kamtschatka, it is dwarfed to a low bush
whose height ranges between 50 and 70 inches. The Armenonn
White Spruce (Abies alba), which in Canada and the adjoining
States, at about lat. 45° N., attains a height of 50 feet ; at ie
northern limit, approaching the shores of the Arctic Ocean, at 65°,
its height is less than 50 inches. Pinus Banksiana, which is scarcely
botanically distinct from the Scotch Pine of our own country often
seen upwards of 100 feet high, is a straggling shrub of from 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 which
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 such 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 high latitudes, the diminution of solar heat is due _to
the slanting direction in which 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.
The 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 climate in which the
frees are growing, or which amounts to nearly the same thing, the
annual rainfall of the region or district. It is observed, in reference
to the distribution of the Conifere, 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, because mountains arrest the
clouds, and a condensation 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. The same 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 jowmals during the
STEMS OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 18
past. twenty-five years, show that the 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 inches, in particular spots very much more, while on the east
side of the country, it is not more than 25 inches.* The finest Conifere
in Scotland are found where 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 known, and there the temperature during
the summer is high and the rainfall copious. In the eastern parts
of the Continent, where it is much drier and colder, the Weymouth
Pine (Pinus Strobus) attains a height of 100 feet; in nearly the
same latitude, near the Pacific Coast, its close ally, the Sugar Pine
(Pinus Lambertiana), towers to nearly three times that height. The
Balsam Firs of Canada and Carolina (Abies balsamea and A. Fraser‘),
are low short-lived trees, not often more than 40 feet high; their
congeners, the Western Balsam Firs of California and Oregon (A.
grandis and A. concolor) are giants 200 feet high, and live for
centuries. In the humid climate of the Himalayas, the Deodar
Cedar, Hemlock Fir (Abies 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 plains, 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 thereabouts.
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 Thuia gigantea and Cupressus macrocarpa have
been known to make an addition of nearly four feet to their height
in one season. Abies Nordmanniana and A. nobilis, which commence
their growth late in the season, will add to their leaders from 15 to
18 inches in the short space of six or eight weeks. Abies Douglasti
makes an average growth of from 21 to 27 inches annually,
and Pinus insignist even more. The rate of growth varies in each
* See Physical Geography of Great Britain, by Dr. Ramsay, Fourth Ed., p. 197-200.
Th wth of Pinus insignis in the warm and more equable climate of New Zealand
Fi ceed iy . A csrenondene in the Canterbury district recently informed 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 quite 6 feet,
14
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
kind according to the soil and situation, it is also influenced by the
state of the season, being greater or less according as the temperature
is higher or lower than the average mean.
The following known physiological conditions go a great way towards
explaining the cause of this rapid increase in the stems of Coniferous
trees. The tubes and channels through which 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
fill them; they obtain this supply by means of the roots, which
possess an enormous absorbent power. These roots, it must be
‘yemembered, 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 branchlets 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 that are the wonder of all who
behold them.
Theoretically, the trunks of Coniferous trees, like other Exogenous
stems, might increase in size and height indefinitely, 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 diminished in process of time, till at length the counteracting
causes balance the growing power; the tree has then reached its full
maturity; the period of decay sets in which is never permanently
* Every one who has made an incision through the bark of the Common Larch, the
Spruce Fir, or the Scotch Pine, especially at a:
ny time during the growing season, is aware
of the very rapid flow of sap from the wound. Advantage is taken of this rapid flow, to
procure the turpentine of commerce from t!}
the bark, and keeping the wound open,
he species that yield it by making incision in
AGE OF CONIFEROUS TREES. 15
arrested till the death of the individual and the subsequent de-
composition of its tissues is complete.
A cross section of the trunk of a large coniferous tree shows that
the annual rings nearest the central pith are the broadest, and that their
width diminishes as they recede from the centre to the bark.* The
diminution 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 the 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.t This
irregularity is believed to be due to climatal changes. During a long
and warm summer a Coniferous tree will make much more growth 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 rings. 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 the outside are so close
together that they can only be counted with difficulty, upwards of one
hundred of them scarcely occupying a breadth of more than from one
to two inches.
The ace attained by Coniferous trees varies very much in the
different families. 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 commencement 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, while 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 only
with a degree of reservation corresponding to the difficulty experienced
in ascertaining anything like an approximation to the truth.
The Califomian Big Tree ( Wellingtonia
gigantea) ; ; ‘ . from 1,500 to 2,000 years.
The Red Wood (Sequoia sempervirens) . ,, 1,300 ,, 1,750 _,,
The Yew (Taxus baccata) . ‘ » 5, 1,100 ,, 1,250 ,,
Deciduous Cypress (Taxodium distichum) . 5, 750 ,, 1,000 4,
Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus Deodara ) a 05 750 ,, 900 ,,
Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus Libant) ie 5 600 ,, 800 ,,
Douglas Fir (Abies Douglasti y) ; ae 450 ,, 600 ,,
- tion of a large Wellingtonia felled in California for the purpose of asccr-
Eee ee showed the width of one hundred rings nearest the centre to be 13 inches,
and that of one hundred rings nearest the bark to be 3 inches only.
‘©The separate annual rings are not always of uniform thickness, but are often more
Peat depdapell on one side than the other.”—Thomé’s Structural Botany, p. 365,
16 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
Silver Fir (Abies pectinata) . . from 450 to 600 years.
Roman Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) . ,, 350 ,, 500 ,,
Sugar Pine (Pinus Lambertiana) . . 5, 350, 500 ,,
Moreton Bay Pine (Arauearia Bidiilli) . ,, 300 ,, 400 ,,
Coniferous Timber—The timber yielded 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, &., 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 timber 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 Mammoth (Wellingtonia) is one of the softest and most
brittle; the timber of the Weymouth Pine (Pinus Strobus) and Black
Spruce (Abies nigra) is among the most valuable obtained from American
trees, while their near allies, the New Jersey Pine (Pinus inops) and
the Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), growing in the same region, are
scarcely worth felling for fuel.
Some remarkable instances of the DuRapitity of the 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. Mooreroft writes in his Journal (about fifty years ago), “A short
time since a building, erected by the order of the Emperor Akbar
(a.p. 1542—1605), 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 Shah; its age could not have been
less than two hundred and twenty-five years.*
* Loudon, Ard. et Frut,, p. 2431,
STRENGTH OF CONIFEROUS TIMBER, 17
In the Toronto Globe, of April 9, 1863, Mr. W. D. Ferris, writing
from New Westminster, British Columbia, states that the trunk of a
Douglas Fir, showing no signs of decay, 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 by Pope Eugene,
to be perfectly sound.t
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 Vite, 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 Podocarpus spicatus was observed not long
since in a valley near Dunedin, New Zealand, to be enfolded by the
roots of three large trees of Griselinea littoralis, with trunks three and
a half feet in diameter, which must have grown from seed since its
fall. They were recently felled, and the growth rings count over 300,
thus approximating three hundred years, during which the timber 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 bumt in two by a forest fire. In
the trench between the two portions a Silver Fir grew. This Fir
was felled, and had 380 annual rings; therefore, to estimate the time
during which 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 unknown interval between that time
and the arrival of the Silver Fir seed.” ||
The strenctH of Coniferous timber has been tested by experiments.
The following results, obtained by the late Mr. W. Wilson Saunders,
and published in the Gardeners’ Chronicle for 1862, p. 643, will serve
for illustration :—
“Lengths of each of the woods enumerated in the following table,
carefully 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 horizontal line at the time of breaking,
is given.
* Lawson’s Pinetum Britannicum, Part xxxiii., Abies Douglasti.
+ Loudon, Arb. et Frut., p. 2467.
£ Idem, p. 2457.
§ Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, ex. Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1877, p. 594.
| Sir J. D. Hooker, Address at the Royal Institution, April 12, 1878.
18
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
bs. in.
Douglas Fir . ; ; 980 4 fracture rough and long.
Pitch Pine* . F : 280 4 », short and even.
Canada Sprucet . ‘ 196 4.7 » short and rough.
Red Pine} . : : 168 6 » rough.
Larch, British i : 168 5.2
Deodar, from the Hima-
layas. : ‘ ‘ 154 3.8 » Short.
» Short and even.
“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.
“Tt will thus be seen that none of the Firs experimented on approached
in strength either the Douglas Fir or the Pitch Pine, it having required
a weight of 280 Ibs. to break a small bar of their wood no more than
an inch and a quarter square; 168 Ibs. broke a piece of British Larch
of the same scantling; moreover, between the Douglas Fir and the
Pitch Pine, whose strength was equal, there was this great difference,
that while the latter snapped short under a strain ae 280 lbs., the
Douglas Fir yielded unwillingly with a rough and long rend.”
The snasticiry of Coniferous wood is very considerable. It was
observed centuries ago in the Yew, which led to the wood of that tree
being employed in making bows for archery. The woods of the common
Spruce, Red and Pitch Pines, and several of the Cypress tribe, are all
more or less elastic, which materially enhances their utility in the various
purposes of carpentry to which they are applied. The property is,
however, most decisively demonstrated by the readiness with which the
molecules of the wood receive and transmit the vibrations of sound ;
this is especially the case in the Fir and Pine tribe. Professor Tyndall,§ in
giving the results obtained by the experiments of Wertheim and Chevandier
to determine the velocity of sound through different kinds of wood,
shows that the velocity along the fibre of Fir wood is fourteen times
the velocity in air; in other words, that whereas sound travels under
ordinary circumstances through air whose temperature is 60° Fahr. at
the rate of 1,120 feet per second, it travels through Fir wood at the
rate of 15,218 feet in the same period of time. Also along the fibre
of Pine wood it is ten times the velocity in air. He also further
proves the elasticity of Fir wood by a beautiful experiment,|| by which
musical sounds generated in one apartment of a building were transmitted
through a long deal rod and perfectly reproduced in another. The high
degree of elasticity in the molecular structure of Fir and Pine wood
renders it a suitable material for the construction of certain parts of
* Pinus rigida. + Abies nigra,
t Pinus resinosa.
§ Lectures on Sound, p. 41,
|| Idem, p. 80,
GENERAL REVIEW OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 19
several musical instruments, as the violin, piano, &c., for which it is
much employed.
The corour of Coniferous wood varies in the different kinds from
a deep reddish brown to white. The Yew, the Californian Red Wood,
‘and some others, have deep coloured wood, strongly tinged with red; the
Virginian Cedar and the Red and Pitch Pines have red wood 3 Thuia
gigantea is commonly known among the settlers in Oregon and British
Columbia as the Yellow Cedar, the name having reference to the colour
of its wood, and Pinus mitis of the Atlantic States is often called the
Yellow Pine for the same reason. The timber of the Weymouth Pine
and that of its nearest allies is white.
The FRAGRANCE of the wood of many Coniferous trees is powerful, and
generally of a resinous odour, in many instances it is also agreeable
and even useful. Thus the wood of the Red Cedar, used in the manu-
facture of pencils, is a familiar example of agreeable fragrance without
being too powerful; the wood of the Cembra Pine is much used for
wainscotting and the inlaying of wardrobes, on account of its odour being
not only agreeable but also obnoxious to insects. The woods of the
Deodar Cedar, Yellow Cypress, the American Arbor Vite, and the
Spanish Juniper, are all agreeably fragrant and more or less obnoxious
to insects.
Branches,—The stems or trunks of Coniferous trees are furnished with
Brancuzs from the base to the summit, which are generally short in
proportion to the height of the trunk, and, except in the case of the
Cedar of Lebanon, the Yew, and some of the Pines, which 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
downwards by the weight of their appendages. Fach tier or whorl
springs from buds protected by membranous scales, which are cast
off when the young shoots begin to push into growth; the buds
being produced at the point of the stem which terminates the
growth of the season previous to that in which the branches first
appear, so that the intervals between the whorls show the height the
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 base to the summit a rough approxi-
mation of the age of the tree can be arrived at.
20 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
around the trunk at close irregular intervals, and are generally
spreading, but there are many kinds whose branches prow as
upright as the trunk, and give the trees a fastigiate habit.
In the Abictinee and Taxodie the lower branches are cast off at a
very carly 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
trees stand singly with a free circulation 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 frondose. ‘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 are 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;+ in Abies they are linear, or linear-lanceolate,
tetragonal or flattened, with their pots 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 Red
Wood, and in most of the Yew tribe they are linear, flattened,
and poimted, and, in the Torreyas, terminated by a sharp spine or
* As in Pinus longifolia, an Indian species, + As in Pinus parviflora, &e,
FOLIAGE OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 91
bristle. In the Cypress and its allies they are dimorphous, the earliest
formed or “juvenile” leaves being linear, flattened, and frequently
falcate; the mature or adult ones, scale-like, rounded, or pointed
at their apices. In Ginkgo the form of the leaves is unusual,
being broadly 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, threes,
and fives, each bundle being enclosed at the base in a sheath composed.
of membranous scales, which are deciduous in some species.{ In the
Spruce Firs, Cryptomerias, 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 Firs, the Hemlock Firs, Taxodium, the Red Wood, and
most of the Yew tribe, they are distichous (two rowed) or pectinate ;
in Cedrus and Larix, fasciculated; iv 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 imbricata retains
its foliage from 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
serrations invisible to the naked eye; the veins are parallel; and
the stomata, when present, are regularly arranged in rows, some-
times interrupted, and in many species found on the upper as well
as on the under surface.
The colour of the foliage is not less varied than the forms of the
leaves. From the deep sombre hues of the Austrian Pine and
Common Yew to the light and airy deciduous Cypress and Maiden-
Hair Tree, the silvery lines of the Weymouth Pine, and the greyish
foliage of Retinospora squarrosa, there is found in the different tribes
an endless variety of tints which the green of Nature alone displays.
* Among these Phyllocladus is remarkable for having ‘‘leaves of two forms, some
ininute antl scale-like, others linear, seen only in young plants, but which in older are
connate into flat fan-shaped organs (phyllodes), resembling simple leaves, which bear the
inflorescence at their edges.”—Sit J. D. Hooker, New Zealand Flora, p. 259.
+ These scales ate, by sotte botatists, regarded as imperfect leaves, from the axils of
which the true leaves arise.
i
22 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
The deep glossy green of the leaves of Abies bracteata Tenders that
remarkable tree not less distinch and imposing than does its tall spiry
habit of growth. The pleasing glaucous hue of the Deodar Cedar is
almost unique, and the rich deep colour of Libocedrus decunrens As
scarcely less so; Pinus insignis is distinguished among all Pines by its
cheerful grass-green foliage, which affords a striking contrast to the dull
grey hues of many of its congeners; the difference in colour between
Abies nobilis and A. Nordmanniana is not less marked. The foliage of
Cryptomeria elegans changes in winter to a deep bronzy green tinged
with crimson, which makes this plant particularly ornamental at that
season, and a similar change takes place in Retinospora ( Thuia )
evicoides, which becomes violet purple.* The common Arbor Vite
is brownish green, while varieties of the Chinese species have their
foliage of a rich golden-yellow during the growing season. Many of
the Junipers have a bluish glaucous tinge peculiar to them, and others
are quite grey. ;
Besides the difference in tints above 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 plants,
which, instead of appearing in the shade of green natural to the species,
takes some shade of yellow that varies in the different kinds from a
deep golden hue to a creamy white. In some cases the whole of the
newly formed branchlets with their foliage is produced coloured.t As
the season advances, the tint gradually changes, first by becoming
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 new coloured growth is formed. This kind of variega-
tion is observed to be tolerably constant in whatever description of
soil the plant is growing, but 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 branches only appear coloured,
the extent of the variegation ranging 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; but their rate of growth is always sluwer than that of the
normal forms. Plants partially variegated often show signs of disease
in the coloured parts, which turn brown and die, in some cases
* The foliage of all or nearly all the Conifers of temperate climates changes colour
in winter more or less. This is due to the low temperature of that season, which causes
a peculiar transformation of the blue green constituent of chlorophyl. A higher tempe-
rature restores the normal condition.—Sach’s Lehrbuch, p. 705.
+ As in Retinospora obtusa aurea, R. plumosa aurea, Thuia aurea, Taxus baccata aurecy
Juniperus chinensis aurea, Thuia elegantissima, &e.
FLOWERS OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 23
within 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 growing 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, being heightened in some situations or soon becoming
obliterated in others.
Glaucescence is quite distinct from variegation ; it makes its appear-
ance indifferently in young and old plants. It is always present in
the foliage of many species, in some of which it becomes greatly
heightened by age; it also frequently appears with great intensity in
the young plants of species that are normally quite green or show it
but very faintly. The effect of glaucescence, as regards the aspect of
the trees, is to give them a greyish silvery hue, particularly pleasing
and beautiful in many plants belonging to the Cypress tribe and to
the Firs; while it imparts a venerable hoary appearance to aged Pines,
and especially to the Cedar of Lebanon. It is believed to be due in
one form to the stomata of the leaves, and it is. not improbably an
optical effect arising from their close proximity and formal arrangement,
especially in the case of the white lines seen on the under surfaces of
the leaves of the Silver and other Firs, and in the leaves of Pines,
Junipers, &. In another form it is caused by a resinous secretion
which is easily rubbed off by the finger, leaving the leaf quite green.
Flowers—The Fiowsrs are always without perianth, and are either
moneecious, as in the Fir and Pine tribe, or dicecious, as in the Yew
and Juniper.* ‘Taking the flowers of the common Spruce,
the Larch, or the Scotch Pine (they are identical in
their general structure) as the type, 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
at its extremity on the under side a pair of anther
or itttene lobes, which burst longitudinally; the female catkins
Catkin of Spruce
Fir.
Netuntsne also consist 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
* With a slight qualification—The Junipers and Taxads are not absolutely dicecious,
but relatively so, moncecious plants having been observed.
24
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
two, three, or more anther cells, those of the female have numerous
Fig. 5.—Female or
Ovule-bearing Catkin
of Spruce Fir, Natural
size,
erect ovules; in the latter the male flowers consist
of peltate scales, each with from two to eight anther
lobes, and the female ones, which are either solitary
or in groups, of a single erect ovule in the middle
of a small cupuliform disc.
Being destitute of calyx and corolla, the flowers of
Coniferous plants are also wanting in the brilliant hues
that distinguish the flowers of most of the higher orders.
Nevertheless, there are some species which have the
scales of their pollen bearing flowers highly coloured ;
in Pinus 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 Cupressus Law-
soniana, crimson; in the Chinese Juniper, the Arbor
Vite, 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 Araucaria imbricata like a cloud of dust; the surface of
the ground beneath a Spruce Fir that has shed its pollen is made
quite 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 unfrequently covered by a thick
scum of the same pollen. Similar
occurrences have been noticed in the
forests of Norway and Lithuania.”
(Coal, by the Professors of the York-
shire College, p. 24.)
Fig. 6.—Longitudinal section of a cone of the y on . H
Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), showing the relative Fruit. The Frore 1S simply an assem-
positions of the axis, scales, and seed. Two-
thirds natural size.
blage of seeds enclosed by the mature
ovule producing scales. In the Fir and
Pine tribe the scales are hard and ligneous in texture, imbricated, closely
FRUIT OF 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. The scales are regarded as carpellary
=
Ege
Zs
=
=
A
Z
wr
—
LLL.
Fig. 7.—Fertile branchlet of Cryptomeria
Japonica, var. Lobbi, with cones having pro-
longed axes, bearing foliage leaves at their
apices. A
frequently continues to grow
leaves which have not folded round
the ovules; the bracts are now known
to be metamorphosed foliage leaves.
The fruit 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 fruit 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 (Taxodize) the cones may be
regarded as intermediate between those
of the Abietines and Cupressines,
combining the general appearance and
form of some of the former with much
of the structure of the latter, the scales
enclosing from three to nine seeds
according to the kind. They have,
however, a peculiarity which must be
noted. The axis in some species
after the cone is formed, and there
is produced on the apex a whorl or fascicle of leaves, differing in
* Technically called an arilius.
26
nothing from the ordinary foliage-leaves of the species.
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
°
This
peculiarity is most common in Cryptomeria, and is not infrequent
in Sciadopitys.
The cones of the different genera and species differ as much in
size and colour as they do in form; the berries of some of the
Savin Junipers are smaller than the smallest garden peas, while the
cone of the Moreton Bay Pine (Araucaria Bidwill’) is almost as large
as a man’s head; the small cone or strobile of MRetinospora pisifera
is less than half an inch long; the cone of the Californian Sugar
Pine (P. Lambertiana) is nearly two feet in length. It takes several
cones of the common Hemlock Spruce to weigh an ounce; a single
cone of Pinus macrocarpa weighs from four to five pounds. Although
the cones of the great majority of the species are of a dull and
unattractive colour, there are some remarkable exceptions; the cones
of Abies Webbiana during the period of growth are of a deep
blackish violet-purple, and are strikingly beautiful; those of A. nobilis
are of a bright pea-green during their progress towards maturity, which,
with the symmetrical arrangement of the scales and protruding bracts
and their large size, render them very beautiful objects. The ripe
berries of the Yew are bright red, and in one variety orange-yellow,
which, when produced in profusion, give the trees by their contrast
to the dark sombre foliage, a very ornamental appearance.
Seeds.—The Szxps are produced singly,* in pairs,t or in greater
number,t 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
1, 2.
Fig. 8.—Scale of Pinus pinea, natural size. 1. Inner
side, with seeds. 2, Outer side, showing the swollen
terminal portion called the apophysis, with its central
protuberance.
videntur, III.—XYV.).
* Araucaria, Yew,
t Abics, Pinus, &c,
only two, these being so deeply
divided as to appear numerous
(Cotyledones profunde partite unde
The seeds vary much in size and shape in
< Cypress, Taxodium, &c,
SEEDS Of CONIFEROUS PLANS. 27
the different genera, and even in species included in the same
genus. Thus, in Pinus, they are generally ovoid or obovoid with
the greater diameter of the smaller seeds, as those of P. Strobus
not more than one-fifth of an inch, while those of P. Sabiniana
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, ear-shaped, &c. In
Araucaria imbricata, the scale, bract, and seed all coalesce into an
elongated wedge-like form.
It is a very remarkable fact that some of the largest of trees spring
from the smallest of seeds. Thus, the gigantic Sequoias of California,
the Wellingtonia, and the Red Wood have seeds less than one-tenth
of an inch 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 sceds of Pinus
monophylla and P. koratensis, both low trees, are half as large again
as those of their congener P. Lambertiana, which towers to ten times
their height, and many other instances might be cited. The larger
seeds are edible, and although the resinous flavour is never entirely
absent, it may-be got rid of by boiling or roasting; they are then not
only palatable, but even agreeable. The seeds of Araucaria imbricata,
Pinus Sabiniana, P. Lambertiana, P. longifolia, P. pinea, and some
other species, are all used as food by the inhabitants of the countries
of which these trees are native; and from the seeds of Pinus Cembra
is expressed a valuable oil used for lamps.
Under cultivation, and sown in the open ground, the seeds of most
of the hardy kinds germinate within six or eight weeks after being
sown, and not unfrequently less under favourable circumstances. During
the first season the growth of the seedling is slow, rising not more
than an inch or two above the ground, and having no more leaves
than can be easily counted; it is not till the second or third year,
and some kinds still later, that a decided push upwards takes place.
The seed of each species produces plants “after its kind,” but
innumerable departures from a fixed type are of constant occurrence,
and many of them so remarkable, that were their origin unknown,
they would, on superficial glance, be taken for quite distinct kinds.
Among such may be noted the Irish Yew, Clanbrasil’s Fir, the erect
Lawson’s Cypress, and the Whipcord Arbor Vite. Besides these,
which may be called extreme forms, every bed of seedling plants
shows numberless variations in habit, foliage, or some minor particular.
Conifer, therefore, like many of the lower forms of vegetation, as
98 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Ferns, are polymorphous,* a principle that manifests itself throughout
the order, but is much more common in some tribes than in others ;
it is less frequent in Pinus than in Abies, very usual in the Yew,
and most common in the Cypress tribe (Cupressus, Thuia, Retinospora,
Juniperus, &c.). It is most observable 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 Szcretions are abundant, and flow copiously from
wounds made in the stems of the trees during the growing season,
especially in the Fir and Pine tribe; they are known as Turpentine,
Resin, Tar, &c., which 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.” The crude turpentine thus obtained consists of a volatile
or essential oil and resin, which can be separated by distillation.
Oil of turpentine in its pure state is a colourless liquid of powerful
odour, { 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,
which form the bases of most varnishes, and from its great vola-
tility, it quickly flies off or dries away, leaving a thin coat of the
varnishing substance on the surface on which it has been applied.|
It is the only known volatile oil that mixes readily with paint
without affecting its essential properties, 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
ies desper than physllogial edinse has" at'seeonen,* Huenomenon, the cause of which
+ Dr. Carpenter, Vegetable Physiology, p. 218.
~ Chemically a hydro-carbon, having for its formula Cl0 HI8, gsnecific gravity 0 86
(when pure distilled water at 15°C. is 1), it boils at 160° C.—Chemishy be Tee rein,
in Clarendon Press Series, § 348. » Chemistry, Dy Dis Williams,
§ Idem.
| Dr. Carpenter, Vegetable Physiology, p. 213:
SECRETIONS OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 29
deprived of its volatile part. The Resin left in the still after the
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 by Dr.
Lindley* as follows:—*“ Common and Burgundy Pitch are obtained
from Pinus sylvestris; Hungarian Balsam from P. montana; a most
fragrant resin from Arauearia brasiliensis; a hard brittle resin like
copal from Dammara australis; Bordeaux turpentine from Pinus pinaster ;
Carpathian balsam from P. pinea? Strasburg turpentine from Abies
pectinata; Canadian balsam from A. balsamea. The common Larch
yields Venetian turpentine, and a saccharine matter called Manna of
Briangon exudes from the branches. Liquid storax is thought to be
yielded by the Dammar Pine.t Sandarach, a whitish-yellow, brittle,
inflammable, resinous substance with an acrid aromatic taste, is said by
Brongniart to be the tears of Callitris quadrivalvis. The substance
from which Spruce beer is made is an extract from the branches of
Abies canadensis and of A. nigra. Great tanning powers exist in the
bark of the Larch. The stimulating diuretic powers of Juniperus
Sabina are well known, and are partaken of in some degree by the
common Juniper, the diuretic berries of which are an ingredient in
flavouring gin; the fetid oil of Juniperus oxycedrus 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
Vanilline, the aromatic principles present in the seed vessels of Vanilla.
The collecting of Coniferine has quite lately become a profitable branch
of industry in North Germany.
The amount of the secretions yielded by Coniferous trees appears
to be influenced by the heat or moisture of the climate; the former
acting as a stimulant, and the latter as a check to their production.
The 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 Norway supply 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 amount of labour to obtain
it. In the great pine woods of Canada, it would not at present
* The Vegetable Kingdom, p. 229, + Dammara orientalis.
80 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
repay the cost of collecting for exportation, in consequence of the
cheaper rate at which it is procured further south. The Conifere of
the Himalayas yield but a small amount of resinous products owing to
the humidity ‘of the climate ;* and in Britain—although the more equable
temperature of summer and winter, especially in the districts of the
greatest rainfall, is favourable to the rapid growth of the trees—the
resinous products are not sufficiently abundant to be worth collecting.
The Turpentine imported into Great Britain exceeds half a million
of cwts. annually. The Tar received from the north of Europe,
obtained from Pinus sylvestris, and used chiefly in shipbuilding (of which
the Stockholm Tar of commerce is considered the best), and that from
North America, obtained from Pinus australis, P. Teda, P. rigida, &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 bank, about six or eight feet in diameter at the upper part
and not more 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 billets 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 above downwards, and the tar, mixed with
various other products, flows off at the bottom through the spout into
a receiver.”
DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS.
Coniferous plants are liable to piszase, which manifests itself in
various forms, the most common as well as the most virulent being
fungoid. One kind of fungoid disease commences at the roots,
spreading up from thence to the layers of wood immediately sur-
rounding the pith, which in the course of a few years become soft
and rotten.{ This 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 absorption by the roots of deleterious matters in the soil
* “Tt is a curious circumstance that none of the Himalayan 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, Himalayan Journals, IL. 45.
+ Chambers’ Encyclopedia of Useful Knowledge.
+ Rev. M. J. Berkeley, in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1859, p. 1015.
§ Idem,
DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. | 31
in which the plants are growing; from the stagnation of water
at their roots, and from being planted in places under 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 which are aggravated by the
rapid formation and flow of the resinous secretions.
The Rev. M. 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 in the form of white fibres or threads, which first impair and
finally destroy the vitality of the parts they infest. This discase
occurs in almost any kind of soil; it is found to be more especially
prevalent where the land does not admit of complete drainage, a
circumstance which appears to be supported by the fact that the Larch
in its native mountains flourish most where, though abundantly supplied
with moisture, the water never stagnates.t These fungi are known
by the -scientific names of Polyphorus albiectinus, P. destructor, and
P. versicolor. Scarcely any Coniferous tree is exempt from their
ravages; Pinus, Cedrus, Cypress, &c., have been killed by 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. t
The fungoid parasite which attacks the stems and branches of Conifers
is called Peziza calyeina,§ it may be found on every branch that has
been left on the ground after thinning. The evil from this cause
commences where the bark has suffered from some unknown accident,
and the secreting surface whether of the bark or the wood beneath
it dies. ||
Disease arising from deleterious matters absorbed by the roots,
shows itself in the yellowish sickly appearance of the foliage followed
‘by the stunted growth of the leader and terminal branchlets. It
occurs in soils containing soluble matters taken up by the spongelets
of the roots, and which, being deposited in the vessels and _ tubes,
first obstruct and finally prevent the free circulation of the sap before
the season’s growth is completed. It has been observed that Abies
Douglasiti and A. nobilis will not live upon oolite soils, it is also
well known that many other kinds do not thrive upon chalk and
limestone soils. The readiness with which foreign matter is taken
up by water, is familiar in the case of “hard” water, which contains
* Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1859, p. 1015.
+ Idem, 1868, p. 244. t Idem, 1867, p. 26. § Idem, 1859, p. 1015,
i Idem, 1859, p. 1019. q Idem, 1865, p. 291,
32
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
lime, “chalybeate” waters, iron, “hepatic” waters, sulphurated hydro-
gen, &.*
Stagnation of water at the roots induces disease by the “ growing
points” of the spongelets being too much stimulated into growth in
the low temperature at which waterlogged soil is always found.t
The roots exposed to the action of the water soon become debilitated
and unable to perform their functions, they die and rot; fungus
(Polyphorus) 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 lost, but to form centres of incurable disease,
ending often in running sores and lifelong exudations of gummy
and resinous matter.”} A remarkable instance of wounding was once
brought under our notice. A man while mowing had cut round the
stem of a large Araucaria imbricata 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 be too strongly deprecated. If practised at all, it should
be 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 by Professor Williamson, p. 619.
+ Dr. Lindley observes :—‘‘ Water is not of itself an evil; on the contrary, it is the
food of plants, 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,”— 7% v
Horticulture, p. 187. J keory and Practice of
f 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 tribes in a much_ 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 he deprived of its young
growth annually, for a long succession of years, without destroying its
vitality ; it is thus an invaluable hedge plant. In Part IIL, we have
given a selection of Conifer 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 their de-
predations. Horses will bite off the young shoots of most of
the kinds usually planted for the beautifymg of the park and
landscape ; sheep and deer have been known to permanently dis-
figure young Araucarias, Deodars, and other kinds to which 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 winter, 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 Fir 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 Red 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 Red Wood in the construction
of their nests.t
* The necessity of guarding Yew trees that have not los
the reach of adele cannot be too strongly insisted upon,
the trees, as for’ the safety of the animals.
+The mischief done by birds to Conife
than counterbalanced by the good they do
prey upon them,
D
+ their lower branches, beyond
not so much for the sake of
rous trees is really insignificant, and is more
in destroying the larve of the insects that
84 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Heavy as the indictment for mischief against the larger animals
appears to be, it is comparatively light to that which must be
preferred for the ravages committed by insects, which prove
infinitely the more destructive as they are the more numerous
and their mode of attack the more insidious. Scarcely any
Coniferous plants can be said to be free 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, Weymouth, 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 larvee 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 larve 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.t 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, || 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.
The Irish Juniper is often disfigured by the larve 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 Tawi. These are but
a few of the best known and most destructive kinds observed in
Britain. There is, however, a counterpoise found even among
insects. “Tt is well known that while there are multitudes of
eo ee Healey Es nee i for 1846, p. 720, where an account
+ Bostrichus typographus, Mr. Robert Hutchison, in Proceedings of the Scotch Arbori-
cultural Society, 1874.
t Idem. § Pisodes notatus. || Lostrichus larieio.
DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS, 35
noxious insects devastating whole forests, there are also many useful
httle animals which, by their operations, may be 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 Pine trees,
and also a little insect to which Linnzns gave the name of
Thanasinus formicarius, “whose destructive abilities are truly mar-
vellous, depositing its eggs not unfrequently in the wood boring
larvee 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 much of the mischief caused
by them, may be prevented by forethought 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 been affected
in the least degree by such ravages, thus clearly showing that the cause
of the destruction to the second crop does not lie in any sort of
infection or transmission of the disease (if so it may be called), but
rather from the growth and establishment of larve in the ground itself,
engendered probably by the dry condition of the soil, caused by the
previous cropping and absorption of the moisture by the numerous roots
left in the ground after felling.
“ Another fact worthy of notice is, that these marauders of Coniferous
plantations seem greatly enamoured of the cut and drying twigs and
branches from early prunings or thinnings. 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
predilection for shoots in a semi-dry or half withered state is further
attested by the circumstance that insects which attack the Fir tribe,
invariably commence on a _ subject already evincing indications of
sickness or decay.”
“The modes of insect attacks upon Coniferous trees may be directed
towards the root, the bark, or the tender young shoots; but in any
case their preference for the apparently weaker growths and constitutions
holds good, whatever may be the mode of attack, and whether their
victim be a recently planted seedling or a mature tree. They probably,
* Mr. Robert Hutchison in Proceedings of the Scotch Arboricultural Society, 1874.
36 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
in the first instance, feed on their prey, and then breed in the cavities
which 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 weather, or ordinary seasons. Cold
or wet weather gmay 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 summer fosters their breeding, because by its
genial influence their period of transformation from the larve 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 hand, should the summer season prove wet and deficient
in sunshine, and the following autumn and winter 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 following spring, and the destruction to the woods for the
time will be proportionately lessened.”
Our space does not permit us. to pursue this interesting subject
further; we must therefore refer those of our readers desirous of further
information, to the excellent paper from which the foregoing extracts
are taken,
Accidents from meteorological phenomena, as winds, snow storms,
lightning, &c., require but a passing notice. The leaders of trees
belonging to the Fir and Pine tribe, and some of the Taxodiz, 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
DISTRIBUTION OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 37
snow will permanently disfigure a tree whose branches have not
sufficient elasticity to yield to the weight without fracture. The
frondose branches of most Conifer, 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 frozen, acts as a severe strain upon them. In the case of
young trees planted as specimens for the decoration of the lawn and
pleasure 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 pisrripution of the Coniferee 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 Regions 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.t 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 River Don to the confines of China.
(2)—The Sahara Region, which, including the Arabian and Syrian
Deserts, extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf. To
these may be added an extensive treeless tract in the interior of
Australia. In the Western Hemisphere there are (1)—The great
* See page 5.
+ The Indian Peninsula and Central Africa.
+ They are not absolutely treeless, there are isolated spots and oases whete sptings of
water are found, and around which trees have sprung tp, but they ate too few in number
to affect the general statement.
88 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Prairie Region of North America, and (2)—the Pampas of South
America. The areas of these treeless regions form in the aggregate
no inconsiderable portion of the whole surface 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,* with
some necessary modifications which the subject requires. In all
such divisions, however, “there is a definiteness and sharpness of
outline which is really an inherent defect,’ t and in the adaptation
of these geographical divisions for the purpose of explaining the
distribution of Coniferee, this defect is occasionally manifest. We
commence with the Evroprno-Siprrian region as being that which
includes the greater part of our own quarter of the globe, and
which was, within historic times, almost entirely 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
occupying the northern limits of the region and reaching in Europe
as far north as latitude 68° 10’ N., the limit of Abies eawcelsa, and in
Asia to latitude 69°, the limit of A. obovata, This belt is composed
exclusively of members of the Fir and Pine Tribe. 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 within the region, there is a zone of vegetation consisting
entirely of Conifers, 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 Hartz mountains, in Germany, the Coniferous zone predominates
at an elevation of about 38,000 feet; on the Carpathians, at 4,000
* Die Vegetation der Erde nach ihrer klimatischen Anordnung.
t Thomé’s Structural Dotany, p. 434, Editorial Note,
DISTRIBUTION OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 39
feet; on the Sudetic chain, at 5,000 feet; and on the Alps of
Switzerland and the Tyrol, at 6,000 feet. The limit of Pinus 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 frequent on the higher grounds and open downs of Europe
and throughout 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 probably no country in the world
of the same limited extent as England in which so many exotic
species of Conifers thrive and so few are indigenous. The only native
existing species are Pinus sylvestris, Juniperus communis, and Taxus
baceata.
In the Meprrerranzan region the Conifere form a much smaller
proportion of the entire vegetation than in the Europeo-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. Throughout 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 Taurus 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 orientalis, The Junipers are represented everywhere
throughout the region by numerous species; the evergreen Cypress
is common, and in Morocco and other parts of North Africa an
allied species, Callitris quadrivalvis, is frequent.
Perhaps no country in Europe has more native species than Italy, as
many as twenty being included in its Flora. But although Italy contains
so many species and Europe north of the Alps has but six, the number
of individual trees is by no means apportioned in the same way. The
Conifers in the north of Europe form immense forests, and consequently
play an important part in. the general aspect of the country. In
Italy, on the contrary, with the exception of the Alps, where they
form by their quantity, a region at the mean height, these trees con-
stitute but small scattered woods, which give no important feature to
the landscape.
* Thomé’s Structural Botany, p. 439:
40 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
On the Hratayas, the Coniferous zone occurs at a higher eleva-
tion than on the mountain ranges in higher latitudes; the altitude
of the zone gradually 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 Firs at from 6,000 to 11,000 feet,
and further east the Larch occurs with Pines and Firs at from
7,500 to 18,000 feet of elevation. Below these altitudes, and
intermixed with 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 + that the Deodar has not been seen east of Nepaul, nor
Pinus Gerardiana, nor Cupressus torulosa. On the other hand,
Abies Brunoniana does not occur west of the Gogra, nor Larix Ghi/-
jithiana west of Cosi. Of the twelve Sikkim or Bhotan Conifers, }
nine are common to the north west Himalayas and three not, and of
the thirteen natives of the north-west Provinces, five are not found in
Sikkim.
In the Curvo-Jaranese region the presence of a dense population
has driven back the aboriginal Flora to the highlands. In China
the limits of the distribution of the native plants are not known,
but Conifers are met with 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 Coniferee 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 Firs 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 Coniferee 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.
+ Himalayan Journals, vol. i. p. 256.
Ss eae, J leon pale, Abies _Brunoniana, A. Webbiana, A.
ees ihe Rte PRA ariz Grifithiana, Cupressus torulosa, Podo-
'§ Especially Ginkgo biloba, Cunninghamia sinensis, Glypt
funebris, Pinus Bungeana, Abies FOr. ee ee
DISTRIBUTION OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 41
numerous, and were spread over a great part of the northern
hemisphere.
The richness of the Coniferous vegetation of the Chino-Japanese
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, combined with a high
summer temperature,
The Norra American forest region corresponds in a great measure
to the Europeo-Siberian forest region of the eastern hemisphere.
“A broad forest zone passes through the whole continent from
Behring’s Straits to Newfoundland, and southwards as far as Florida
~-and the mouths of the Mississippi”’?* The northern belt includes
the zone of Abies nigra and A. alba, intermixed in the eastern
portion with the Scrub, Yellow, and White Pines (Pinus Banksiana
P. inops, P. mitis, and P. Strobus). 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 Hastern
States, the Deciduous Cypress 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 Pinus australis
and P. teda.
The Catirorwian and Mexican region. The maximum of Coniferous
vegetation in North America is reached in the long strip of territory
lying 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, with the exception perhaps of the
Indian Deodar, may be called dwarf in comparison. The 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 highlands,
* Thomé’s Structural Botany, p. 446:
42 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
stretching southwards through 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 shrubs of other orders, the
Cypress, the Juniper, and the Yew have each their representatives.
Within the Tropics, in both hemispheres, Coniferous trees and
shrubs form but a minute fraction of the entire arborescent
vegetation ; thet ropical species belonging to the Order are moreover
unimportant compared with those of extra tropical regions. One
species of Pine (Pinus occidentalis) occurs on the mountains of
Cuba and St. Domingo, and two or three Podocarps are found
within the West Indian region. In tropical South America,
Podocarps are the sole representatives of the Coniferee, but there
are some species of Ephedra, a genus of Gymmnospermous 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
Gnetacez, is represented by several species of Ephedra. Tropical
Africa is almost destitute of Conifers: one species of Podocarp is
reported from the island of St. Thomas, off 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. Pinus Merkusii occurs in Sumatra,
P. imsularis in the Philippine Islands, Dammara alba in Borneo,
Java, Celebes, &c.; Gnetum Gnemon is common throughout the
region, and there are besides, six or seven other species of Gnetum
of local occurrence.
The distribution of the Conifers in the Sourmern HumispHErE
offers scarcely any analogy to their spread over the Northern regions, |
which is no more than might be expected from the peculiar con-
figuration of the land south of the Tropic 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
DISTRIBUTION OF GONIFEROUS PLANTS. 43
Hemisphere Conifers are also separated from the Northern ones by
several well defined characters both as regards their vegetation and
also their reproduction,* so that no Northern genus has a repre-
sentative in the South.t+
In Avsrratia the species are numerous, but each is restricted to
comparatively narrow limits. There are considerable forests of Arau-
caria in the neighbourhood of Moreton Bay; and scattered through
the “scrub,” Dammaras, Frenelas, and Podocarps are more or less
frequent. In Western Australia. the Actinostrobi and Frenclas are
abundant. New Caledonia, botanically included in the Australian
Region, 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
Californian 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 Conifer attain their maximum in numbers in the
Southern Hemisphere, 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
(Inbocedrus Doniana), the Totara Pine (Podocarpus Totara), and the
Kauri Pine (Dammara australis), are among the most valuable of
timber trees in the island.
The Sourn Arrican 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 are among the most remarkable
features of the Sour American 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 Dammaras, which, with 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 are observable in the other tribes.
+ The Libocedrus decurrens of California is an exception.
44 A MANUAL Of THE CONIFERS.
represented by Saxe-Gothea, which is found at a considerable
elevation, associated with a dicecious member of the Cypress tribe
(Fitzroya).
The present distribution of the Conifere over the 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 have been developed in the course of ages from those 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 by the gradual action of water, or suddenly by
mighty convulsions. It is further proved, that the distribution of land
and 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 vers; 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 Nile, the Ganges, Ho-ang-ho, Mississippi, &c., and which are brought
down by their waters in a state of suspension or solution, and forming
what are called “Deltas.”
From the observed uniformity of Nature’s laws and workings, 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 found, 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 dmpressions 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 forma-
tion, not indeed by referring them to a particular year, or number of
* It is well-known that in the Mississippi and other great American rivers, thousands of
trees float annually down the streams. (Sir Charles Lyell, Geology, p. 481).
+ Thomé’s Structural and Physiological Botany, p. 418.
DISTRIBUTION OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. A5
years reckoned from a fixed epoch, but from an examination of the
fossil remains, and from other data, they have ascertained which strata
are of earlier formation, and which are more recent. They have also
shown that, from the remains of plants and animals found in the
different 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 ebeen preserved,
occur in the lower strata of the Primary or Paleozoic Age, called the
Silurian System.* They consist only of a few marine Alge (Seaweeds).
In the Devonian System vegetable remains are more abundant. Land
plants make their first appearance, and among them Conifer and a few
Cycads, ‘Vegetable life had extended over the earth in a variety of
forms, but the aspect of this period, as also of the next in succession,
must have been uniform and monotonous to an extraordinary degree.” t
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.” t
This vegetation, which formed the true primeval forests of the earth,
consisted of gigantic Club Mosses (Sigillarie, Lepidodendre, &c.), Horse
Tails, called Calamites (Equisetacee), and Conifers, with a dense under-
growth of Ferns, which in this period attained a special developement.
“The Coniferous trees are referred to five genera, the woody structure
of some of them showing that they were allied to the Araucaria
division of Pines more than to any of our common European Firs.
Many, if not all of them, differed from living Conifere in having
large piths.” The Sigillarias and Calamites appear to have been quite
distinct from all tribes of now-existing plants. “That the abundance
of Ferns implies a moist atmosphere is admitted; but no safe con-
clusion,” says Dr. Hooker, “can be drawn from Conifers alone, as they
are found in hot and dry, and in cold and dry climates, in hot and
moist, and in cold and moist regions. In New Zealand the Conifers
attain their maximum in numbers; many species of Ferns flourish
there, some of them arborescent, together with many Lycopods, so that
a forest in that 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 explanation of these and other terms of the like kind used in the sequel, the
reader is referred to works on Geology.
+ Thomé, p. 420. Sce also Sir C. Lyell’s Geology, p. 544.
t Sir C. Lyell, Geology, p. 466. § Idem, 476,
46
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
have 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 form after another of the Carboniferous vegetation
disappears. The prevalent forms in the Permian System are still
Sigillarie, Calamites, and Conifer of the Araucaria division; Cycads
attain their maximum developement and Palms first appear.
A different vegetation characterises the Secondary or Mesozoic strata.
The Conifere began in the Devonian, attained a maximum in the
Coal Measures, again diminish in the Permian. In the Triassic
System, the oldest in the series, Conifer and Ferns formed the main
part of the forest, the principal species of the former being Voltzia
and Albertia, the first a lofty tree not unlike our Cryptomeria, and
the latter had broad leaves penetrated by longitudinal veins.t 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 Conifer, nearly relatel to our Araucarias and Thuias, of
which remains have been found in the Lias at Whitby;-in the
inferior Oolite at Bruton in Somersetshire; 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 were
replaced by other Equisetacee (Horse tails), scarcely exceeding our own
in size. In the Cretaceous System, the first Dicotyledonous trees appear,
these were allied to the Walnuts, Oaks, and Figs of our Flora;
Cycads diminish in number, but Conifere are still. abundant, the most
common’ in the upper Cretaceous period belonging to a genus called
Cycadopteris and hardly separable from Sequoia (Wellingtonia), and
of which both cones and branches are preserved. Spécies of Araucaria
like those of Australia are also found associated with many Proteaces
(Grevilleas, Hakeas, &c.), now so abundant in the same quarter of
the globe.t
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
of California, the Cunninghamia and Glyptostrobus of China, which
first appear in the preceding system, attain their greatest development
in this and the succeeding period, the Miocene, in which remains
have been found in Greenland, Iceland, Britain, Switzerland, and
Italy. Pines belonging to the three-leaved section, are proved to
have existed in Europe in this period. In the middle Tertiary are
* Sir C. Lyell, Geology, p. 489.
t Thomé’s Structural and Physiological Botany, p. 427,
} Sir C, Lyell, Geology, pp. 426, 407, 371,
ENUMERATION OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 47
found large masses of carbon deposited in the earth in the form of
beds of “brown coal,” or lignite, which are almost entirely composed
-of Coniferous remains. ‘But these Coniferous forests did not exhibit
a dull uniformity, as is the case with those of the present time,
there was, on the contrary, an abundant and cheerful variety of forms,
as is seen even now in the forests of Canada and Asia, though not
to so great a degree. There must also have been enormous quantities
of resin exuded by some of these trees which belonged to genera
resembling Thuia and Cupressus; the resin, hardened by external con-
ditions, being now known as amber.” *
The higher we 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 which grows in China and Japan; and in the forest beds
near Cromer, in Norfolk, have been found cones, foliage, and wood
of Pinus sylvestris, Abies excelsa, and Taxus baccata, all. common
living species.
The number of existing genera and species of Conifer has been
variously estimated. The late Mr. Andrew Murray, in the Gardeners’
Chronicle for 1866,{ gives the following enumeration arranged according
to the geographical distribution.
Supposed
1. Europeo-Asiatic region— Species. Genera.
Europe - 46 7
Asia, north of southern slopes of Himalayas 74 19
2. American region—
North America, north of Panama 104 1l
South America 18 5
3. Africano-Indian region—
Africa, south of Sahara 8 9
Indo-Malayan region 14 7
4, Australian region 56 10
Reckoning Pinus, Abies, Picea, Larix, and Cedrus, as distinct genera,
and Cupressus, Chamecyparis, 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 three, Podocarpus in
five, &e., 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.
* Thomé’s Structural and Physiological Botany, p. 430.
+ Dr. Ramsay’s Physo-Geology of Great Britain, p. 134.
+ p. 634.
A8 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
Henkel and Hochstetter* give the number of existing genera and
species according to the following arrangement :—
Families. Genera, _ Species.
1. Araucaries - 1 7
9, Abietinese - - 2 7 138
Fir and Pine Tribe.
3. Cunninghamies ~— - - - 4 13
Sequoia Tribe.
4, Cupressineze - 18 106
Cypress Tribe.
5. Taxines - - - - - - 10 79
Yew Tribe. 40 "343
In this enumeration, Abies, Cedrus, Larix, and Pinus are reckoned
distinct genera ; Cupressus and Chamecyparis also distinct, the latter
including Retinospora ; moreover, the Chinese Larch is separated from
Larix and counted as a distinct genus under the name of Pseudo-Larix,t
and Juniperus drupacea is also reckoned a distinct genus under the
name of Arceuthos.
In De Candolle’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, Araucariez - - - - : 2 15
2. Pines - - % 1 118
8. Taxodia - 8 14
4, Cupresses - 12 74
5, Taxinee - - - - - 10 92
33 308
Pinus, Abies, Cedrus, and Larix are here reckoned as one; and
Cupressus and Chamecyparis distinct, the latter including Retinospora.
In addition to the above; partial descriptions are also given of upwards
of fifty species belonging to several genera, but which are considered
doubtful,
* Nadelhilzer, Finleitung, p. 12.
+ Following Gordon, Pinctwm, p. 360.
GENERAL REVIEW OF CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 49
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION.
The rank or position assigned to the Conifers in the screxTiFic
CLASSIFICATION of the Vegetable Kingdom now universally adopted
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
intervention of a stigma, and that the seeds are borne naked on
the upper side of the woody scales of which the cone or fruit 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.c., 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 with 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.” t
There is a further analogy between Conifers and Selaginellas in
the pollen of the former and the microspores of the latter.{ In
the anatomical structure of the wood, Conifers have been shown
* For the explanation of this difference, which would be too intricate to introduce
here, the reader is referred to works on Stiuctural and Physiological Botany.
+ Dr. Lindley’s Vegetable Kingdom, p. 221.
+ Die Pollenkérner verrathen eine Verwandschaft mit den Mikrosporen der Selugincllen.
Sach’s Lehrbuch, p. 488.
E
50 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
to be essentially Exogens;* they have also dicotyledonous and
polycotyledonous embryos, and germinate nearly in the same manner
as dicotyledonous plants. Through the 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 gyrate vernation of the leaves of true Ferns along with the
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
higher 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.t
The Conifer have been studied by many eminent Botanists. Among
the earliest “vas Tournefort, who, in his Institutiones, published in
1717, established the following nine genera, viz, Abies, Pinus, Larix,
Thuya,} Cupressus, Cedrus, Juniperus, Taxus, and Ephedra. Linneus, in
his Genera Plantarum, published in 1737, only admitted seven of
Tournefort’s genera, uniting Larix to Abies, and Cedrus to Juniperus.
He founded the genus Ginkgo, which was changed by Smith in 1796
to Salisburia, on account of its being equally “uncouth and barbarous,” §
an innovation afterwards protested against by the elder De Candolle on
the principle of checking the introduction of a multiplicity of names.
Adanson, in 1763, in his Familles des Plantes, adopted Tournefort’s
genera with the exception of Cedrus, which, with Linneus, he united
to Juniperus; and he added to the Coniferee the genera Casuarina and
Equisetum. De Jussieu, in 1789, in his Genera Plantarum, formed
the family of Conifer of the seven genera adopted by Linneus,
placing there Casuarina and adding Araucaria. Gaertner, in 1791,
united into one group under the name of Pinus, the genera Pinus,
Abies, and Larix, of Tournefort, and adopted the genera Thuja,
Juniperus, Cupressus, and Taxus, as characterised by Linneus.
Solander, in 1798, indicated the Dacrydium as a new genus. Lambert
published in 1803 the first volume of his magnificent work The Genus
Pinus, the second volume of which was published in 1832, and the
third in 1837. L’Héritier founded the genus Podocarpus in 1806.
Salisbury published in 1807, in the Linnean Transactions, some curious
observations on the stigma? of the Conifere, and endeavoured to
establish four new genera, viz., Belis (Cunninghamia), Agathis (Dammara
of Rumph), Eutassa and Colymbea (Araucaria). Ventenat, in 1808,
* See p. 7. + Dr. Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom, p. 221.
t The orthography of the genera given in this article is that of their founders,
§ Loudon, Ard. ct Frut., p. 2,095.
LITERATURE OF THE CONIFERS, 51
gave a new character to the Thuja articulata of Desfontaines, which
he named Callitris, M. Mirbel, in 1812, separated Cupressus disticha
from the other species of that genus, and described it under the name
of Schubertia, a name which has not been generally adopted because
it was found that M. Richard senior had already described it under
the name of Taxodium. Mirbel also added the genus Frenela. In
M. Richard’s Mémoire sur les Coniféeres, published in 1826, the author
endeavours to establish the three groups or sections of Taxinesx,
Cupressinez, and Abietinee, adding Phyllocladus to the first named,
It is this arrangement, as modified by Dr. Lindley, in his Introduction
to the Natural System, published in 1836, * that Loudon followed in
his Arboretum ct Fruticetum, published two years afterwards. In
Dr. Lindley’s arrangement, the section Taxinee is removed from the
Conifer, and made a separate Order under the name of Taxacex, a
distinction which was retained through all the editions of The Vegetable
Kingdom. Loudon’s proof sheets of that portion of the Arboretum ct
Fruticetum Britannieum which contains the description of the Conifers,
were corrected by Professor Don, who for many years had charge
of the valuable Herbarium of Mr. Lambert, and who had assisted, if
he did not take the chief part, in the compilation of The Genus Pinus,
Don separated the Silver Firs from Abies, and constituted them a
new genus under the name of Picea, thus adhering to the Linnean
designation 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,t Dr. Lindley,{ and other
contemporaries of Don. He founded the genus Cryptomeria on Thun-
berg’s Cupressus pendula, 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
ear.
: The Pinetum Wobwrnense, by Forbes, containing coloured plates and
descriptions of the Conifer cultivated at Woburn Abbey, the seat of
the Duke of Bedford, was distributed shortly after the publication
of Loudon’s Arboretum. Siebold and Zuccarini’s Flora Japonica was
published in 1842, of which a reprint of vol. ii, containing the Conifers
of Japan was issued in 1870, with some additional information collected
by Dr. Siebold during his last visit to that country. Four new genera
are described in this work, viz., Sciadopytis, Thujopsis, Cephalotaxus,
* Loudon, Arb. et Frut., p. 2104.
+ See Bot. Mag., 1853, Tab. 4740. ; rf
+ Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1863, p. 579, where he expresses in angry language his
repudiation of the so-called genus Picea, which had been attributed to him by tlie
Editor of the Pinetum Britannicum.
§ Linn. Trans., xviii. p. 166,
|| Idem, p. 171,
52
A »MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS,
and Retinispora; the first three are considered established, but the
fourth, Retinispora, being founded on characters that are either inconstant
or not confined to the included species, hag not been recognised by
men of science.
One of the earliest contributors to the systematic Botany of the
Coniferee after Loudon’s death was Endlicher (Vienna, 1804-1849), who
published his Synopsis Contferarum in 1847. In this work the Taxacez
of Lindley are reunited to the Conifers, but divided into two tribes,
Taxinese, and Podocarpes, the latter including the Dacrydiums 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 Californian Red Wood and the Chinese Water Pine from Taxodium,
and founded the genus Sequoia, with the former to which has since
been added the Wellingtonia of Lindley, and Glyptostrobus with the
latter; he also separated the African Cypress from Cupressus, calling it
Widdringtonia. The propriety of these changes has been generally
acknowledged. He further separated the Chinese and Chilian Thuias
from the North American species, constituting the first Biota and
the second Libocedrus; he also adopted the genus Chamacyparis, of
which the American White Cedar (Cupressus thyoides) is regarded ag
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-Gothea in 1850, on specimens
brought home by our collector, William Lobb, and three years later
he published a description of the Mammoth Tree of California,t 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, showed,
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,{ on specimens brought home by H.M. surveying
ship Beagle. He subsequently enlarged the Order by the addition of
Diselma § and Microcachrys,|| two curious and rare Tasmanian Conifers.
Inportant contributions to our knowledge of the Himalayan Conifers
and the Cedars have been made by the same distinguished Botanist.
* Flora of the Northern United States, p. 473.
t Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1858, p. 823.
+ Bot. Mag., Tab. 4616.
§ Flora of Tasmania,
same authority.
» p. 858, but which has since been referred to Fitzroya by the
|| Bot. Mag., 1866., Tab. 5576.
J Himalayan Journals and Natural History Review, 1862,
LITERATURE OF THE CONIFER, 53
ee nian se 7. the Order 5 Actinostrobus, the West Aus-
ae Ypress, we addec by Miquel ;* Torreya by Dr. Arne; Lepi-
hamnus and Prumnopitys by Philippi.t The two last named are
South American Taxads, of which the first is but little known and
the Prumnopitys is synonymous with Podocarpus andinus.
In 1855 M. Carritre, Chef des Pépiniéres du Muséum Histoire
Naturelle de Paris, published his Traité Général des Coniferes, of which
a second edition, in an improved and enlarged form, appeared in 1867.
In this work botanical descriptions of all the known 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, which appear to involve much needless repetition.
The purpose of the work is thus practical as well as scientific, but the
plan on which it is compiled and the nomenclature adopted are not
calculated 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 by others scarcely known, except to the scientific
reader, thus adding considerably to an already overburdened nomen-
clature, and further entangling the synonyomy. To quote one example—
The Firs are assigned to five genera, viz., Tsuga, Pseudotsuga, Abies,
Picea, and Keteleeria. Following Link, and other continental botanists,
in reversing the Linnean names of Abies and Picea for the purpose
of restoring the original names of Pliny, the former of which, by an
inadvertency, Linneus had applied to the Spruce, and the latter to
the Silver Fir, Carriére calls the Silver Firs, Abies, and the Spruces,
Picea; the Hemlock Firs are with him, Tsuga; our Douglas Fir,
Pseudotsuga { and, lastly, all indication of connection with the Firs by
name, disappears in the case of the remarkable species from North China,
which he calls Keteleeria Fortunei.§ Carriere also adopts Endlicher’s
dismemberment of Cupressus and Thuia, enlarging Chamecyparis
with the addition of Siebold’s Retinispora, and also with the
Nootka Sound and Lawson’s Cypress, the latter of which he calls
Chamecyparis Boursierii, but Siebold’s Retinispora (changed to Reti-
nospora) is retained for 22. squarrosu and two or three others, which
are now known to be only seminal varieties of well-known types.
* Late Professor of Botany at Amsterdam.
+ Professor of Botany at Santiago, Chili.
+ In this nomenclature of the Firs, Carritre is followed by Dr. Engelman, and by Mr.
Bentham and Sir J. D. Hooker in their Genera Plantarum, the last-named authorities
including Fortune’s Fir in Abies.
§ See Traité Général des Conifores, p. 260.
54
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Carritre’s Traité is undoubtedly a work of great merit, and his views
are generally accepted by continental horticulturists. ,
The publication of the first edition of M. Carriére’s Traité was
followed three years afterwards (1858) by that of the Pinetum of
the late Mr. Gordon, which became popular, probably, more on account
of its being 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 work, A Supplement to the Pinetum was added in 1862, 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 Japan, which had previously appeared in sections
in the Zransactions 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
descriptions 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 intervals that elapsed between the issue of the parts, and thus
rendered its completion hopeless, if not impossible. The last part
appeared in 1877, bringing up the whole to thirty-seven, in which only
thirty 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 was from the pen of the late Mr.
Andrew Murray, who also, from time to time, contributed many interesting
papers on the Coniferee to the Gardeners’ Chronicle and to The Garden.
The Nadethileer of Henkel and Hockstetter was published 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
Pinacew, « 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 highly important contributions
to our knowledge of the North American Conifers that have been
made by eminent American botanists, especially by Dr. Newberry, Pacific
Railway Report, 1857; Dr. Asa Gray, Address to the American Asso-
ciation for the Advancement of Science, 187 2; Dr. Engelmann, Jransac:
LITERATURE OF THE CONIFER, 55
tions of the Academy of Setence of St. Louis, and others. In the
following pages, we have freely availed ourselves of the information
contained in these valuable papers. Within the last few years, characters,
as a means of classification and identification of species, have been 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. Pringheim’s
Jahrbuch IV. He was followed, in 1871, by C. E. Bertrand, of Paris.
who gave a more elaborate paper on the subject, in 1874, in the
Annules des Sciences Naturelles, The subject was taken up in the
following year, by Dr. W. R. MacNab, in the Proceedings of the Royal
Trish Academy ; and in 1877, the same botanist published an exhaustive
paper in the same journal, pp. 673-704, entitled A Revision of the Species
of Abies, in which twenty-four species are described under Abies (Silver
Firs), and five others, under Pseudotsuga, viz., A. nobilis, A. magnifica,
A, Douglasti, A. Fortune’, and another under the name of A. Davidianc,
said to be a native of Thibet, and allied to A. Fortune’. The same
line of investigation has been pursued by Dr. Engelmann, of St. Louis,
Missouri, who observes that “highly important as the microscopic inves-
tigations of the leaf are, they have sometimes been relied on too
exclusively, disregarding the characters furnished by the reproductive
organs.”* He cites, as instances, the Pseudotsuga section of Drs.
Bertrand and McNab, above mentioned.
We have purposely reserved for concluding notice, although not the
latest in order of publication, the Conifere, in De Candolle’s Prodromus
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 tribes, 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 specific differences only. Thus, the Linnean
circumscription of Pinus is restored, and the divisions of the original
genus by Link and Carriére 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 Chamecyparis ; Philippi’s Prumnopitys is
also rejected; the Linnean Ginkgo (Salisburia) is restored, and a few
other changes of minor importance are also introduced, as will be
seen from the following synoptic table.
It is scarcely necessary to add, except for the information of those
who are unacquainted with Parlatore’s work, that it is one of the
most valuable contributions to botanical science of late years, and that
it is compiled in the Latin language
* Trans, Acad., St. Louis, 1878.
56 A MANUAL OF THE GONIFERS.
PaRLAToRe’s CLASSIFICATION OF THE CONIFERE.
Tribus IL—ABIETINE A,
Sub-tribus |.—ARAUCARIES.
1, Araucaria,
Sectio I.—Columbea.
II.---Eutacta.
2. Dammara.
Sub-tribus I], —Pinez.
3. Pinus.
Sub-genus 1.—Pinus.
Sectio I.—Pinea.
II,—Cembra.
Sub-genus 2.—Sapinus.
Sectio J.—Cedrus.
II,—Larix.
III. —Pseudo-larix.
IV.—Picea.
V.—Abies.
VI.—Tsuga.
Sub-tribus []1.—TaxopiEx.
4, Cunninghamia.
5. Arthrotaxis,
6. Sciadopitys.
7. Sequoia.
8. Cryptomeria.
9. Glyptostrobus.
10. Taxodium.
11. Widdringtonia.
Sub-tribus IV.—CurreEssEz.
12. Actinostrobus.
13. Frenela.
14. Callitris.
15. Libocedrus.
16. Thuya.
17. Thuyopsis.
18. Biota.
19. Diselma.
20. Fitzroya.
21. Chamecyparis.
22. Cupressus.
23. Juniperus.
Tribus I].—TAXINEA.
24, Dacrydium.
25, Pherosphora.
26. Lepidothamnus.
27. Saxe-Gothea.
28, Phyllocladus.
29. Taxus.
30. Cephalotaxus.
31. Torreya.
32. Ginkgo.
33. Podocarpus.
Sectio I.—Nageia.
II.—Eupodocapus;
III.—Strchycarpus.
IV.—Dacrycarpus.
Since the foregoing article was written, a new scientific arrange-
ment of the Coniferee has been published 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.
The most important of these
changes will be noticed in their respective places in the following
pages.
SYNOPSIS OF GENHRA, SPECIES, AND VARIETIES. 57
PART II.
SYNOPSIS
oF
GENERA, SPECIES, AND VARIETIES.
Tae Order Coniferee includes the 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 Taxodiz, and Cupressez of Parlatore in De Candolle’s
Prodromus, Pars. xvi.
J. Apietinse—The Fir and Pine Tribe.
1, Abies—The Fir.
(a.) Piceee—The Spruce Firs.
(b.) Sapini—The Silver Firs.
(¢.) Tsugee—The Hemlock Firs.
2. Larix—The Larch.
3. Cédrus—The Cedar.
4, Pinus—The Pine.
(a.) Binee—Leaves two in a sheath,
(b.) Ternee—Leaves three in a sheath.
(c.) Quinee—Leaves five in a sheath.
5. Araucaria—The Chili Pine.
bE =58 A MANUAL Ol THE CONIFERA.
II. Taxoprm—The Deciduous Cypress Tribe.
Sciadopitys—The Umbrella Pine.
Wellingtonia—The Mammoth Tree.
Sequoia—The Californian Red Wood.
Taxddium—The deciduous Cypress.
Glyptostrbbus—The Chinese Water Pine.
Cryptoméria—The Japanese Cedar.
. Cunninghamia.
LS a
. Athrotdxis—The Tasmanian Cypress.
III. Cuprussinsu—The Cypress Tribe.
Cupréssus—The Cypress.
Retindspora—The Japanese Cypress.
Bidta—The Chinese Arbor Vite.
Thiia—The Arbor Vite.
. Thuidpsis—The Japanese Arbor Vite.
Libocédrus—The Incense Cedar.
. Fitzroya—The Patagonian Cypress.
ON Ook OD >
. Juniperus—The Juniper.
(a.) Oxycedri—The common Junipers.
(b.) Sabine—The Savin Junipers.
(c.) Cupressoideee—The Cypress-like Junipers.
IV. Taxinsaz—The Yew Tribe.
Taixus—The Yew.
Cephalotaxus—The Chinese Yew.
Torreya—The fetid Yew.
Ginkgo—The Maiden-Hair Tree.
Saxe-Gothea—Prince Albert’s Yew.
. Prumnopitys—The Plum-fruited Yew.
. Podocarpus.
SS oe Seth tet
ABIETINEZ, THE FIR AND PINE TRIBE. 59
x
Tre 1—ABIETINEA—The Fir and Pine Tribe.
All the species belonging 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 pyramidal or
conical outline during 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 former case, the persistency is favoured and prolonged by
free exposure to the air; in the latter, the throwing off is hastened
by the exclusion of it. The height of the trunk is influenced by
the persistency of the branches; while these remain in health and
vigour, the trunk increases in height less rapidly than when the
lower branches are thrown off in the early life of the tree. Hence
it is evident, that in planting trees of the Fir and Pine tribe for
ornamental purposes, they should have a greater 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 trunks as free from knots and protuberances as possible,
they should be planted not much farther apart than is sufficient 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 Pinus, P. pinea for example, it
becomes, on the contrary, very thick, rigid, cracked, and deeply
furrowed; 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. Gerardiana), it is grey or milky
white, and peels off like that of the Birch or Arbutus. Aged
60 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Pines are among the most picturesque objects in park and
landscape scenery.
The geographical distribution of the Asrzrinem is almost co-
extensive with that of the whole Coniferous Order in the northern
hemisphere. The Pines are met with everywhere in both the
eastern and western continents between the Equator and the
Arctic Circle, except in Central Africa, 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 Smithiana, 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 known, 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 385° 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.
The Azizrinsx are “ social” trees; they form forests covering
* Sce page 37.
ABIES, THE FIR. 61
immense areas in plains, in valleys, and on the sides of mountains,
often reaching the limits of perpetual snow in the higher ranges,
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 been
named as new species. This has been one fruitful cause of tho
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 by
another cause already alluded to, the polymorphous tendency which
is manifested, more or less, in every tribe of the Conifere,* and
which occurs most frequently in kinds brought under cultivation.
It is much less prevalent among the Abietineze 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 excelsa
inverta and <A. pectinata pendula. 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) Tun Fir.
The most obvious characteristics of the Firs are—The habit is
regularly pyramidal or conical; the branches are produced in
whorls; they are frondose 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.
* Sce page 28.
62 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
The Firs are highly 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 from 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. Picee—The Spruce Firs.
II. Sapini—The Silver Firs.
III. Tsuge—The Hemlock Firs.
There are two.species which cannot strictly be placed in either
section. The Douglas Fir, which, on account of its great size,
general aspect, and for the valuable timber it affords, would be
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. pectinata) ;
its derivation from ame (apios), a Pear tree, is hypothetical.
Section I.—Picez. 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 both from the Silver and
from the Hemlock Firs—
By their leaves, which are acicular or needle-shaped, more
or less distinctly tetragonal or four-angled, with a prominent
PICEZ, THE SPRUCE FIRS. 63
decurrent cushion 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. ercelsa) and the Black Spruce
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.
Height
* Screntiric Nam. Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat. Hada
Feet.
ABIES AJANENSIS Abies Alcoquiana(Hort.) sis Japan ... ..| 25 to 50
(Fischer), ,, Sttchensis (Koch)
Picea Jexoensis
(Maximowicz)
ALBA (M€ichaux)' Pinus alba (Lambert), The WhiteSpruce| North America | 25— 50
Picea alba — (Carriére)
Abies laxa (Koch)
* Technically called the pulvinus. It is the pulvini with the remains of the short foot-
stalks of the leaves, that give the bark of the branches of Fir trees its rough surface when
the leaves are shed,
64
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Screntirio Naue.
ABIES AncoquiANna
(Veitch)
ENGELMANNI
(Parry):
glauca
(Hort.
a
EXCELSA
(De Candolh).
Clanbra-
siliina
(Loudon)
”
elegans
(Hovrt.)
”
Finedon-
énsis
(Hort. Paul)
”
Gregoriina
(Hort. Paul)
”
invérta
(Hort. Smith)
”
monstrdsa
(Loudon)
”
pumila
glauca
(Hort)
”
pygmea
(Loudon)
Cae
Synonyms,
Popular Name.
Habitat.
Pinus Alcoquiana
(Parlatore)
Picea Alcoguiana
(Carritre,
Abies bicolor
(Maximowicz)
3, acticularis (Hort.)
Pinus commutata
(Parlatore)
| Picea Engelmannt
(Carriére)
Abtes Parryana (Hort.)
Picea pungens Hort.)
Pinus Abies (Linnezus)
eaxcelsa (Lambert)
Picea (Parlatorej
Abies Picea (Miller)
Picea excelsa (Link)
Abies communis (Hort.)
”
2
Abies Clanbrasiliana
(Hort.)
compacta (Hort.)
excelsa dumosa
(Hort.)
Finedonensis
(Hort. )
Gregoryt (Hort.)
» tmverta (Hort.)
3, hortzontalis
(Hort.)
» «6 nana (Hort.)
minima (Hort.)
Sir Rutherford
Aleock’s Fir
Engelmann’s
Spruce
The common or
Norway Spruce
Lord Clanbrasil’s
Spruce
The Finedon
Hall Spruce
Gregory’s Spruce
The Weeping
Spruce
The Dwarf
Spruce
Japan ...
tocky Moun-
tains
Europe ...
Garden variety ..
60—10
| 75—13
38 to
Q—
0
0
PICEEZ, THE SPRUCE FIRS. 65
Screntirio Name, Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat. Heat
Feet.
ABIES Guitnnir sf Islands of Yesso | 20— 30
(Schmidt) and Saghalien
TEAOENSTS Pinus Jezoensis The Jesso Fir .... Northern Japan | 80—120
(Siebold) (Antoine) :
Picea Jezoensis
(Carriére)
Pinus Menziesti
(Parlatore)
Maximowicair | Picea Maximowiezti Maximovicz’ Fir | Mantschouria
(Neumann) (Regel)
MENzIESII Pinus Menziesti Menzie’s Fir ...] NN. W. America | 50— 70
(Loudon) (Douglas)
Abies Sitchensis
(Lindley)
Picea Menziensti
(Carriére)
nicra (Michauzx)| Pinus nigra (Lambert) The Black Spruce] N. E. America | 50— 80
Picea nigra — (Carritre)
OBOVATA (Loudon)| Pinus obovata (Antoine) The Siberian Siberia ... .| 50— 80
Picea obovata (Carriere) Spruce
ORIENTALIS Pinus orientalis The Eastern Armenia ...| BO— 70
(Tournefort) (Linneus) Spruce
Picea orientalis (Link)
Abies Wittmanniana
(Hort.)
POLITA (Sicbold | Pinus polita (Parlatore) Japan .| 80—100
and Zuccarint) Picea polita (Carritre)
SCHRENKIANA Pinus obovata Schren-| Schrenk’s Spruce | The Altai Moun-| 60— 80
(Lindley) kiana (Parlatore) tains and Tur-
Pinus Schrenkiana kestan
(Antoine)
Picea Schrenkiana
(Fischer)
SMITHIANA Pinus Smithiana The Himalayan | The Himalayas |100—150
(Wallich) (Lambert)| or Indian Spruce
», Khutrow (Royle)
Picea Morinda (Link)
Abies Khutrow (Hort.)
,, Morinda (Hort.)
waco recy os Se
66 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
Abies Ajanensis.—A Spruce Fir, resembling the common Euro-
pean species, but of more elegant habit. In its native country, it
is a pyramidal tree of variable height, 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 yellowish-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 flattish,
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.
Habitat—Japan (Nippon and Yesso), also the region of the Amour
and Kamtchatka,
Introduced in 1861, by Mr. John Gould Veitch.
Abies Ajanensis microsperma.—Dr. Lindley gave the name of
A. microsperma to a Spruce Fir, discovered by Mr, J. G. Veitch, near
Hakodati, in Yesso. By Parlatore, De Candolle’s Prod., xvi. p. 418,
this Fir is referred to the North American species, A. Menziesit, but
Dr. Masters now identifies it as a variety of A. Ajanensis. It is a
dense medium-sized tree, with smaller leaves than A. Ajanensis.
Abies Ajanensis has hitherto been known in nurseries and gardens
under the name of A. Alcogquiana. “This has arisen from the fact that
Mr. J. G. Veitch was not himself able to collect seeds—the country
not being then open to foreigners—consequently, he had to depend on
others, whose incompetence or veracity, or both, 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 high rank. Its growth is rather slow, especially during the first four
or five years from the seed, during which time it frequently shows a
tendency to produce rival leaders, which should be reduced to one
when observed.
The specific name Ajanensis is derived from Ayan or Ajan in
Kamtchatka.
Abies alba.—aA tree of medium size, varying in height from 25
* Dr. Masters, in Gardeners’ Chronicle, vol. xiii. p. 115. We take this opportuni
expressing our warmest acknowledgments to Dr. Masters for the important bse Tee
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.
We 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 northern limit, a low scrubby bush. When
standing singly, it has a conical outline, and is well furnished with
branches from 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 14 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, New
Brunswick, and the adjoining provinces; northwards it occurs more
sparingly.
Introduced into England by Bishop Compton about the year
1700.*
The White Spruce is one of the hardiest of trees; it is useful
in ornamental and landscape planting generally, 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 that
of any of the Spruces. The fibres of the roots macerated in water
are very flexible and tough, and were used by the Canadian Indians
to stitch their canoes of birch bark. The rate of growth of Abies alba
in this country is from 12 to 15 feet in ten years in light moist
soils, but it is slower in dry soils and exposed situations; it attains
its full size in about thirty years, after which it soon as to show
signs of decay; it is comparatively a short-lived tree.”
The specific name alba, “white,” has a relative meaning only, and
was given in contradistinction to Abies nigra, with which it is
frequently found associated.
Abies Alcoquiana is one. of the finest representatives of the
Spruce Firs in Japan, where it is a lofty pyramidal tree, from
90 to 120 feet high. In its maturity, the upper branches frequently
lengthen 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 8 inches long, with brown, shining
striated scales, slightly rounded, and minutely toothed on the free
edge.
* Loudon, Ard. et Frut., p. 2312. Many of the dates of introduction given in the sequel
are derived from the same ‘authority.
+ Idem.
68 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Habitat.—Fusi-yama, in the island of Nippon, Japan, at 4,000
feet elevation.
Introduced by Mr. J. G. Veitch in 1861.
Not much is known respecting the quality of the timber of this fine
tree, but Myr. J. G. Veitch has inserted in the MS. Notes of his
“Tour in Japan” that it is good, and that many trees are annually
felled for building and other purposes. .
Abies Alcoguiana 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.
Whether Siebold’s Abies Jezoensis belongs to A. Ajanensis or to
A. Alcogwiana cannot yet be decided with certainty. While 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 with 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 Aleoquiana was named by Mr. J. G. Veitch 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-yama, 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 Aleoquiana. The cause of
this 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 distributing the two species under one name, there has
also arisen a further confusion in the nomenclature and _ published
botanical descriptions, which is fully discussed by Dr. Masters in his
recent paper in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, 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. BXCELSA. 69
but less so than in dA, Menziesii. Cones small, from 2 to 2%
inches long.”
Habitat—The slopes of the Rocky Mountains from New Mexico
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. Engelmann, published in the Transactions of the Academy of
Science of Philadelphia, and reprinted in the Gardeners’ Chronicle for
1863, p. 1,035.
Since its introduction into Great Britain, Ab‘es Engelmanni has proved
perfectly hardy. The young plants are distinct, having 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. Engelmann, its discoverer, also a botanist and
‘physician of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., and author of several valuable
papers on the North American Conifere.
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.
This variety is the most omamental of all the American Spruces;
its remarkable colour and regular outline render it one of the best
of Conifers for the lawn.
Abies excelsa.—The common or Norway Spruce. Being 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. When 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 branchlets, those higher up being horizontal, while
70 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
the uppermost whorls are slightly inclined upwards. The aspect
of the tree is somewhat sombre on account of its dense foliage,
which 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 68° 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 Herbs, 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 Clanbrasiliana—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, Northamptonshire,
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 inverta is a pendulous form in which the branches
ABIES EXCELSA AND VARIETIES. 71
droop almost close to the trunk ; the leaves are somewhat larger
and of a brighter green than those of the type.
It originated in the Nurseries of Mr. Richard Smith, 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 straggling, almost without laterals, and covered with
short bristly leaves. It hasa 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 pygmea 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 available com:
petitor is, perhaps, the Scotch Pine, but the wood of that valuable tree
is coarser in texture, and much more resinous. Abies excelsa yields
the white deal of commerce, of which the finest is supplied from the
great forests of Norway and Sweden, where, owing to climatal causes, it
attains its greatest perfection, The bark of the Spruce Fir may be
used for tanning, but it is inferior in this .respect to that of the
Larch, although superior to that of the Scotch Pine.* Excellent cordage
is made in Norway 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 much planted for purposes of utility. It is
one of the best of nurses for 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 forming a permanent
screen for protection from piercing winds, for hiding unsightly buildings,
and for shutting out of view incongruous objects in the landscape.
Its frond-like branches form an excellent protection for the blossoms of
fruit trees on walls from spring frosts, and are often used as such by
* Pinetwn Britannicum, Abies excelsa, p. 12.
73 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
gardeners in the absence of other accommodation ; they are also useful
for protecting tender plants against walls or in the open ground. The
Spruce Fir bears 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 Switzerland, 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. Retentive 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
Spruce Fir in this country, under ordinary conditions, “is nearly as
great as that of the Scotch Pine; for three or four 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.”+
The specific name excelse was substituted by Lamark for the Abies
of Linneus, in reference to the Spruce being the tallest of European
trees ; this name was adopted Ivy the elder De Candolle,t and has
since been generally but not universally accepted. The Norway or
common Spruce was the Picea of Pliny ;§ it is the Gemeine Fichte or
Rothtaune of the Germans, the Pesse or Sapin rouge of the French,
the Abeto rosso or Abeto di Germania of the Italians.
Abies Jezoensis.—A tall, fast- growing, 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 24 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 cxcelsa, p. 15. + Loudon, Ard. e¢ Frud., p. 2297.
t Fl. Fr. IL., 275, ca Carriére. § Hist, Nat., XVI., 10.
ABIES JEZOENSIS, A. MENZIESIt. 73
The specific name, Jexoensis, 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 Abies Jezoensis,
Habitat—The island of Yesso, northern J apan.
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 River. 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 ag 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 territory, Ad/es Menziesti, in company
with A. Douglasii and Thuia gigantea, is one of the principal trees that
forms the dense coating of vegetation that covers the coast range of
mountains, 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 carpentry.t In Britain the growth and
appearance of A. Menziesii are much influenced by the soil and
situation in which it is planted; “it will not thrive in light dry
soils; in such places it becomes half deciduous in very dry seasons,
and hence very unsightly.”t Deep, loamy, and moist soils, in 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 foliage is beautifully developed. To secure good specimens
_of A. Menziesii, a space having 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 et in Depp insulig
borealibus Jezo et Karafto et culta in hortis circa urbem Jeddo,” thus including under
A, Menziesii the A. microsperma of Lindley.
+ Dr. Newberry’s Pacific Railway Report.
t Mr. Fowler in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1872, p. 76.
74,
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
The specific name Menziesii was given by Douglas in compliment
to Mr. Archibald Menzies, the indefatigable Scotch botanist, who
accompanied Vancouver on his voyage of discovery in 1790, during
which this tree was first discovered. Although Mr. Menzies’ scientific
labours were not especially directed to the investigation of the Conifers,
his name has become prominent in connection with them as the in-
troducer of Araucaria imbricata into British gardens; he was also one
of the first who made known the existence of the gigantic Coniferous
vegetation of north-west America, and thus led the way to the im-
portant discoveries of Douglas, thirty-five years later. The following
is a brief sketch of his life :—
ArcuipaLp Menzies was born at Weims, in Perthshire, on the
15th 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 purpose 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 Navy. 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 New Holland, and part of New
Zealand, Otaheite, and the north-west of America. He returmed 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 new, 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. Mis collection
of plants was left to the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh; it consists
chiefly of cryptogamous plants, Grasses, and Cyperacesx. (J. H. B*
in Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography).
Abies nigra—The Black Spruce in its native forests usually
in
attains a height of from 50 to 80 feet, and has a trunk small
proportion to its height, the diameter at the base ranging only
from 12 to 24 inches.t The branches are drooping, like those of
the European species, and are clothed with foliage of a dark sombre
green, with a bluish-glaucous hue, unlike any other Conifer. The
leaves are short, stiff, thick-set, and cover the stems all round.
* John Hutton Balfour.
+ It is covered with a thin greyish bark, slightly roughened with small scales,
ABLES NIGRA AND VARIZTIts, 5
As in all the American Spruces, the cones are very small, rarely
exceeding 14 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 the
Norway Spruce does among those of Europe. Its timber is of
excellent quality, light, strong, and elastic; durable when protected,
but decaying rapidly when exposed to the weather. It is more used
in the British Dominion and the adjoining portions of the United
States than that of any other Coniferous tree 5 it is also exported
to Great Britain in large quantities, 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 & la Bidre,”
because the twigs of the tree used to be boiled in water with other
substances such as sugar, molasses, &c., and the liquor 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
New 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 swampy 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 Spruce.
The branches of this variety are generally slender, the internodes
short, and the leaves pale. The tree has a feeble, starved, and sickly
aspect, and does not attain a large size. Another form occurs in the
Adirondack region; the foliage has a silvery or glaucous hue, on
76 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
which account it is sometimes mistaken for the White Spruce. <A
large form, with cones of unusual size and wood of soft texture, was
once described as a distinct species and called Abies rubra,* or the
Red 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 way. They have
the short internodes and the short pale leaves of the Bastard Spruce.t
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 <Abzes 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, stiff, obtusely pointed, and when mature of a deep glossy
green, the brightest in colour of all the Spruces. The cones are
small, sub-cylindrical, pointed at the apex, and from 2 to 3 inches
in length.
Habitat—Mount Taurus and the Caucasian Region, 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 1889. +
Not much is known of the economical uses of Abies orientalis. Its
wood 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
shorter and more linear than in Abies nigra.
+ From a Paper on Abies nigra, read before the Albany Institute, by C. H. Peck, Esq.
~ Lawson’s Pinetum Brit. Abies orientalis, p. 3.
§ Ausgezeichnet dauerhaft und zihe. Henkel und Hockstetter, Nadelhélzer, p. 193.
Be ce
ate
Abies orientalis at Highnam Court. Present height (1881) 53 feet.
ABIES ORIENTALIS, A. POLITA, 77
many of its slender branchlets, which makes the outline peaked and
pointed. The colour of the foliage is not only distinct but also attrac-
tive; when the buds first cast off 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. ortental’s should have a
place in every collection of Conifers; it is quite hardy, but of rather
slow growth in dry soils.
The specific name, orientalis, “eastern,” was given by Tourmnefort in
reference to its habitat.*
Fig. 9.—Foliage of Abies polita. Fig. 10.—Cone of Abies polita.
Abies polita, according to Dr. Siebold, is “a remarkable tree
entirely 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 occidentalis, or western, a name that has not been given to any
of the Spruce Firs. .
78 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
branchlets, which are remarkably rigid and robust, and covered with
a yellowish cream-coloured bark, on which 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 ellipsoid, from 38 to 4 inches long, with light brown
coriaceous scales, minutely notched at the edge.
Habitat—The mountains in the north of the island of Nippon.*
Introduced in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.
The leading characters of Adies polita 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 Abies Smithiana,
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 acquired the name of ‘“Torano-wo momi,” or the Tiger’s-
tail Fir, among the Japanese.
The specific name, polita, “polished,” or “adorned,” probably has
reference to the lustrous smoothness 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,t 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. Siebold & Zue., Flora Jap., p. 21.
+ From the many Christian and barbarous names by which this Fir is known I select
the native one. Morinda, in the native dialect, means ‘Nectar drops,” or ‘‘ Honey
tears,” from the resinous drops or tears upon the cones and bark resembling honey. It
is also named Khutrow, which is, doubtless, a misnomer of the Silma vernacular
“Khudrow,” or “ Noodrow,” -weeping.—Senilis in Pinacere, p. 49,
ABIES SMITHIANA. 79
larger than those 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 ligneous texture, thick, with entire
edges turned inwards, and of a purplish-brown colour when mature.
Habitat—The Himalayan Mountains from Bhotan to Cashmere,
and throughout the whole of the forests from the Kuram district
to Serdtigah, in Afghanistan, at elevations ranging from 6,000 to
12,000 feet.
Introduced into Scotland in 1818 by Dr. Govan, of Cupar, who
sent cones to the Harl of Hopetown. From the seeds of these
cones the first plants, six in number only, were raised.
The economic value of Abies Smithiuna does not appear to be: very
great. Sir J. D. Hooker notes that “it has white wood, employed
for posts and beams,”* but the timber is soft, and although free from
knots, is very perishable. t Dr. Royle states that a very fine resin
is secreted in the cones which, no doubt, would yield a superior tur-
pentine. t :
In England Abies Smithiana, 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 this Fir grows—conditions that cannot be
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 the first mild
days of early spring, and the tender shoots are often cut off by frosts
later in the season, the effect of which 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 the largest specimens of
A. Smithiana in this country have attained lengths of from 12 to 16
feet, so, that in order to secure a good specimen of this noble Fir, a
‘space having a radius greater than these dimensions must be allowed
for it.
The specific name, Smithiana, was given in compliment 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. + Gordon, Pinetum, ‘p. 21,
“t Botany of the Himalayan Mountains, p. 352,
80 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
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 Gardeners’
Chronicle for March 6, 1880, is a dwarf, dense-erowing 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 by 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. Regel, of
St. Petersburgh, but of which 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 which also are rigid, sharply pointed,
not more than half-an-inch long, erect, and dark green, with little or
no traces of glaucescence,
Abies obovata resembles A. exeelsa in its general aspect, but
differs from it in some of the details, especially in the cones, which
are small nearly egg-shaped bodies, with the greater diameter not more
than 24 inches long. It inhabits Siberia, from the Ural Mountains
to Dahurica, and from the Altai Mountains—where it forms vast
forests from the base to 4,000 feet of elevation—to the Arctic Regions,
as far as lat. 69° 30’ N. 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 Mountains 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 which 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.
* Prod., xvi., p. 415. Carriére, Traité, p. 338,
SAPINI, THE SILVER FIRS, 81
Section I1.—Sarint. The Silver Firs.
The Silver Firs are cultivated in Great Britain almost exclusively
for ornamental purposes, for which few trees, even among the
Conifere, are more suitable or more admired. Their general
aspect is formal and symmetrical, owing to their strict conical
habit and the horizontal direction of their branches, which, with
all their appendages, are rigid, more or less robust, and rarely
assume the pendulous or sub-pendulous growth common among the
Spruce and Hemlock Firs. They are further distinguished :—
By their leaves, which are 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 Pine tribe, and
which grow erect on the branchlets;
scales much broader than in the
Spruces, deciduous, falling off as soon
as the seed is ripe, leaving the axis
on the tree.*
Fig, 11.—Monstrous cone of Abies
Veitchii, with bracts transformed into
foliage leaves, and with the axis pro-
longed into a branchlet with ordinary
leaves, Natural size.
* In all the Firs the scales of the cones have on their under side, an appendage called
a bract, which varies considerably in size and form, being in some species quite minute
and even rudimentary, while in ‘others it is conspicuously developed. In the Spruce and
Hemlock Firs, the bract is shorter than 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 others, as Abies magnifica, which have the scale and bract of the same length. These
bracts are now known to be metamorphosed leaves. Three abnormal or monstrous cones
of A. Veitchii were recently gathered by Mr. Maries in Japan, in which the bracts
were distinctly transformed into more or less perfect foliage leaves. Our illustration
shows one of these.
G
82 ‘A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
The cones of some of the Silver Firs are among the most
remarkable productions of the vegetable kingdom. By the kindness
of the Right Hon. Lady Rolle 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 nobilis, native
of California and Oregon, and of A. Webbiana, 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 the leaves given above, it
will be observed that those on the erect shoots are not twisted at
the base, and are thicker and convex above. “The tip of the leaves
of young trees, and of the lower branches of older ones, is notched
in almost all the species; the leaves of robust 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.
The 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, Engelmann in Transactions of the Academy of Science, St. Louis, U.S.A., 1878,
SAPINI, THE SILVER FIRS.
Scrent1Fic Name,
Synonyms.
Habitat,
ABIES amAbiuis
(Lindley)
BALSAMEA
(Miller)
a Hudsoniea|
(Engelmann)
BRACHYPHYLLA
(Maxtmowicz)
BRACTEATA
(Str W. Hool-cr)
CEPHALONICA
(Loudon)
CILICICA
(Carriere)
CONCOLOR
(Lindley)
Picea amabilis (Loudon)
Abies grandis densifolia
(Engelmann)
Pinus balsamea
(Linneeus)
Abies balsamifera
(Michaux)
Picea balsamea (Loudon)
», Fraseri Hudsonica
(Gordon)
», Hudsonica(Hort,)
3, balsamea pros-
trata (Hort. :
Abies Harryana
(Mac Nab)
5, Ischonoskiana
(Regel)
3 Vettchit (Hort)
Pinus brachyphylla
(Parlatore)
Pinus bracteata (Don)
», venusta (Douglas)
Picea bracteata (Loudon)
Pinus cephalonica
(Endlichery
Picea cephalonica
(Gordon)
Abies Apollinis (Link)
3, panachaica
(Heldreich)
Pinus Abies cephalonica
(Parlatore)
Pinus cilicica (Kotschy)
Picea cilicica (Gordon)
Abies lasiocarpa (Hort.)
Pinus concolor
(Parlatore)
Picea concolor (Gordon)
,, Lowiana (Gordon)
», Larsonsti (Hort.)
Abies grandis (Carriére &
Californian Seed
Collectors)
The Lovely Fir
The Balsam Fir
The Dwarf Bal-
The Santa Lucia
The Cephalonian
or Greek Silver Fir
The Cilician Fir
Oregon ...
Canadaand N. E.
States
New Hampshire
The Short-leaved| Japan
South California
Greece ...
Mountains of
* Asia Minor
California andthe
Rocky Mountains
.| 100—150
40— 60
80—120
120—150 ~
50— 60
40— 60
120 —150
84
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Screnrrric Name.
Synonyms.
Populur Name,
Habitat.
ABIES Firma
(Stebold &:
Zuccarini)
Frasrrr
(Lindley)
GRANDIS (Lindley)
MAGNIFICA
(Murray)
Manriksi1
(Dr. Masters)
noriLis (Lindley)
NorDMANNIANA
(Spach)
Nomipica
(De Lannoy)
Pinus bifida (Endlicher)
Picea firma (Gordon)
Pinus firma (Parlatore)
Abies bifida (Siebold)
homolepis
(Siebold)
(Koch
”
Momi
”
Pinus Fraseri (Pursh)
Picea Frasert (Loudon)
Pinus grandis (Douglas)
Abies Gordoniana
(Carriére)
Picea grandis (Loudon)
Abies nobilis robusta
(Carriére)
Picea magnifica
(Gordon)
Abies amabilis
(Californian
Seed Collectors)
campylocarpa
(Murray)
Pseudotsuga magnifica
(Bertrand)
”
Pinus nobilis (Douglas)
Picea nobilis (Loudon)
Psewdotsuga nobilis
(Bertrand)
Picea Nordmanniana
(Gordon)
Pinus Abies (Parlatore)
Picea Numidica
(Gordon)
Pinus Pinsapo
(Parlatore)
Abies Pinsapo Babo-
riensis (Cosson)
Fraser’s Silver Fir
The Tall Silver
Fir
The Stately
Silver Fir
Mr. Maries’ Fir
The Noble Fir
Nerdmann’s Fir
‘The Algerian
Silver Fir
Japan...
North Carolina
N. California and
Oregon
Japan ...
N. Californiaand
Oregon
The Crimea and
Caucasus
Kabyliain Algiers
100—150
30— 40
150—200
150—180
100—120
200—250
100—125
45— 60
SAPINI, THE SILVER FIRS.
ca
85
Screntirio Name. Synonyms, Popular Namo, Habitat. ia
Feet.
ABIES pecTinATa Pinus Picea (Linneus)) The Common | Central and 100—125
(De Candolle)| ,, Abies (Du Roi) Silver Fir | Southern Europe
Picea pectinata (Loudon)
Pinus pectinata
(Lamark)
Pinprow (Spach)| Picea Pindrow (Loudon) The Indian Silycr; The Eastern 75—100
Pinus Pindrow (Royle) Fir Himalayas
PINSAPO Pinus Pinsapo The Spanish Spain «| 60— 80
(Boissier) (Endlicher) Silver Fir
Abies hispanica
(De Chambray)
Picea, Pinsapo (Loudon)
»» Hamondii ot Garden variety
(Hort.)
»» Variegata| Picea Pinsapo variegata is. ms
(Carriére) (Gordon)
RELIGIOSA Pinus religiosa The Mexican Mountains of 100—150
(Lindley) (Humboldt) Sacred Fir Mexico
Picea religiosa (Loudon)
Abies hirtella (Lindley)
SACHALINENSIS wee TheSaghalien Fir) Saghalien&Japan| g 9100
(Schmid?)
SIBIRICA Pinus pichta (Fischer)| The Siberian Siberia ... 30— 50
(Ledebour)| 5, stbirica Silver Fir
(Parlatore)
Picea pichta (Loudon)
Abies pichta (Forbes)
Picea sibirica — (Hort.)
SUBALPINA Abies lasiocarpa Oregon and 60—100
(Engelmann) (Hooker) British Columbia
Pinus amabilis
(Parlatore)
VEiTcHIt Picea, Veitchit (Gordon)| Mr, J. G. Veitch’s Ac 100—120
(Lindley)| Pinus selenolepis Fir
(Parlatore)
WEBPIANA Pinus Webbiana Captain Webb's | The Himalayan | 60— 90
(Lindley) (Wallich) Fir Mountains
x» spectabilis
(Lambert)
Abies spectabilis (Spach)
», densa (Griffith)
Picea Webbiana
(Loudon)
86 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZE.
Abies amabilis.—The beautiful Fir cultivated in Great Britain
under this name, presents the following characteristics. The trunk
is covered with smooth cinereous brown bark; the branches are
spreading, the lower ones gently inclined downwards, much ramified ;
ZF } ra i, yy HA LAY
Fig, 12,—Foliage of Abies amabilis, Natural size.
the branchlets rather rigid, their bark furrowed with elongated
rhomboidal 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. nobilis, The leaves are longer
ABIES AMABILIS. 87
than those of A. nobilis, straight, glossy green above, with a sunk
line along the middle and with two broad glaucous lines beneath.
The 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.
Habitat—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,
through their collector, David Douglas.
Much confusion exists respecting the identity and nomenclature of
this and other Silver Firs of north-west America. The synonymy has
become especially perplexing in the case of Abies amuabilis. 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 appear
to have been preserved. In De Candolle’s Prodromus xvi, p. 426,
the tree described as A. amabilis is the A. lasiocarpa of Sir W. Hooker,
(A. bifolia of A. Murray), but which Dr. Engelmann calls A. subalpina,
while the A. amabilis of Dr. Newberry, in the Pacific Railway Report,
is neither of the preceding, but a variety of A. subalpina, which Dr.
Engelmann calls fallaz.t Dr. McNab is of opinion that A. magnifien
is the true A. amabilis of Douglas,t and it is the seed of this Fir
that is frequently sent to Europe by the Californian seed collectors under
the name of A. amabilis. To add to the entanglement, A. concolor,
which Dr. Engelmann affirms is the correct name of the A. lasiocarpa
of gardens, not of Hooker, for they too are quite different trees, has
found its way into European gardens under the name of A. amabilis.
It is only till quite recently that the identity of the Abies amabilis,
described above, with that of Douglas, has been satisfactorily estab-
lished. In the summer of 1880 Professor Sargent, Director of the
Arnold Arboretum at Harvard, U.S.A., accompanied by Dr. Engelmann
and Dr. Parry, eminent American botanists, undertook a journey to
Oregon and Washington Territory for the purpose of investigating the
forests of that region, in the course of which they found A. amabilis
on the Cascade Mountains, and in other localitics. Professor Sargent,
* Dr. Engelmann in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1880, vol. xiv., p. 270.
+ Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, 1878.
£ Revision of the Species of Abies, p. 702.
| 88 A MANUAL OF ‘THE CONITERA.
writing to us soon after his return, says of it—“It is a northern tree,
not reaching even the northern boundary of California, but not at all
rare on the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, and reaching as far north
as the Fraser River in British Columbia. It is the most beautiful of
the genus with which I am acquainted.”
And Dr. Engelmann, in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, loc. cit., writes,
“On the mountain, just south of the Cascades of the Columbia, where
Douglas discovered it, it is a magnificent tree at about 4000 feet
altitude; the largest specimen growing on the banks of a mountain
torrent was probably 150 feet high, with a trunk about 4 feet in
diameter, branching to the ground, and forming a perfect cone of dark
green foliage.”
The locality of the tree being now accurately known, it is quite
reasonable to hope that a supply of seed will soon be forthcoming,
and that this beautiful Abies will not much longer be so rare in
British gardens.
Abies balsamea is a medium-sized slender tree, from 40 to
60 feet high, but frequently much less, with the diameter of the
trunk near the surface of the ground not greater than from 12
to 18 inches. The leaves are distichously arranged, generally in
double rows on each side, notched on sterile and pointed on
fertile branches, but sometimes variable on the same branch; 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 1697 by Bishop Compton.
Abies balsamea Hudsonica is a sterile dwarf variety found in
the White Mountains of New Hampshire, above the timber line.*
The specific name balsamea 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. pectinata of Kurope, with rather lighter
green fohage. It is, however, known to be variable, according
* Dr. Engelmann in Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Lowis, 1878.
ABIES BRACHYPHYLLA. 89
as it is met with at a high elevation or in the plain, in Saghalien
and Jesso 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 8 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 decurrent 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 14 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.
Habitat—Saghalien and Japan.
Introduced about the year 1870.
Abies brachyphylla is one of the hardiest as
well as one of the handsomest of Silver Firs,
and cannot fail to be a valuable addition to
our ornamental trees for the park and land-
scape. A correspondent in Copenhagen, who
sent us a branch for identification, informs
us that it stands the Danish winter uninjured,
and that the tree in his possession was brought
in a young state by the captain of a Danish
trading vessel from the island of Saghalien.
The specific name brachyphylla, from Bpayve
(brachus), short, and g#Adov (phullon), a leaf,
refers to the shortness of the leaves, but the
Fig, 18.—Cone of Abies brachy- appropriateness of the name to this species is
ae the Gardeners’ not very apparent.
Abies bracteata is one of the most 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
90 A MANUAL OF THE CONITERR.
Sir William Hooker,* who has embodied in his remarks an account
of the tree sent to Mr. James Veitch by William Lobb, as seen
by him on the Santa Lucia, in south California, and by whose
exertions it was successfully introduced into England in 1853.
Fig, 14.—Foliage of Abies bracteata, Natural size.
“The present subject is among the most remarkable 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° N. These botanists both failed to bring home perfect
seeds, and it was left for William Lobb, Messrs. Veitch’s indefatig-
able American collector to succeed in- this,”
* Botanical Magaxine for 1858, Tab, 4740,
i
WN)
AKAN AIR
A y y iN
iy
YY,
Abies bracteata at Tortworth Court. Present height (1881) 29 feet,
ABIES BRACTEATA, 91
Mr. Lobb must speak for himself, ‘This beautiful and singular
tree forms here (he writes from the Califormian forests) the most
conspicuous ornament of the arborescent vegetation, On the western
slopes towards the sea, it occupies the 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 lower branches decumbent, the
branches above are numerous, short, and thickly set, forming a long
tapering pyramid or spire, which gives to the tree that peculiar
appearance which is not
seen in any other kinds
of the Pine tribe. When
standing far apart, and
clear from the surround-
ing trees, the lower
branches 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
4 coldest places imaginable,
j where no other Pine
makes its appearance, it
stands the severity of
the climate without the
slightest perceptible in-
jury, growing in slaty
rubbish, which to all
appearance, is incapable
of supporting vegetation.
In 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 appears 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 clothing the mountain tops, as the sheltered valley.”
“The cones too are quite as singular as the growth of the tree is
beautiful. When fully developed, the scales, 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.—Cone of Abies bracteata, Natural size.
92
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
saying this Fir does not occur below 6,000 feet of elevation; on the
contrary it is found as low as 3,000 feet, where it meets Tawodium
(Sequoia) sempervirens.”
Sir W. Hooker adds: “Perhaps the introduction of no Conifer, not
even that of the Deodar, has excited a more lively interest in horti-
culture and arboriculture than that’ of the present species with its
porcupine-like fruits.”
In less than three months after the publication of the above, in
the Botanical Magazine, the announcement of the successful introduction
of Wellingtonia gigantea by Lobb, appeared in the Gardeners’ Chronicle,
with Dr. Lindley’s description of the tree; the lively interest alluded
to by Sir W. Hooker was thence immensely heightened, and at once
transferred to and concentrated on the “Big Tree.” Abies bracteata
receded to the back 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 Wellingtonia. 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 Wellingtonia growing in this country; but there are 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 by late frosts.
Tt does not appear to acquire the vigour natural to it on its native
mountain until it has been established for some years in situations
favourable to its growth. Unfortunately, too, seedling plants are still
searce on account of the difficulty in procuring cones. It is, not
however, too much to affirm, that while the Wellingtonia is looked
upon with a feeling of interest not unmixed with curiosity, A. bracteata
will always be regarded with genuine admiration.
The specific name bracteata refers to the bracts of the cone, which
in this species are 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 searcely diss
acs mg
aint &
orn ==
SS
a gsc ts a
Sagi tak
Abies concolor (lasiocarpa) at Highnam Court. Present height (1881) 46 feet.
ABIES CONCOLOR. 93
tinguishable from those of A. pectinata, are from § to 6 inches in
length, and about 14 inch in diameter.
Habitat—Mount Enos (now Monte Négro) in the island of
Cephalonia, whence its specific name. Also, throughout all Greece,
on the mountains, from 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 Abies cephalonica are growing in almost every
part of Great Britain, proving that it is quite hardy, and that it
flourishes in a great variety of soils. It is best planted in a rather
exposed situation to prevent starting into growth too early in spring,
as the young shoots are frequently injured by late frosts, which prove
destructive to so many fine Abies. To secure fine specimens, a space
having a radius of not less than from 25 to 30 feet should be 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. The 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 distichously arranged in double rows, those in the
lower row being the longest, or about 24 inches long, those above
of variable length, but generally about one-fourth shorter than those
below; they are narrow, plunt, or emarginate at the apex, with a
single line 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 24 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
8,000 to 7,000 feet. It is also spread over parts of New Mexico,
* Parlatore in Prod., xvi., p. 422.
94 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
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 Jeffrey,* both of whom sent it home
under the name of Abies grandis.
Abies concolor is the most widely distributed of all the North
American Silver Firs. Spreading over so extensive an area as that
briefly sketched above, and under 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,
&c., and thus the tree received different names according as it was
introduced from different localities. The long-leaved 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. grandis,
but the seedling plants showing a marked difference from the A. grandis
of Douglas, we distributed them under the name of A. lasiocarpa, 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 by Fendler in New Mexico in 1847. It is now known
that the tree in question is not the original A. Jlasiocarpa of Sir
William Hooker,t and, therefore, cannot properly retain that name; and
the extreme desirableness of freeing the nomenclature of this beautiful
tree from the confusion in which it has become involved, will be best
effected by adopting the botanical name to which all the varieties are
now by the best authorities referred.
The forms known under the names of lastocarpa (Hort. Veitch), with
which Lowiana. (Gordon) is synonymous, and Parsonsti (Hort. Barron),
were introduced from North California and Oregon. The concolor of
gardens, as distinguished from these, is from Colorado and in its young.
state may be recognised by the following characters:—Leaves with both
surfaces quite flat, but on the under side the middle nerve may be
distinctly traced; they are somewhat shorter and more pointed than
in the Californian and Oregon varieties, much closer together, the
distichous arrangement much less marked, and they are of a paler
green.t 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. McNab).
' + See Revision of the Species of Abies, by Dr. McNab, in the Transactions of the Irish
Academy, ii, p. 682; and Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, by Dr,
Engelmann, reprinted in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1878, vol. ix., p. 300. TENS
¢ Another variety is cultivated under the name of Abies concolor violacea,
ABIES CONCOLOR, A. FIRMA. 95
That the concolor of Colorado cannot be specifically separated from
the Californian Lowiuna, &e., seems
to be now conclusively established,
but 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 been more
completely explored, it is not im-
probable that other forms may be
met with.
Frequent importations of seed
from California and other localities
have caused Abies concolor 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
lawn 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 are
very glaucous, so that both sides
are nearly alike in colour.
Abies. firma (hitherto distributed
under the name of A. bifida), 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
Fig. 16.—Cone of Abies firma, from the lowlands branches are horizontal, robust, and
Rep epeh cenar ee covered with light brown bark,
slightly furrowed by the decurrent pulvini or cushions, from which the
96 A- MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
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 length, 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, terminating in
a sharp point, and with the free edge notched or crenulate.
Habitat.—Japan, throughout the whole extent.
Introduced in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.
Abies firma is the common Silver Fir of Japan; it is met with
everywhere throughout the country, 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. firma 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 for
the lawn and the park.
The specific name jivma refers to the texture of the leaves (coriaecco-
Jirmis, Sieb. et Zuc., Fl. Jap, ii, p. 15).
Abies Fraseri closely resembles A. balsamea, 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 80 to -
40 feet high, but frequently much less, with branches somewhat more
slender, and leaves smaller than those of A. balsamea. 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. Fraser, a Nurseryman of London,
after whom it is named,
So Any
Sor Ee ‘| yy
RP AAMT |
S>
pease
5K
cS)
‘i
SOS.
=
Ah
\\
aN
as
Sp
=a
aN
\ \
\3
;
as\h
=i
a, Tap
SSSI
eA
giatp uty,
‘
Various forms of foliage of Abies firma.
Figs. 17, 18, 19 are from the lowlands, and Figs. 20, 21, 22 from the highlands of Nippon.
and Figs. 19 and 22 from fertile branches. All natural size.
Figs.
17 and 20 are from sterile,
AG
BY Lf oo ND
A x
eo :
/ AN
Zee
ABIES FRASERI, A. GRANDIS. 97
Dr. Engelmann remarks, that “A. Fraserti is probably the most local
species in the United States, being confined to the tops of the highest
mountains of North Carolina, which have an altitude of 6,000 feet,
and the tops of which it covers together with A. nigra. It is a small
tree, probably never more than sixty to seventy-five years old. Forms
of A. balsamec in the mountains of Pennyslvania, Vermont, and other
northern regions, seem to have been mistaken for this species, and are
in cultivation in European gardens under the name of A. Fraserti.”
Abies grandis.—A majestic tree, often towering to a height of
200 feet, and even more, in the rich alluvial valleys of the Columbia
Fig. 23.—Foliage of Abies grandis rom a sterile branch. Natural size.
and Fraser Rivers; it is also a graceful tree, the branches being
somewhat more slender and less thickly set than in many of the
H
98 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
Silver Firs, and thence the 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 emarginate 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 River.
Introduced in 1831 by David
Douglas.
Abies grandis takes the first
rank in size among the gigantic
Firs of north-western America.
At McCumbers, and at an ele-
vation of 4,000 feet, it forms a
conspicuous element in the mag-
nificent forest composed of this
Fir, the Sugar Pine (Pinus
Lambertiana) and P. ponderosa.
The measure of several taken in
. this locality, gives the circum-
Fig. 24.—Cone Bf 20s grandis aeiheet By Walla ference 21 feet, at 3 feet from
the ground, with an _ estimated
height of 150 feet. In ‘open places, the trunk is furnished with
branches almost from the ground; they are spreading, and give the
* Gordon, Pinetwm, p. 217. This description is only applicable to the leaves of specimens
growing in Great Britain, of which the branches may be presumed to be sterile. It is
most probable that, on fertile branches, they will be found somewhat different, and the
formal double-rowed arrangement modified,
ABIES GRANDIS, A. MAGNIFICA, 99
tree an extremely elegant feathered appearance, with but little of the
formal conical outline common to most of the Silver Firs. In the
dense forests of the Lower Columbia, it is much more slender, and
the branches are confined to the top. The trunk is straight, smooth,
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” (Abies Douglasti.)*
Abies grandis has proved ‘to be perfectly hardy in Great Britain. It
is a beautiful and distinct tree, but it is by no means gencrally
distributed over Great Britain, as seedling plants have been till quite
recently very scarce. Mr. William Lobb, writing from Oregon to
Mr. James Veitch, in October, 1852, says: “The cones of A. grandis
are very difficult.to procure; like most of the tribe, they are produced
about the tops, and the trees are so lofty and large that it is almost
impossible to climb them. The scales of the cones, too, are deciduous,
- and by felling the trees the cones fall to pieces, and the secds are
lost.”
The specific name grandis, ‘‘tall,” refers to the lofty habit of the tree,
Abies magnifica—A tall stately tree, attaining a height of
upwards of 200 feet, with the diameter of its trunk near the ground
from 5 to 8 feet, and often 10, on the Californian Sierras. As
seen 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 24 to 38 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 magnifica is quite hardy, and rarely suffers from late
spring frosts, as is the case with many fine Abies that start into
* Dr. Newberry, Pacific Railway Report,
100 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
growth carly in the season. The intervals between the whorls” of
branches indicate a more moderate annual growth than some of the
Californian Abies, but this does not diminish its
value as a handsome and distinct ornamental tree
for the lawn and park. A. magnifica is often
confounded with A. nobilis, to which, in its young
state, it bears a strong resemblance. Mr. Syme,
in the Gardeners’ Chronicle for 1875, p. 753, points
f out that the two may be easily distinguished by
ig. 25.—Transverse sec- ynaking a transverse section of their leaves, when
tas, wed 1) ds ace the leaf of A. magnifica will be found to be
Fee meters . omewhat tetragonal, and that of A, nobilis
channelled on the upper side.
The specific name, magnifica, ‘ magnificent,” “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 tobe 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 14 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 been named by Dr. Masters (Gardeners’ Chronicle,
vol. 12, p. 788).
This fine Abies will prove an important addition to our park and
Fertile Dranchlet and cone of Alves nobilis. Natural size. Grown at Dicton.
ABIES NOBILIS. 101
landscape trees, and will probably be found not unworthy of a
place among the more select ornamental trees for the lawn. Young
imported plants growing in our Nursery, at Coombe Wood, show
characters perfectly distinct from every other Fir in cultivation 3
and the hardiness of the species has been assured by the young
plants having withstood the severe winter of 1879—80 uninjured.
Abies nobilis is one of the grandest of the Silver Firs. When
standing alone, towering to a height of from 200 to 300 feet,
with a trunk perfectly erect, and furnished with branches from
bottom to top, it presents an aspect so striking, that its discoverer,
David Douglas, who spent three weeks in a forest composed of
it, “day by day could not cease to admire it.’ Its outline is
regular without being formal; it is dense with branchlets and
foliage without being sombre, and dark without being gloomy.
The branches are regularly whorled and spreading, the lower ones
decumbent by the weight of their appendages. The foliage is
a deep glaucous green, but when young of a delicate pea green,
that affords a striking contrast to the deeper colour of the
mature leaves. The leaves are very numerous, crowded above,
two-rowed below, of different lengths, the longest about an inch
and a quarter in length, rigid, curved upwards, obtuse at the apex,
with a shallow sunk line along the middle of the upper surface,
and with two glaucous bands beneath. The cones, which are
remarkably handsome (See engraving), are cylindrical, obtuse both
at base and apex, about 6 inches long, and from 2 to 2% inches
in diameter; they are well distinguished by the projecting bracts
which are bent backwards, and have jagged edges with a rather
broad point or tail in the middle,
Habitat.—Principally in the neighbourhood of the Columbia River
in Oregon, and southwards as far as the Shasta Mountains in
California.
Introduced in 1881 by the Horticultural Society of London,
through their collector, David Douglas.
Abies nobilis is universally allowed to be one of the greatest of
Douglas’ discoveries and introductions. Besides its noble aspect, and
the distinct colour of its foliage, it possesses qualities that render it
especially valuable in ornamental planting, for which alone it should
be employed in Britain, although its timber is useful in its native
102 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
country. It is perfectly hardy, 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. nobilis are very abundant. The bark
of the trunk is generally swollen with numerous blisters 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, from 5 to 6 inches long, and from
24 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.
* Carriére, Traité, p. 277.
ABIES NUMIDICA, A. PECTINATA. 103
Abies Numidica.—A medium-sized tree, attaining a height of
from 45 to 60 feet, with a trunk about 15 inches in diameter, well
furnished with numerous much ramified branches, forming a compact
and regular conical pyramid. The branches are spreading or sub-
erect, the older ones relatively slender, slightly deflexed, and clothed
with shorter leaves. The leaves are from half 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 solitary, cylindrical, from 5 to 8 inches long, and 1%
to 24 inches in diameter, and composed of reniform greyish brown
scales enclosing a scarious bract.*
Habitat—Kabylia in Algiers, near the summit, and on the northern
aspect of Mount Tababor at an elevation of from 4,000 to 6,000 fest
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 slightest 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
14 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.
Habitat—Chiefly the mountain districts of central and southern
* Abridged from Carriére, Traité, p. 305.
104 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Europe, as far westward as the Pyrenees, and extending eastward to
the Transylvanian Alps and the Carpathians. Its northern limit is
about lat. 50°, beyond which, it is found only in cultivation.
Introduced into England in the sixteenth century, the precise date
not known.*
Many varieties of the common Silver Fir have been from time to
time brought under the notice of Horticulturists, some of them showing
very yemarkable deviations from the usual type. They have been
named respectively, columnaris, fastigiata, macrophylla, nana, pendula,
pyramidalis, tortuosa, &c., names sufficiently indicative of the character
of the varieties to which they have been given. These varieties are
all, or nearly all of French or German origin; few 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 mountain sides of central and southern Europe, whence
it has spread under cultivation into all the neighbouring countries.
Its growth during the first few 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 will increase from 2 to 3 feet annually.t The height attained
by the tree in its maturity varies much according to soil and situation,
often reaching 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 have a rather sheltered situation.
The timber afforded by Abies pectinata is inferior to that of the
Spruce Fir; the wood is elastic, but the grain of it irregular; it is
soft and porous, shrinks considerably in drying, and soon decays on
exposure. In the mountain districts, where 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. pectinata. In England the Silver Fir is frequently
planted for purposes of utility, no less than for ormament. “No Fir
is more useful, either for mixed plantations, groups, beds, or specimen
park trees; and for game preserves, thickets, or shelter clumps, few
hee is described by Gerard, in his Historie of Plants, 1597, under the name of the Pitch
t Loudon, Ard. cf Frut., p. 2831,
ABIES PINSAPO 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 home.”*
The specific name, pectinata, from pectinare, and this again from
pecten, a comb, refers to the comb-like arrangement of the leaves. A.
pectinata is the édarf (elaté) of the Greeks; the Abies of Pliny; the
Sapin des Vosges, or Sapin de Normandie of the French; the Gemeine
Weisstanne and Silbertanne of the Germans ; the Abeto bianco and
Abeto nostrale ‘of the Italians.
Abies Pinsapo.—A large tree of from 60 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 frondose like those of the common species (A. pectinata),
but the branchlets are generally whorled, 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 44 to 5% inches long,
and with a diameter of little less than half the length.
Habitat—The mountains in the middle and south of Spain;
abundant on the Sierra Nevada at elevations of from 4,000 to
6,000 feet, forming large forests.
Introduced into England in 1839.
Abies Pinsapo Hamondii.—A remarkable deviation from the
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.
Abies Pinsapo is quite hardy, and thrives in almost any soil
* Pinacew, by Senilis, p. 42.
106 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFHRA.
not too wet and cold; it is especially suitable for chalk land where
it makes a fine landscape tree, and is the best of the Abies for the
lawn. In such situations it should be preferred to A. cephalonica, to
which it has some resemblance. A space having a radius of not less
than 20 fect should be allowed for it.
Pinsapo, the Spanish name of this Fir. The word is compounded
of pino and sapino, which appear to be applied indiscriminately to the
Pine and Fir.
Abies sachalinensis.—A tall pyramidal tree with robust branches
more or less pointing upwards, and covered with light cinereous
brown bark, furrowed by the decurrent bases of the leaves. The
Fig. 26.—Fertile branchlet of Abies sachalinensis, Natural size. From the Gardeners’ Chronicle.
leaves are close set, spirally arranged round the stem; linear,
faleate, 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
horizontal semi-lunate scales, disposed in a very distinct spiral round
the axis, each scale enclosing a membraneous wedge-shaped bract,
with a protruding edge turned back over the scale.
Habitat—Northern Japan and Saghalien.
Introduced by us in 1879, through our collector, Mr. Maries.
Abies sachalinensis is a very handsome Silver Fir with small narrow
leaves and small cones, forming, with A. Vevtehii, 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, who 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 Abies 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
distichous manner, those on the upper side much shorter, appressed,
108 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
and pointing forwards; they are variable in length, from half 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 2} to 24 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 he named
after Mr. J. G. Veitch, by whom it was
discovered in 1860, has long been a
desideratum which we have now the
satisfaction of supplying, through the energy
and perseverance of our collector, Mr.
Maries. Although closely allied to Abies
sachalinensts, described above, so much 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. Veitchid is essen-
tially an alpine tree, being rarely met with
in 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. sachalinensis is a
lowland tree, growing in the plains of
Saghalien, and on the south-east coast of
Pig. 28. —Cone of Atice Veitch from = “Yeaso. It is a. laxger tree than. A. Vettehid,
having longer branches, so that its pyra-
midal outline appears much broader at the base; the leaves, too, are
longer, and the cones are easily distinguished from those of A. Vevtchdi
by the more regularly arranged scales, and by the protruding reflexed
bracts.
Young plants of Abies Vettchit have withstood the severe winter of
1879-80 uninjured, and the hardiness ofthe species is thence assured,
Fertile branchlet and cone of Abies Webbiana. Natural size, Grown at Dicton,
Fertile branchlet and cq
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 hitherto cultivated in British and Continental gardens
under the name of Abies Veitchii is quite a different tree from that
described above.* We -cannot but deeply regret this error in nomen-
clature on account of the additional confusion thereby introduced into
the synonymy of the Japanese Conifere. The plants of A. brachyphylla
distributed by us as A. Vettchii, were raised from seed received under
the 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 two 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 I inch; above they are deep glossy
green, 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 24 in diameter, “of an
intense purple, full of resin, which exudes in numerous transparent
globules, yielding by expression a purple pigment.” +
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. {
Abies Webbiana forms forests of considerable extent on the slopes of
the Himalayas at the altitude above-mentioned, where, ‘‘ notwithstanding
the whiteness of the under surface of its leaves, the general effect is
exceedingly dark and gloomy.” It attains a large size, from 70 to 90
* Sce Dr. Master’s paper, on Abies Veitchii, Gardeners’ Chronicle, vol. xiii., p. 275.
+ Toudon, Ard. et Frut., p. 2341.
+ Seeds had been repeatedly sent to England by Dr. Wallich to Mr. Lambert and
others, but none appear to have vegetated till the date above given, when some plants were
raised in the Fulham Nursery.—Loudon, Ard, ef Frut., p. 2841.
110
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
feet in height 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
unbranched for 40 feet.
The economic value of Abies Webbiana to the inhabitants of the Hima-
layas is considerable—“the wood splits well, is white, soft, and highly
prized for durability ; it is, however, loose in grain compared with that
of its European allies. A beautiful violet dye is extracted from the
young cones.” A. Webbiana is considered tender in many parts of
England ; it begins to grow early in spring, and this early growth is
often cut off by frosts later in the season; but if young plants are
protected by a slight covering at the time these frosts occur—and so
small an amount of trouble 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
Bhotan, at elevations of from 9,000 to 12,000 feet. It is like A.
Webbiana in some respects, but may be 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. Royle, but it has generally failed in this country, except in
-TSUGH, THE HEMLOCK FIRS. 111
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 parts 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 religiosa by its discoverer, Humboldt, on account of its
extensive use in the decoration of churches on particular occasions.
A. religiosa resembles A. bracteata in its tapering habit and massive
foliage, but the leaves are shorter, thinner, and lighter in colour. It
was introduced by Hartweg in 1838, but has proved too tender for the
climate of Great Britain.
Abies sibirica.—A medium-sized tree, with the habit and general
appearance of A. pectinata, but “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 growth
early in the season.
Abies subalpina, according to Dr. Engelmann, is closely allied to
A. balsamea, of which it may be considered the western representative.
It extends from the higher mountains of Colorado northwards to Oregon
and into British Columbia, always scattered, and never alone forming
a forest. It is a larger tree than A. balsamea, attaining a height of
from 60 to 100 feet, with a diameter of 2 fect; the leaves are like
those of A. balsamea; the timber is poor and soft. Seeds have been
introduced under the name of A. grandis, and it is probably in culti-
vation under that name. It has also been recently introduced under
Dr. Engelmann’s name. Its merits as a decorative tree have yet to
be proved.
Section III.—Tsvuaxz. The Hemlock Firs.
The Hemlock Firs include five or six species cultivated in this
country solely for ornamental purposes. They are trees of graceful
habit, having slender flexible branchlets, 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 CONIFERA.
rowed, with very short foot-stalks, obtuse at the apex, and
marked with two glaucous lines on the under surface; and—
By their cones, which are 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 Tsuge 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 Himalayan kind is soft and loose; the timber of the Canadian
or common Hemlock Fir is found to decay rapidly when exposed to
the atmosphere; it is also coarse grained and poor; but that of the
Californian species is said to be fine grained, strong, and durable.
The bark of the Canadian Hemlock Fir is valuable for tanning, but
it is inferior to that of the Oak; it imparts a reddish tinge to the
leather tanned with it.
Screntiric Name. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. Heahe
Feet
ABIES ALBERTIANA | Pinus Mertensiana Prince Albert’s | British Columbia 100 to 120
(Murray) (Parlatore) Fir and Oregon
Abies Mertensiana
(Bongard)
x, Bridgesti
(Kellog)
Tsuga Mertensiana
(Carriére)
BRUNONIANA Pinus dumosa (Don.)| The Indian Nepaul &Sikkim} 60—100
(Lindley)| Abies dumosa (Loudon) Hemlock Fir
Tsuga Briunoniana
(Carriére)
CANADENSIS Pinus canadensis The Hemlock | Canada and ad-| 45— 60
(Michaux) ; (Linneus) Spruce| joining States
2» americana
(Du Roi)
Tsuga canadensis
(Carriére)
», parvifolia| Abces canadensis gracilis| The small-leaved| Garden variety...
(Hort.) (Waterer)| Hemlock Spruce
HooKERIANA Tsuga Hookeriana Mount Baker, 60— 80
(Carriére) Washington
» Pattoniana Territory
(Engelmann)
.TSUGH, THE HEMLOCK FIRS, 118
Scrzntiric Name. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. ee
Feet
ABIES Patrontana | Pinus Pattoniana Mr. Patton’s Fir | California and 80—150
(Balfour) (Parlatore) Oregon
Abies Williamsonti
(Newberry)
», Hanburyana
(Hort.)
», Hookeriana 2
(Murray) i
TSUGA (Siebold) Pinus tsuga (Endlicher), The Japanese Japan .., | 25— 30
: | Tsuga Sieboldi (Carriere) Hemlock Fir
» nana » «nana The dwarf Sys: Saute wi 5— 10
(Siebold)' (Carriére)} Japanese Hem-
lock Fir
Sub-Section.— PsEubo-TsuGa.
ABIES Dovetasir Pinus Dougiasti The Douglas Fir | British Columbia|200 to 300
(Lindley) : (Lambert) Oregon, Cali-
1, taxtfolia fornia
(Lambert)
Pseudo-tsuga Douglasii
(Carritre)
»» pendula aa Garden variety...
(Hort.)
», Standishii] Fseudo-tsuga Douglasit | Standish’s oii ‘4
(Gordon), fastigiata (Carriére) Douglas Fir
» taxifolia) Abics Lindleyana The Yew-leaved | South California] 80—100
(Loudon) (Roezl) Douglas Fir and Mexico
x» Drummondi
(Hort.)
Pseudo-tsuga Douglasti
tuxifolia (Carritre)
ForrTvner Abies Jezoensis(Lindley) Fortune’s Fir .,,| South Eastern 40— 60
(Lindley) Pinus Fortunet China
(Parlatore)
Keteleeria Fortunet
(Carritre)
Abies Albertiana.—A tall graceful tree, with long flexible branches
and pendulous branchlets, clothed with foliage so closely resembling
that of the common Hemlock Spruce, as to be scarcely distinguishable
from it. A. Albertiana may, however, be known by its more
I
114 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE,
robust and rapid growth, 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. ‘Vhe Pacific coast region, from Mendocino
to Alaska.
Introduced in 1851 by the Oregon Association of Edinburgh,”
through their collector, John Jeffrey, 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 noblemen and gentlemen, chiefly S i
; é y Scotch, formed in 1850 f
purpose of promoting the Botanical exploration of north-west America, and the one
Sa into Great Britain of plants and trees, especially Conifere, indigenous to that
ABIES CANADENSIS, A. HOOKERIANA,. 115
which are smaller than those of any other Fir, have greyish brown
broadly wedge-shaped scales, and are produced at the extremities
of the branchlets.
Habitat—North America, eastern portion, from about latitude
85° 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 Alleghany Mountains at its
southern limit.
Introduced into England by Peter Collinson, about the year
1736.
Abies 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 ;
they are also of a deeper green above, and show but faint traces
of glaucous lines beneath.
The common Hemlock Spruce, although one of the hardiest of trees,
rarely assumes in this country the elegant form and habit usual to it
when standing singly in its native country. Its trunk frequently
becomes 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 for ornamental
purposes. It appears to thrive best in elevated airy situations, and
in such places good specimens may occasionally be seen, notably at
Norbury Park, near Dorking, the residence of T. D. Grisell, Esq.,
where are some of the finest trees of Abies canadensis in Britain, For
landscape and ornamental planting its near ally, A. Albertianu, should
always be preferred to it.
Abies Hookeriana.—The late Mr. Andrew Murray 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 silvery beneath, except when young and fresh; closely
but irregularly set along the young branches, chiefly on the upper
side, except at the extremity of the shoot, where they surround
the whole twig. Cones ovoido-cylindrical, from 14 to 2 inches
* Lawson’s Pinetwm Britannicwm, part iv,
116 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
long, 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, and the Sierra Nevada, at altitudes
of from 4,500 to 6,000 feet.
Introduced in 1854, by Mr. William Murray, and named in
compliment to the late Sir William Jackson Hooker.
Abies Pattoniana, as described by Dr. Engelmann,* 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. 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 long.”
Fig. 30.—Foliage of Abies Pattoniana. Natural size,
* Gardeners’ Chronicle, vol. xii., p. 756,
ABIES PATTONIANA, 117
Hlabitat—The higher regions of the Sierra Nevada at 8,000 to
10,000 feet altitude. From Ebbett’s Pass northwards through the
Cascade Mountains to British Columbia. :
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.
By Parlatore and Dr. Egelmann, this and the preceding are both
referred to and described as one species, viz., Pattoniana. Carriere
includes both in his description of Hookeriana. Botanically, then,
the two trees are considered to be but one species; but as there
are two horticulturally distinct forms in cultivation, for which dis-
tinguishing names are necessary, we have retained both the names
AIRS AS
H
Fig. 32.—Foliage of Abies Hookeriana of gardens. Natural size,
in question. There appears to us to be no doubt that Murray's Abies
Hookeriana must sink to a synonym of A. Pattoniana, and that many
of the plants in cultivation under the name of A. Hookeriana are not
the A. Hookeriuna of Murray, but another form more distinct from
118 : A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
A. Pattoniana than that described by him, and which probably is
Jeffrey’s first discovery of this Hemlock Fir on Mount Baker, near
the’ British line, in latitude 49° N. The A. Hookeriana of gardens
has its branchlets shorter and more crowded, and its leaves smaller
and more closély set than those of A. Pattoniana 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 brighter and more cheerful colour. It also differs from it in “the
= <3
SS:
asta 1 Mal
Fig. 33.—Foliage of Abies tsuga. Natural size. Fig. 34.—Cone of Abies teuga.
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 8,000 to
6,000 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, Murray, Pines and Firs of Japan, p. 88:
ABIES BRUNONIANA, A. DOUGLASII. 119
Alves tsuga is quite hardy in England. It is a beautiful tree for
small lawns, where the larger Conifer would be inappropriate. Tsuga
is the Japanese name of the tree,
Abies Brunoniana.—The Himalayan Hemlock Fir is “a beautiful
species, which forms a stately blunt pyramid, with branches spreading
like the Cedar but not stiff, and drooping gracefully on all sides. It
is unknown on the outer ranges of Sikkim, but in the interior it
occupies a belt about 1,000 feet lower than the Silver Fir, A. Web-
biana. It here attains a height of 120 feet, with a girth of 20 feet.*
A. Brunonianu has longer leaves than any of the Hemlock Firs; they
are disposed in irregular double lateral rows, those in the lower row
being about an inch long, those above 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 foliage is confined to
a tuft at the top of the tree, the trunk forming a cylindrical
column as straight as an arrow, and almost without branches for
200 feet.’+ 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.
Douglasit 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
elongated 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 Journals, vol. i., p. 209.
+ Dr. Newberry, Pacific Railway Report, p. 55. A horizontal section of the trunk of a
Douglas Fir 6 feet in diameter was exhibitetl in the British Columbian Court of the London
International Exhibition of 1862. The height of the tree from which it was taken was
809 feet, and its age, according to the tings, 354 years.
120 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
on the older branchlets, but on the younger ones they are also
The cones are pendulous,
from 2 to 8 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 Real
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. 35.—Abies Douglasii. Shasta Mountains
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 382° 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. 121
The parent plant growing at Woolverston~ Park, near Ipswich, the
seat of John Berners, Esq., is an exceedingly picturesque tree, upwards
of 50 feet high; the diameter of the spread of its branches, near the
ground, is only 10 feet, or about one-fourth of that of trees of the
usual habit of the same height.
Abies Douglasii Standishii—A remarkable variety, raised from
English saved seed gathered from a Douglas Fir growing in close
proximity to some large Silver Firs. It has 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 Nursery of the late Mr. Standish 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 A. 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.
Abies Douglasit is one of the most important of Coniferous trees as
regards its economic propertics, but, owing to the remoteness of the
forests in which it abounds, its value cannot yet be said to have been
much developed beyond the limits of its habitat. ‘The timber is heavy,
firm, and of as deep a colour as the Yew, with very few knots, and
not in the least liable to warp.* It is clean grained, strong, elastic,
and acquires large dimensions in unequal climates ;+ it is very resinous,
and forms excellent firewood even when green; in dead trees, the
bark and wood are often so full of resin as to burn like a torch,
and from its combustability extensive tracts of forest get burnt every
year.{ The amount of timber on one acre in the forest of Douglas Fir
near the mouth of the Willamette, very much exceeds that of a
similar area in ‘the tropics. Were it not that vegetable tissues will
burn readily, the immense mass of it that encwmbers the surface of an
ordinary farm 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 years
past, an opportunity of forming an idea of the stupendous dimensions
attained by this tree. In the Royal Gardens at Kew is erected a
flagstaff of Douglas Fir, brought from Vancouver's Island. It consists of
* Dt. Lindley in English Cyclopedia, p. 12.
+ Idem, in Gardener's’ Chronicle, 1862, p. 451.
t+ Lawson’s Pinetwm Britannicum, A. Douglasit, p. 3.
§ Dr. Newberry; Pacific Railway Report, p. 55.
122
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
a single piece 159 feet in length, 22 inches in diameter at the base, taper-
ing to 8 inches at the summit; its weight is three tons, and it contains
157 cubic feet of timber. The tree from which this flagstaff was made,
was two hundred 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 wet 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 was about 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. When planted
for ornamental purposes, the Douglas Fir should have a clear space
with 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 Red Fir by the settlers in British Columbia and Oregon.
Our article on the Douglas Fir would be incomplete without some
further notice of him whose name it bears. It has been said that
“there is scarcely a spot deserving 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 abundant evidence that the above quotation contains very much,
if not the whole truth, and that to no single individual is modern
‘horticulture more indebted than to David Douglas. His untimely end,
the unfortunate circumstances that prevented the publication of his
journals, together with the length of time that has elapsed since the
introduction to gardens of his finest discoveries, have all tended to dim
the memory of his great achievements. The noble Fir that properly bears
his name will, 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.
Davi Doveias was born at Scone, near Perth, in 1799, where
his father was a working mason. He received a plain education at
* Gardeners’ Chronicle, May 11th, 1861.
DAVID DOUGLAS. 123
the parish school, and at an early age showed a strong inclination for
gardening, which led to his being apprenticed in the gardens of the
Earl of Mansfield, at Scone Palace, for a term of seven years. David
was fond of books and the study of plants, and during this period
he made himself well acquainted with the native and exotic plants
within his reach, and acquired an elementary knowledge of Botany.
He greatly improved and extended this knowledge during the two
years he served with Sir Robert Preston, of Valleyfield, where he
went to live after the completion of his apprenticeship. The garden
at Valleyfield was, at that time, celebrated for its choice collection of
exotic plants. Douglas was treated with great kindness by Mr. Stewart,
the head gardener, who procured for him access to the Botanical
Library of Sir Robert. In 1820, he removed to Glasgow, where he
was employed in the Botanic Garden of the University. Here he
greatly enlarged his knowledge of Botany, and attracted by his intel-
ligence the notice of Dr. (afterwards Sir W. J.) Hooker, at that
time Professor of Botany in Glasgow University, and who made him
his companion in his hotanical excursions to the Highlands and other
parts of Scotland for the purpose of collecting materials for his Flora
Scotica. 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 of 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. Robert Fortune under more auspicious circumstances, 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
procuring several 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 productions 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 Conifere covering the coast range had been obtained by
Archibald Menzies a quarter of a century previous, when accompanying
Vancouver on his interesting voyage. An opportunity occurred through
the agency of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and he landed at Fort
Vancouver, on the banks of the Columbia River, for the first time
in April, 1825. From that time till his retwm to England in 1827,
he sent home many beautiful plants, with seeds and dried specimens.
Among his earliest introductions were Abies Douglasti, Pinus pon-
derosa, and P. Lambertiana, In the spring of 1827, he went from
Fort Vancouver across the Rocky Mountains to Hudson’s Bay, where
he met Captain (afterwards Sir John) Franklin, Dr. Richardson, and
Captain (afterwards Sir George) Back, returning from their second
124 A MANUAL OF THE GONIFERA.
overland Arctic Expedition. With these 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 was employed by the Colonial Office to take observations on
magnetic and atmospheric phenomena, the department supplying him
with instruments and contributing towards his expenses. He reached
the Columbia River 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 Abdes nobilis and
A. Menziesii. The next year he travelled southwards into California,
then a comparatively unknown land, where he found a rich harvest
of new plants. In 1832 he visited the Sandwich Islands, and returning
to the Columbia River in the same year, undertook an expedition to
the Fraser River, where he had a very narrow 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, which led to the resignation of Mr. Sabine,
the Secretary, with whom Douglas identified his interests. He sailed
for the Sandwich Islands, where he had remained some months,
when an accident put an end to his existence. The natives of the
Sandwich Islands were in the habit of making pits in which they
caught wild cattle. In one of his excursions, Douglas fell accidentally
into one of these pits, in which an infuriated animal was already
trapped; the animal fell upon him, and he was found, dreadfully
mangled, and quite dead, July 12th, 1834.*
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 with horizontal branches, which 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 with the foliage of a Silver Fir. The
leaves, which are not very closely approximate, are either scattered
or spirally arranged round the branchlets, somewhat sabre shaped,
about an inch in length, sharply pointed, marked with a single
middle vein and bright green above, paler beneath, with two shallow
furrows as in 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 Arb. et Frut., vol. i, p. 128,
LARIX, THE LARCH 125
concave scales that are persistent after the fall of the seed, as in
the Spruces.
Habitat—South-eastern China. Abundant on the mountains to the
north of Foo-Chow, intermixed with Pinus sinensis.
Introduced by the late Mr. Robert Fortune, in 1846.
The interest attached to Adies Fortunci is almost purely scientific. In
its native country, its aspect is peculiar rather than handsome, and it is
only this peculiarity that would make the tree acceptable for British
gardens. The few plants raised from the seed sent home by Mr. Fortune
have, however, generally failed; the only living one we know of is in
our Nursery at Coombe Wood; it is a stunted bush only a few feet high,
II.—LARIX (Tournefort) Tou Larcu.
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, while 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 timber afforded by the Larches is of excellent quality. 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
request ; the wood of the American or Black Larch is not surpassed
in strength and durability by that of any Coniferous tree growing in
the same region, and is preferred in Canada and the adjoining States
for railway sleepers, &c. Excellent charcoal is made from the wood
of the European Larch ; Venice turpentine is procured from, its resinous
_* Dr, Lindley, in English Cyclopedia, p. 12,
126
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
products, and among the Swiss and Tyrolese Alps the bark of young
Larches is used. in tanning leather.
Larix is the Latin name of the common Larch; the derivation
of the word is uncertain, but it is believed to be allied to a
Celtic word lar, fat, in allusion to its abundant secretions.
Of the seven or eight species of Larch described by Botanists, the
European is the only one planted in this country for purposes of utility,
and, with the exception of the beautiful Chinese Golden Larch, which
should have a place in every collection, it is the only one that can be
recommended for the landscape, the park, and other ornamental planting.
Sorenrtiric Name. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. ye ad
Feet,
LARIX EUROPRA Pinus lariz (Linnzus) | The European or | Central Europe&| 80-100
(De Candoile)| Abies lariz (Lindley)| common Larch | Northern Asia
GrirFiTHit Abies Grifithiana The Sikkim The Himalayas 20— 40
(Hooker jit.) (Lindley) Larch
Pinus Grifithiana
(Parlatore)
Ka@MPrEri Abies Kempferi The Chinese Northern China 80—120
(Fortune) (Lindley) Golden Larch
Pinus Kempfert
(Parlatore)
Pseudo-larix Kempfert
(Gordon)
LEPTOLEPIS Abies leptolepts The Japanese Japan ... 80— 40
(Gordon) (Siebold) Larch
Larix japonica ;
(Carriére}
Pinus leptolepis
(Endlicher)
LYALL Pinus Lyalli(Parlatore) | Dr, Lyall’s Oregon, Cascade | 40— 50
(Parlatore) Larch Mountains
MICROCARPA Lariz Americana The American or | N. America,from| 50— 70
(Forbes) (Michaux) black Larch | the Potomac to
»» pendula (Salisbury) the Hudson’s
Pinus pendula Bay
(Solander)
» microcarpa
(Lambert)
Abtes microcarpa
(Lindley)
OCCIDENTALIS Pinus Nuttalliana The Western Oregon ... 100—150
(Nuttall) (Parlatore) Larch
LARIX EUROPA, 127
Larix europea.—The common Larch is well known as a tall
slender tree, with horizontal branches and pendulous branchlets
clothed with 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 yellowish
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.” *
Habitat—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 1629, in which year it is
mentioned by Parkinson in his Parnasus.t
Larix davurica and L. Ledebouri take the place of the European Larch
in northern Asia, of which they are considered by good authorities to
be varieties {—the characters in which they differ from it being
assigned to geographical position only. They are of no value to British
arboriculture, but in the dreary inhospitable regions in which they
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
under-bark mixed with rye flour, and afterwards buried for a few
hours in the snow, the hardy Siberian hunters prepare a sort of
leaven with which they supply the place of common leaven, when the
latter is destroyed, as it frequently is, by the intense cold to which
hunters are exposed in pursuit of game.”
Larix europeu pendula is a weeping variety, originally brought from
the Tyrol. The branches, as well as the branchlets, are pendulous.
Other varieties have also been met with in cultivation. By far the
most remarkable deviation from the usual type with which we are
acquainted, 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 63 feet wide.
The common Larch has been more extensively planted in Great
Britain for purposes of utility than any other timber tree. It grows
* Dr. Lindley, in Hnglish Cyclopedia, p. 12.
+ Idem.
+ By Parlatore they are described as distinct species. De Candolle, Prod. xvi., 410,
Dr. Regel reduces Larix Ledebouri to L. ewropeea, but makes L. davurica, a species.—
Journal of Botany, iv., p. 138.
128 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
freely on steep hill sides inaccessible to the plough; it may be planted
on poor exhausted soil, where other crops would fail or prove unpro-
fitable, with the double advantage of yielding excellent timber itself
and fertilisng the land by the annual deposit of its leaves. No
tree is better adapted for covering used-up gravel pits, brick-yards, and
such like places than the Larch, and it should 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
London, in the climate of London is from 20 to 25 feet in ten
years, and it is nearly as much on the declivities of the hills in the
Highlands. In the 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.
Unfortunately, the Larch is subject to a disease called the Larch
rot, which we have already adverted to at page 31. It destroys the
heartwood and renders the tree attacked by it worthless. Thousands of
valuable trees have been lost through the disease, and whole planta-
tions swept off as by an epidemic. The nature of the Larch rot was
investigated some years ago (1859-63), by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, who
published, during that period, the results of his researches in the
Gardeners’ Chronicle, and pointed out some of the causes of the disease,
showing 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, desirons of
further information, to them,
Larix Griffithii grows to a height of 60 feet in the deep
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
Habitat—The Himalayas of eastern Nepaul, Sikkim, and Bhotan,
at from 8,000 to 12,000 feet of elevation.
Introduced in 1850,
* Arb. et Frut., p. 2354,
} Sir J. D. Hooker, Dlustrations of Himalayan Plants, xxi,
LARIX KEMPFERI. "129
Named in compliment to William Griffith, a Surgeon and Naturalist
in the service of the East India Company, and for some time Professor
of Botany in the Medical College at Madras,
Larix Keempferi 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 yellowish
green, with a soft pleasing tint, peculiarly attractive in the spring
months; 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
23 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.’”’*
Habitat——Eastern and northern China.
Introduced in 1846 by Mr. Robert Fortune.
This beautiful tree was first made known to Europeans by Engelbert
Kaempfer, a native of Detmold, in Germany (a.D. 1651—1716), the first
European naturalist who visited Japan, which he did, in 1690, in the
capacity of physician to the Dutch Embassy. He made notes of every-
thing he saw, which he afterwards published in a book called Amenz-
tates Ezxotice, in which the first mention of this tree is made.t
Nothing more was seen or heard of it till Mr. Fortune’s visit to
China, where, he informs us,{ 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
the maritime province of Che-kiang, which lies immediately south of
Shanghai. These trees are remarkably fine 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 Kempfer, in re-
* Dr. Lindley, Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1854, p. 255. ose
+ In these words, *‘ Seost vulgo Kara Maatz Nomi, Larix Conifera nucleis pyramidatis,
foliis deciduis.” The vagueness of this description has given rise to a doubt whether
Larix« Kempferi is the tree referred to, it being almost equally probable that the Japanese
species, L. leptolepis may have been the tree noticed.
t Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1855, p. 242.
K
180 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
membrance of his carly discoveries and valuable contributions to Natural
History Science.
Larix leptolepis.—A low or medium-sized tree, closely resembling
the European species, to which it is inferior, both as an ornamental
and a timber tree. It bears small rounded ovate cones from one-half
to three-fourths of an inch in diameter.
Habitat—Japan, between latitudes 35° and 40° N., especially on
the mountains of Nippon.*
Introduced in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.
The specific name refers to the scales of the cone; it is compounded
of Aerrde (leptos) thin, and Aenle (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 European species.
Habitat—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 Collinson.
Larix mnvicrocarpa is the American or Black Larch; it is called
Tamarac, or Hackmatae in Canada and the United States. It grows
in clumps in low lying ground, generally in the vicinity of lakes and
swamps.
The specific name refers to its small cones, puxpd¢ (mikros) small,
and xapmog (karpos) fruit.
Larix Lyallii—A species, is described by 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 Rocky Mountains,
on the Cascade and Galton range at an elevation of from 6,000 to
7,000 feet. 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. Newherry as “a small
* De Candolle’s Prodromus, xvi., p. 412.
THE CEDARS. 131
slender tree, with short branches and thin foliage, very unlike the
Tamarac of the eastern Statés; the leaves are long and more slender
than in any other species. It grows scattered along the banks 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. microcarpa.”"* It is a native of California and Oregon,
III.—CEDRUS (Miller). The Crpar.
Although the Cedars are among the most majestic 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 established,t Besides
their noble trunks furnished with wide spreading branches, which in
their maturity attain timber-like dimensions, and in which they differ
from every 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
are confined to three separate regions in the great mountain chains
that cross the eastern continent between latitude 28° and 35° N.,
* Pacific Railway Report, p. 60.
+ In Bentham and Hooker’s Genera Plantarum, vol, III, pars. 1, p. 439, the Cedars
are constituted a separate genus.
1382 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
with but little interruption, from 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 (CO. 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 which 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 by which the
three trees from the three distant regions above-named may be clearly
distinguished from each other. In the Natural History Review for
January, 1862, Sir Joseph Hooker, after giving a general description of
the three Cedars in their several habitats, observes—‘“ That as species
the three Cedars cannot be distinguished, 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 the structure of these, nor in their mode of
germination or duration, the girth they attain, or their hardiness. Also
that all are very variable in habit; 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 by 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 Libant and Deodara are very marked, they vary
much; many forms of each overlap; and further transition between the
most dissimilar may be established by intercalation of seeds and scales
from Cedrus atlantica.” Nevertheless, they may be regarded as three well-
marked forms which are usually very distinct, and of which each has
its own separate importance in the practical operations of planting.
Cedrus, from xédpoc (kedros), the Cedar, but often applied by the
Greeks to trees belonging to the Juniper family, probably Juniperus
phenicea and J. excelsa, just as Cedar is often applied at the present
time to the Virginian Juniper (Red Cedar), to Cupressus thyoides
(White Cedar), and by the Canadians to the common Arbor Vite
(Thuia occidentalis).
CEDRUS ATLANTICA, 183
Scrent1F1o Name, Synonyms. Popular Name, Habitat. in
CEDRUS arzAwrrca | Cedrus africana The Mount Atlas! The Atlas Moun-| 80 to 100
(Manetti) (Gordon)| or African Cedar} _ tains, Algeria
Abies atlantica
(Lindley)
Pinus atlantica
(Endlicher)
» Cedrus atlantica
(Parlatore)
DEODARA » Deodara The Indian Cedar| The Western 150—200
(Loudon) (Roxburgh)! The Deodar Himalayas
Abies Deodara (Lindley)
Cedrus indica
(De Chambray)
», argentea ‘ oes se Garden variet;
(Hort.) ue
», crassifolia| a ee
(Hort.)
», robusta | Cedrus Deodara gigantea
(Hort.) (Knight)
3» Viridis 45 3 tenuifolial ies %” ”
(Hort.) (Knight)
Lipant Larix orientalis The Cedar of Lebanon and 60— 80
(Barreliére) (Tournefort) Lebanon} Taurus in Syria
Pinus Cedrus (Linneus)
Lariz Cedrus (Miller)
Abies‘ Cedrus (Lindley)
» argentea | Cedrus Libant glauca on ” ”
(Loudon) (Parlatore)
Cedrus atlantica.—A large tree of broadly pyramidal habit, scarcely
distinguishable in 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. “The 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
124 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
Cedar from the Lebanon one, and in beds of young plants the
differences are very marked.”*
Habitat—Mount Atlas in northern Africa, at an elevation of from
5,200 to 7,200 feet, forming the prevalent arborescent vegetation
throughout the province of Constantine on the eastern Atlas range.
Introduced into Europe in 1841, and subsequently into England.
The African or Mount Atlas Cedar was first mentioned by Guiseppe
Manetti, an Italian botanist, in a Cataloeue of Plants in the Botanic
Garden at Monza, near Milan, published in 1841; the precise date of
its introduction is not known. Its growth in England is rather more
rapid than that of either Cedrus deodara or C. Libani. It is quite
hardy.
The specific name, Aéluntica, refers to its habitat (Mount Atlas),
Cedrus Deodara.—The Deodar in its native forests on the slopes
of the Himalayas, is an immense tree, often seen from 150 to 200
feet high, with a trunk from 25 to 30 feet 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 trunk, 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 develope.
Habitat—The Himalayan Mountains, in a continuous forest from
* Sir J. D. Hooker in Nadwral History Review, January, 1862.
+ Lawson’s Pinetum Britannicwm, Cedrus Deodara, p. 3. But in the Kuram district in
Afghanistan, Dr. Aitcheson remarks, that ‘‘It is curious to note that trees here all, more or
less, run to trunk, the branches scarcely afford timber at all ; and this is especially remarkable
on the Hazardaracht River, where the branches are extremely short and very small in calibre.”
==
: é Se a ae LS ee ne |
Cedrus Deodara at Dropmore, Bucks, Present height (1881) 64 feet.
Cedr T W t Q
rus deodara at Tortworth Court, Gloucestershire, Present heieht (1881) Al i
: is j
ry ‘
CEDRUS DHODARA. 135
Afghanistan to Nepaul, from longitude 68° to 85° E., at various
elevations between 6,000 and 12,000 feet.
Introduced into Great Britain, 1831, by the Hon. W. Leslie
Melville.
Varieties—Since its introduction, some varieties of the Deodar have
originated in British Nurseries, which have been named respectively :—
argentea, in which the glaucescence of the foliage is heightened to
almost silvery whiteness; crassifolia, the leaves stouter and shorter;
robusta, the branches and their appendages larger and stouter; viridis,
the foliage of a deeper green than in the ordinary type.
The introduction of the Deodar marks an epoch 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 by the readiness with which it accommodates itself to almost
all situations. No position and no variety of soil appears to come
amiss to it; on lime or sandstone, vock or clay, it grows with equal
facility,” * but in very dry shallow 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
considerably ; some specimens spread out their branches horizontally,
like the Lebanon Cedar, while in others they are comparatively short
and more or less decumbent. To secure fine lawn and park specimens
the space to be allowed for the free growth of their 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 branches not more than half of that length. The rate of growth
in Great Britain, after the plants are established, ranges from 16 to 21
inches annually.
There is a physiological circumstance common to the Cedars and
Larches, which in the Deodar especially is a most valuable provision,
viz., the fasciculation of the leaves, which is really an arrested bud,
so that when the leader or terminal branchlets have not ripened their
wood sufficiently to enable them to pass through a severe winter
without injury, or when injured by other causes, a new leader and
fresh branchlets are formed from the arrested buds in immediate
proximity to the injured 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. “Tt makes a
complete revolution in three years,, and so ascends like a screw.”
* Earl Ducie in Trans. Scotch Arb. Soc., 1874. + Lawson’s Pinetum Britannicum:
136
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
The strength and durability of the timber of the Deodar has been
already adverted to.* In addition to these qualities, the grain is fine,
and bears a high polish; the wood is also delightfully fragrant, and
free from the attacks of insects. So highly is Deodar timber prized
by the inhabitants of the Himalayas, that “although having within
their reach every variety of tree and its timber, 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
wooden bridges, formed of Deodar timbers overlapping each other,
until they meet in the centre, the other ends being steadied by
being sunk into the bank, and kept down by a great weight. In
Cashmere, the Deodar is also employed for making the piers of the
bridges on which the arches rest, as well as for building houses and
mosques.” t
The excellence of Deodar timber is proved beyond all doubt; 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 be determined by time, and
as yet, no trees of sufficient age and size exist in this country 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 under climatal conditions very different from
what they are on the Himalayas, where “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,”t 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 climate, it cannot
be safely inferred that the timber of the trees growing in this country
will equal that of the native forests. :
The specific name Deodara or Devadara, is a native word indicative
of the connection of the tree with sacred objects and worship. It is
said to be derived from two Sanscrit words: deva, a deity, and dara,
wood.
* See page 17.
t Report of Dr. Royle to Her Majesty’s Commissiotiers of Wotks:
f Dr. Royle; idem.
it
i
I
—— Goodwood Park.
Gedae of Lebanon
Present height (1881) about 65 feet; length of principal branches from 40 to 50 feet.
Planted in 1761.
CEDRUS LIBANI. 187
Cedrus Libani—The Cedar of Lebanon has 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 green 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 1 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.
Habitat.—The mountains of Syria and Asia Minor, especially Lebanon
and that portion of the Tauric range which extends through Cilicia.*
Also in the island of Cyprus on the mountain near Khrysokus. +
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 Robert Hanbury, Esq., long
known as a liberal patron of horticulture. The foliage of these trees
is of silvery whiteness, and presents a striking contrast to the green
of the surrounding trees.
The date of the introduction of the Cedar of Lebanon into England
cannot be fixed with certainty; it is not mentioned in Evelyn’s Silva,
written in 1664, but there is evidence to show that its introdtction
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 presertim cilicio sylvas vastas construens.—Prod., xvi., p. 408.
+ The discovery of the Cedar in Cyprus is quite recent. It appears to be confined to
one spot, and to differ from the known form in having shorter leaves and smaller cones.—
See paper by Sir J. D, Hooker in the Jowrnal of the Linnewmn Society, vol. xviii., p. 517:
138
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
have been planted in 1676. There are many other old trees in England
and among them, some of the finest in Europe.*
The economic value of the 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 by no means durable.”t There are, however,
grounds for believing that the Cedars growing under very different
circumstances 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, R.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)
was procured, which gave a totally different idea of the hardness of
Cedar-wood from what English specimens do.” t
The secretions of the Cedar of Lebanon are not abundant, but they
appear to possess very remarkable properties, some of which were
known in very ancient times; the Egyptians are said to have used its
whitish resin in embalming their dead; and Pliny states that books
were sometimes perfumed with it.§ The most recent notice of these
properties appears in Mr, Smee’s entertaining book, My Garden, p. 429:
“The wood of the Cedar contains a volatile essential oil, which has
the 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. Inquiry 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 bought, and thus the mystery was solved.”
The specific name Libant refers to the ancient mountain with which
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 world.
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 grove, whose extent can
* The Cedars at Syon House, Warwick Castle, Linton Park, Chiswick, Goodwood Pak,
Gunnersbury, Blenheim, &c.
+ Loudon, 4rd. ct Prut., p. 2417.
t Gardeners’ Chronicle, p. 67, 1862.
§ Resinam albldam olim sub Cedrite nomine ad libros cedratos et ut videtur, ad cadavera
antiquorum Agiptiorum preservanda usitatissimam scatens,—Prod., xvi... 408. Libri vedtati
oceurs in Pliny, 13—27, but the reading is disputed, ; or, ‘
CEDRUS LIBAN. 139
be traversed in a few hours, and every individual Cedar within it
measured and its position mapped down. The information given in
these reports further leads to the conclusion 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 History Review, for
January, 1862, we obtain the following very interesting particulars :—
“The Cedars are confined to one spot at the head of the Kedisha
Valley ; 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 15 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 group, about 400 yards in diameter, with
an outstanding 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 Rose 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; but the most remarkable and significant 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), presents 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; while 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 which it had lately spread. There were only fifteen trees above
15 feet in girth, and these all occurred in two of the nine clumps,
which two contained one hundred and eighty trees. Only two others
exceeded 12 feet in girth, and these were found in immediately
adjoining clumps, one on one side and one on the other of the above
140 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
mentioned. There were five clumps, containing one hundred and sixty-
six trees, none of which were above 12 feet in 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, by Captain Oliver, late Royal Artillery, from
whose narrative, published in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, for August,
1879, we extract the following paragraph :—“ There are exactly three
hundred and eighty-five trees, large and small, but the smallest must
be at least from fifty to eighty years old, and no younger trees are
springing up. At this time of the year innumerable seeds, which 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 would
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 allowing a relic of the past to die out prematurely.”
IV—PINUS (Ltnneus), Tae Pre.
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 thei seed, which, in most species, is ripened in the second
season. Hach scale produces two seeds, which in some species are
winged, in others not.
The cones of Pinus are distinguished from those of Abies by the
hard ligneous texture of their scales, and which, in most of the species,
THE TRUE PINES. 141
are much thickened or swollen at their exterior terminal part.* The
form this part assumes differs in the different species, and is, therefore,
regarded by Botanists as an important character in the determination
of species. In some species this exterior terminal part of the scale is
regularly pyramidal and sharply pointed, sometimes it terminates in
hooked prickle ; in others it is simply a rounded protuberance or umbo,
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 area. 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 North America. The secretions of many species are
also very abundant, from which pitch, tar, turpentine, and resin are
“@§F*ied in immense quantities. The products and principal uses of the
most 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 mwrses for more tender trees—for forming
screens, &c. So various are the soils and situations in which 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 bleakest hills; Pinus Pinaster flourishes in
shallow sands near the sea-shore; P. rigidu attains its greatest per-
fection amidst the Cedar swamps of Virginia; P. ponderosa grows
in the arid plains of Utah, where no other vegetation exists; and the
Scrub Pine (P. Banksiana), straggles over the rocks in the cold and
sterile countries east.of Hudson's Bay.
The Pines admit cf a division into three Sections, according to tho
number of leaves in a sheath, thus—
1. Binz, with two leuves in each sheath.
2. Ternm, with three leaves in each sheath.
3. Quinz, with five leaves in each sheath.t
* This part is called, in the language of Botany, the apophysis.
+ We adopt this Sectional Division on account of its obvious simplicity, and as being
that most available for practical uses. The true affinities of the Pines will be best sought
for in the fructification, to which the number of leaves in a sheath can only be regarded as
a subordinate character.
142 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
Pinus is the Latin name of the Pine, and was applied indiscriminately
by the Roman authors to the species indigenous to Italy and southern
Europe. Pinus is derived from or allied to the Greek érve (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 wits Two Lraves IN A SHuATH.
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. pyrenaica, P. halepensis, P. contorta, and one or two others have
bright green foliage; and P. pinea has large yellowish-brown cones.
With the exception of P. Merkusti, 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. Cembra,
belong to this section.
Scrzntiric Namy. Synonyms, Popular Name, Habitat, a
Feet.
PINUS Austriaca | Pinus nigra (Link)| The Austrian Austria... veel 75—100
(Hoss)| ,, Laricio austriaca Pine
(Endlicher)
a 3) nigricans
(Parlatore)
BANKSIANA >, hudsontea ____|SirJoseph Bank’s | British North 5— 12
(Lambert) (Poiret) Pine America
a». «Tupestris
(Michaux)
BoLanpDéERI an a Bolander’s Pine | California veef 12— 15
(Parlatore)
CONTORTA », Boursiert wes 5 25— 30
(Douglas) (Carriére)
PINUS.—SECTION I., BINA. 147
Screntiric Name. Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat. ee
Feet.
PINUS pEwsiFLdRa | Pinus japonica The Japanese | Japan 40— 50
(Siebold) (Antoine) Pine
HALEPENSIS The Aleppo Pine | The Mediterra- 40— 45
(Aiton) nean region
Inors (Solander)| ,, virginiana The Scrub Pine | Eastern United | 25— 40
(Miller) States
x» variabilis
(Lambert)
Laricio (Poiret)| 4, corsicana -(Hort.)| The Corsican Southern Europe | 100—~140
Pine
»» caramanica) ,, caramanica es 25— 40
(Loudon) (Hort.)
x pygmea », Laricio nana The dwarf 6— 8
(Rauch) : (Hort.)} Corsican Pine
MassONrANA », Thunbergtt Masson’s Pine | Japan .., «| 70— 80
(Lambert) (Parlatore)
Mitis (Michauxz)} ,, echinata (Miller)| The Yellow Pine | Eastern United 50— 60
3, variabilis (Pursh) States
\ ee
MONOPHYLLA x» Fremontiana California eee) 20— 25
(Torrey) _ (Endlicher)
MONTANA (Duroi)) ,, Puwmilio (Henke)| The Mountain | The Alpine 5— 15
3, Uncinata Pine regions of
(Raymond) Europe
»» JDfughus (Loudon)
3» humilis (Link)
3, obliqgua (Sauter)
»» wliginosa( Wimmer)
1, carpatica (Hort.)
MURICATA (Don)| ,, Edgariana The Bishop’s California wl 25— 40
(Hartweg) Pine
»» Murrayana
(Balfour)
PALLASIANA », LaricioPallasiana| The Crimean The Crimea 60— 80
(Lambert) (Loudon) Pine
;, taurica (Hort.)
PrnAster (Aiton)| ,, maritima The Cluster Pine | S.&8.W. Europe} 40— 60
(Lamark)
» brutia ,, brutia (Tenore)) The Calabrian | Calabria 60-— 70
(Sprengel) Pine ;
5, Hamiltonii] ,, Zscarena (Hort.)| Lord Aberdeen’s | Piedmont 30— 40
(Lindley) Pine
Hamiltontt
(Tenore)
144
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
Sorentiric NAME. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat, aoe
Feet,
PINUS rinza The Stone Pine | Southern Europe| 50— 75
(Linnceus)
‘PUNGENS The Table Virginia& North | 40— 50
(Michaux) Mountain Pine Carolina
PYRENAICA Pinus hispanica (Cook); The Pyrenean | The Pyrenees & 60— 80
(Lapeyrouse) Pine) Spanish Sierras
RESINOSA », rubra (Michaux)| Canadian Red | Canada to 60— 80
(Solander) Pine Pensylvania
SINENSIS », Massoniana TheChinese Pine] China ... v| 40— 60
(Lambert) (Parlatore)
SYLVESTRIS HP The Scotch or | NorthernEurope} 75—1(0
(Linneus) Wild Pine and Asiaj.
» argentea ae vee Garden variety
(Hort.)
” aurea see a” ”
(Hort.)
», horizontalis| sis Wild variety ...) 100—120
(Don)
Pinus austriaca.—A tree of rapid
Fig. 36.—Cone of Tinus austriaca.
Natural size.
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 5 inches long.
The aspect of the Austrian Pine is sombre
and massive, whence it obtained the name
of Pinus nigra.*
Habitat——The mountains of Carniola, lower
Austria, Moravia, Transylvania, and other
provinces of the Austrian Empire.
Introduced into Great Britain in 18385,
by Messrs. Lawson, of Edinburgh.
* The Austrian Pine is described by Parlatore as a
variety of Pinus Laricio, ‘‘ foliis crassioribus rigidioribus
fusco-viridibus,” Prod, xvi., p. 387.
PINUS BOLANDERI, P. CONTORTA. 145
The wood of the Austrian Pine is very resinous, strong, and tough,
but coarse in grain and knotty; it is inferior to that of the. Scotch
or Corsican Pine, but useful for out-of-door
carpentry, as fencing, &. As a fast growing
dense habited tree, it is one of the best of Pines
for forming screens, and for “nursing” more
tender trees. It is perfectly hardy, and thrives
in any soil not too wet; it also grows well on
chalk hills where many other kinds fail, but 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.
Pinus Bolanderi is closely allied to, and much
resembles P. muricata, of which it is probably
only a local and smaller form. Its dense branchi-
ing habit and bluish grey glaucescent foliage
render it distinct as a low shrubbery tree, and
Fig, 37.—Fertile branchlet of useful for thick screens; it should not be
sere age ea ile the planted in exposed situations.
Gardeners’ 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 resembling
those of the Scotch Fir in form, but of a brighter green; the cones
are ovoid, almost spherical, about 14 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.”
2 .
Introduced by David Douglas in 1831.
Pinus contorta is a hardy useful Pine for the park and landscape,
* Pacific Railway Report, p. 34.
146 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
and also for lawns, where much variety is desired. In its young state
in this country it is a compact, pyramidal, densely branched tree, with
the branches much twisted or gnarled, and well furnished with grass-
green foliage.
Dr. Newberry (Pacifie Railway Report) thinks that the specific name
contort was suggested to Douglas by the curious appearance of some
of the dead trees standing on the pumice plain which lies between the
Klamath lake and the Des Chutes River; the branches of these trees
curve downwards and inwards, thus reversing the natural upward curve
of their extremities ‘while living.
Pinus densiflora.a—A tree of medium height, with a tapering
trunk, covered with rough furrowed bark. The branches of the
young trees growing in Great Britain are robust, ascending, and
clothed with dusky brown bark, roughened with 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 towards the extremities of the branchlets,
The cones are about 2 inches long, somewhat smaller than those of
the Scotch Fir, and with thinner scales.
Habitat—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, are the common species of
Japan ; their wood is not distinguished by separate names, both are
known as Mats, which is the Japanese name for Pine. The timber is
of good quality, and much used in constructive work. So highly are
these trees esteemed by the Japanese that they represent them on
lacquer and porcelain ware ; they plant them in their gardens and by
the sides of the public roads. (See notes on P. Massoniana p. 149).
The specific name densiflora refers to the male catkins, which are
clustered into a thick cylindrical spike 2 to 3 inches long.
Pinus halepensis.—A tree of medium height, with a spreading open
head and slender branches covered with 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 which cause the trees have a rather bare and thin appearance.
The cones, which are produced while the trees are quite young, are
at first acutely conical; from 24 to 8 inches long, but after the fall
PINUS LARICIO. 147
of the seed much shortened and rounded through shrinking. The
scales are broad, flat, smooth, and yellowish-brown, 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.*
Tntroduced into England in 1668, by Bishop Compton.
The wood of the Aleppo Pine is white and fine in grain; it is
much used in joinery throughout the extensive region in which it is
abundant. The secretions are very copious, and the turpentine and
resin procured from them are preferred to those obtained from
Pinus Pinaster, the common Pine of the south-west of Europe. In
some parts of Italy, especially in the Riviera, the leaves are used by
the people of the country in their stables instead of straw.
Pinus 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 by rocky angles exposed to it. In
England it requires 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 6 inches, and
frequently twisted. The cones are about the same size, and closely
resemble those of P. austriaca. (See fig. 36.) 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 sylvestris
maritima.
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,
* Carriére, p. 506.
+ Very common on Mount Etna, from 4,000 to 6,000 feet elevation.
148 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
Pinus Laricio pygmea is a dwarf dense bush with all its
branches and their ramifications much shortened, and with the
foliage clustered in thick tufts at their extremities.
Other varieties of Pinus Laricio have received the names of com-
pacta, contorta, nana, pendula, &e.
“The Corsican Pine is well adapted for profitable planting in this
country. For quality, quantity, general utility, and early maturity it
may have equals, but no superiors among the true Pines. It is con-
stitutionally hardy, of very rapid growth, surpassing its congeners, and
a rival to the now diseased Larch; of large dimensions, attaining
heights of from 80 to 130 feet; arriving at maturity in sixty to
eighty years, but will produce timber fit for any purpose in about
thirty 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 which it would not grow
and produce wood of as good quality and equal quantity, and yield
as quick and profitable a return as any timber tree extant.
“Tits wood when young, or newly cut, is creamy white; 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 capable of receiving a tolerably good polish. It
is less subject to the ravages of insects, fungi, game, or vermin than
any 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 that account bad to transplant. If the seedling plants are
transplanted in the autumn or winter, after their first summer’s growth,
and again every succeeding autumn or winter 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, with which it is associated, and which 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 Gardeners’ Chronicle of 1865, p. 891. See also Proceedings of the Scotch Arbori-
cultural Society, 1873, where Pinus Laricio is recommended as the best substitute for Larch
where the latter fails in consequence of disease, Sui
PINUS MASSONIANA. 149
twisted, and deep green, the edges slightly scabrous. The cones are
among the smallest in the true Pines, and are not distinguishable
in structure from those’ of P. densiflora.
Habitat.—Japan, throughout the whole extent.
Introduced into Europe by Siebold & Co., of Leyden, in 1854.
The following extract from Siebold’s Flora Japonica gives a highly
interesting description of a practice peculiar to Japanese horticulture,
which appears to have been in vogue for many years, probably for
centuries past.
“The art of the Japanese gardener has exhausted itself in the
cultivation of this Pine and Pinus densiflora. They clip and cut them
in all manner of ways; they stretch out the branches like a fan,
upon horizontal espaliers, or give to the branches the form of a flat
plate. In that artificial culture extremes meet—surprise is equally
sought to be gained by specimens of immense extent as by others
reduced to the most minute dimensions.” During Siebold’s sojourn at
Osaka, he went to see the celebrated Pine before the Naniwaja Tea-
house, of which the branches, artificially extended, have a circuit of
135 paces. Another remarkable instance of this artificial cultivation
was seen by Mr. Maries at Lake Bi-wa, near Kieoto, in Nippon.
The main trunk of the tree is 28 feet in circumference. At about
10 feet from the ground, this divides into three primary branches,
which have been made to spread out horizontally, and the circular space
covered by them and their appendages is fwlly 60 yards in diameter.
On the other hand, they showed him, in Jeddo, a dwarf: tree in a
lacquered box of which the branches did not occupy more than 2
square inches.
“The wood of Pinus Massoniana is resinous, tenacious, and durable ;
it is chiefly used in the construction of buildings. The Japanese also
make charcoal of it. The soot which they procure from it by burning
its resinous roots with the oil of the Turnip (Brassica orientalis), is
said to be employed in making the famous Chinese ink, which is
manufactured principally in the convent of Nara, in the province of
- Janato.”
Siebold and Zuccarini have described and figured Pinus densiflora
and P. Massoniana in their Flora Japonica as two distinct species, in
which they are followed by Murray (Pines and Firs of Japan) and
Parlatore (D. C. Prod., xvi. p. 388), except that the latter author has
named the second of the two P. Thunbergii, and applied the name
Massoniana to the P. sinensis of Lambert. Mr. Murray remarks that
“it is not without great hesitation that he has recorded the two as
distinct,” and points out the characters by which they may be dis:
tinguished, but which appear to have been derived chiefly from an
examination of dried specimens, or from Siebold’s figures; Our collector,
150 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
Mr. Maries, during his recent travels in Japan, had ample opportunities
of observing the common Pine of the country, both in its wild state
and in cultivation, but failed to distinguish two well defined forms or
species. Individual trees, and of these not a few, were to be met
with fuwly answering to the general description of P. densiflora, and
others that of P. Massoniana, but the intermediate forms immensely
outnumber them, so that it is impossible to say which of them should
be called P. densiflora and which P. Massoniuna. Like all Conifers
that have been long under cultivation, the common Pine of Japan is
polymorphous, a property the Japanese horticulturists have not failed
to observe and to take advantage of, and have distinguished varieties by
specific names, as is frequently done by European horticulturists in the
case of other Conifere.
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
common Pines, but being quite distinct both from the European and
from the American types of the Pinaster section, it is a useful
addition to our hardy Pines for the park and landscape, and for
planting in proximity to the sea coast.
The specific name Massoniana was given by Mr. Lambert, in com-
pliment to Mr. Francis Masson, who brought the first dried specimens
to Europe from the Cape of Good Hope, obtained from plants raised
from seed which had been sent from China; but it is far more
probable that these were Pinus sinensis, and hence the change in
nomenclature made by Parlatore.
Pinus monophylla is one of the smallest of the Californian Pines.
It is an Alpine species, rarely exceeding 20 feet high, 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 in a sharp
point. The leaves of P. monophylla present a curious anomaly not
met with in any other true Pine; in young plants, and on the young
growth of older ones, they are solitary, but they are subsequently
produced in twos, and even in threes. The cones, which are about
24 Inches long, are composed of thick ligneous light brown scales,
each containing two large ovate wingless seeds that are edible and
have a pleasant flavour.
Habitat.—California, abundant on the Sierra Nevada.
Introduced by Hartweg, in 1847.
The specific name monophylla, from pdvoc (monos) “single,” and dbddoy
(phullon) “a leaf,” refers to the peculiarity of the leaves noticed above.
PINUS MONTANA, P. MURICATA. 151
Pinus montana is a dwarf, densely branched, bushy Alpine tree,
variable in height 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 14 inch long, with
a pyramidal protuberance on each scale on the outer or exposed
side.
Halhitat—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 Blackburn, Esq., of
Warrington,
This Pine is known in gardens by several names, as Pinus Mugho,
P. uncinata, P. Pumilio, &c., that were in the first instance given to
the forms occurring in the different mountain regions over which it is
spread ; but all these forms are now acknowledged to be but varieties
of one species.
The specific name montana refers to its habitat.
Pinus muricata—A very distinct Pine, of medium size, rarely
found to exceed 40 feet in 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, with a slight
glaucescence which gives it a bluish tint. The leaves are from 4 to
6 inches long, rounded or convex on one side, slightly concave on the
other, obtusely pointed, and with rough edges; in the young plants
they are thickly set and spreading; on the older plants shorter, more
rigid, and more erect. The cones are produced at a very early age of
the tree, either singly or clustered round the stem in whorls 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, in 1846.
The specific name muricata, furnished with sharp points or prickles,
refers to the cone, many of the outer scales of which terminate in
a sharp hooked spine.
152 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
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 leaves 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.
Although Pinus Pallasiana can only be regarded botanically as a variety
of P. Laricto, it is, in a horticultural sense, quite distinct, and as an
ornamental tree for the park and landscape it should be preferred to
P. Laricio, but never substituted for it if planted for the sake of its
timber. According to Loudon,* who quotes Professor Pallas, the
discoverer of this Pine, and after whom it has been named, the wood
is very knotty and resinous, and very durable, but difficult to form 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 around the base of the shoots of the
current 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 mediumssized
tree, with spreading branches and slender wavy leaves, 9 inches long.
It is a native of Calabria, in the south of Italy. .
Botanists die not agreed as to which species the Calabrian Pine
* Arb, et Frut., p. 2209.
PINUS PINASTER. 153
belongs. Lambert describes it as distinct under Tenore’s name, in which
he is doubtfully followed by Loudon, who would refer it to Pinus
Laricio. Parlatore brings it under P. pyrenaica, and Sprengel under
P. Pinaster, to which its long leaves and clustered cones seem to
indicate the nearest affinity.
Pinus Pinaster Hamiltonii is one of the 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 being 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 Pinus Pinaster is of little use; the wood is soft and
soon decays. The resinous products are, however, of great value, and
the procuring of them is an important branch of industry in the
province of Guienne and other parts of France. So profitable is this
source of wealth, that, notwithstanding the abundance of the P. Pinaster
throughout southern Europe, it is extensively cultivated on the sandy
tracts adjoining the Bay of Biscay, where it grows with 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 by inundation, as. the banks of sand, which are
the only barriers against it, were observed to be yielding. The idea
then occurred of planting Pinus Pinaster, in order to bind the sand,
and the result has been most satisfactory.” *
In Great Britain Pinus Pinaster is only useful as an omamental
tree and for shelter, especially in proximity to the sea, as it will grow
not only under exposure to the sea breeze, but also in shifting sands,
which it is enabled to do by the form taken by its roots. These
roots are, as Loudon points out, different in some respects to those of
any other Pine in cultivation. “There is a more decided tap root,
and when 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
firm hold in the soil, whence it is seldom tom up by the roots by
storms,” ¢
There is probably no single species of Pine that has become more
widely distributed over the globe than Pinus Pinaster, and which has
adapted itself more readily to the various conditions of soil and climate
* Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1871, p. 187. + Loudon, Arb, et Frut., p. 2219.
154, A MANUAL Of THE GONIFERZ.
in the different countries into which it has been introduced. At the
Cape of Good Hope, it has made itself at home as much as any indi-
genous tree, spreading spontaneously over the sandy plains in the
neighbourhood of Cape Town, and in other parts of the colony. It
has become quite a common tree in many parts of Australia, New
Zealand, &. It has also found its way into China, Japan, 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 indicate their origin: P. mnepalensis (Royle), P. chinensis
(Knight), P. japonica (Hort.), P. Nove Hollandie (Loddiges), P. Nove
Zealandie (Hort.), P. Sancta Helenica (Loudon).
Pinaster, 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 are 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 6 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 8 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 Book of Herbs, published in that year,
The wood of Pinus pinea is whitish, moderately resinous, and very
light; it is used in Italy and the south of France for joinery and
other constructive work. The edible seeds are much used by the
Italian peasantry.
The extremely picturesque appearance of the Stone 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 neighbourhood of Rome are many fine 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 form to give it a prominent place in the
foreground of their pictures ; and thus we often find it associated with
PINUS PINEA. 155
porticos, Ionic pillars, fragments of old temples, and other classic
objects in the Italian landscape.*
Although one of the first of exotic Pines introduced into England, the
Stone Pine is by 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 our climate, show but
imperfectly the striking characters that renders the tree so picturesque
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 premature old age and
Fig. 38.—The Stone Pine at Glenthorne.
decay. The finest specimen of Pinus pinea we have seen is at
Glenthome, in North Devon, the seat of W. H. Halliday, Esq., to
whose kindness we are indebted for our illustration, It is 33 feet
* See the picture of Lake Averno, in the Vernon Collection, in the National Gallery,
and Childe Harold’s Sep in the Turner Collection, also No. 806 and No. 312 in
the same Collection, and many others,
156 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
high, the diameter of the head is 22 feet, and the trunk is clear of
branches for 15 feet.
The specific name pinea was doubtless selected by Linneus, to
express the high estimation in which this Pine is held. Prnus pinea
is literally “Pine of Pines,” The common name Stone Pine was
probably 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 84 to 4% inches
long, often longer on young plants, thin, smooth, and slightly scabrous
at the edges, The cones are from 24 to 3 inches long, and about
14 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 first 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.
Habitat—Central and northern Europe including Great Britain; the
Siberian forest region as far as the Amour River.
* And according to Parlatore, ‘In nemoribus Calabriee-ad 2,400—3,000 ped, hine inde
solitaria ; in insula Cypro, insula Creta, frequens in Monte Tauro Caramanico ad 2,500—5, 000
ped; in Syria et in Bythinia ubi vastas conficit sylvas.”—Prod, xvi., p. 384.
PINUS SYLVESTRIS. 157
Many varieties of the Scotch Pine have been met with, some in
a wild state, others in cultivation, all showing some greater or less
departure 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 the
leaves of all the young shoots creamy white, and P, sylvestris
aurea, which has its foliage golden-yellow. In both cases the
variegated portions revert to the normal colour in the second season.
Among the wild varieties, that called Pinus horiontulis is the most
valued as a timber tree. It is distinguished by its more rapid and
more robust growth, by 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 heen
the prevalent form in the ancient Pine forests of Scotland.
“ Although native, and with evidence that the greater part of Scotland,
north of the Grampians, was covered with the wild Pine at no very
remote period, forests of indigenous Firs are at the present time few
and far between. The chief remaining ones are to be found about
the heads of the valleys of the Dee in Aberdeenshire, and of the
Spey in Invernesshire; whilst another, equally beautiful, but perhaps
not so well known, lies on the shores of Loch Rannoch, one of the
tributary lochs of the Tay in Perthshire. The latter, from its sombre
appearance is called by the natives the Black Wood. It lies on the
south side of Loch Rannoch, and extends along the shores of the loch
for about 2} miles with an average breadth of about 1 mile; this
is about the 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 wood lies
between 700 and 1,500 feet.”*
There is another remarkable natural forest of Scotch Pine at
Ballochbuie, on the Braes of Mar, which has now become the property
of Her Majesty the Queen, and thus “a guarantee is afforded that it
will be permanently preserved as a worthy remnant of those magni-
ficent Pine forests with which the Highland glens and mountains were
once so widely clothed.”
The Scotch Pine, from its hardy constitution and rapid growth, is
a useful tree for forming screens, and as a nurse for more tender
trees. As a tree for planting in poor dry soils and in exposed situations,
it is equalled only by the Larch ; when planted as a screen for shelter,
it ig best mixed with the common Spruce and the hardier rapid-
* Dr. F. Buchanan White, in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1876, part ii, p. 822.
+ William Gorrie, Esq., Address to the Bot, Soc. of Edinburgh, 1880,
158 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
growing deciduous trees. Its rate of growth in the climate of London,
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 ageregate, by that of any other tree known. It
supplies the yellow deal of commerce, the staple article of trade with
many of the Baltic and other ports of northern Europe. Although
highly valued as a timber tree in this country, the quality of the
timber of home grown trees is inferior to that imported from northemn
Europe—it is coarser in grain, and much less durable. This inferiority
is believed to be 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 which they do not get in the more equable climate of Great
Britain, and the texture of their wood is affected in a corresponding
clegree.
The following Pines, belonging to this Section, cannot be recom-
mended for arboricultural purposes in England :—
Pinus Banksiana.—A low, scrubby, straggling tree with tortuous
trunk and branches, which are sparingly furnished with 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 banished to the dreary and inhospitable Labrador and
neighbouring countries.
Pinus inops.—An inelegant straggling tree 25 to 40 feet high,
with spreading or drooping branches; the young shoots are covered
with a purplish glaucous bloom; the leaves are short and glaucous,
and the scales of the cones tipped with sharp prickles. Found on
sterile and barren hills from New Jersey southward to Kentucky.
It is known in America as the Scrub Pine.*
Pinus mitis.—An erect tree from 50 to 60 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 New England States and west-
ward as far as Wisconsin; also common southwards as far as Georgia. t
In America it is called the Yellow Pine.
Pinus pungens.—A tree 40 to 50 feet high, with the habit and
general appearance of the Scotch Pine; the leaves are short, stout,
much crowded, and bluish green; the scales of the cones are armed
with a strong hooked spine. Found on the Alleghany Mountains ;
* Botany of the United States, by Dr. Asa Gray, p. 470, + Idem,
PINES WITH THREE LEAVES IN A SHEATH. 159
especially abundant on the Blue Ridge in Virginia and north Carolina,
In America it is generally known as the Table Mountain Pine.
Pinus resinosa.—aA tall tree of the P. Laricio type, 60 to 80
feet high, with reddish smooth bark and dark green leaves 5 to 6
inches long, collected in bunches at the extremities of the branchlets,
Tt occurs in Canada and the adjoining States, where it is commonly
known by the name of the Red Pine. “The timber is very durable,
its abundant secretions acting like paint in preserving it from decay.
The old roots and knots of this Pine, which are of great weight
and completely saturated with resin, burn fiercely, give a brilliant light,
and are much used for torches.” *
Pinus sinensis.—The common Pine of south-eastern China. It is
spread over the country where it can be allowed to grow for the
supply of timber and fuel, from Canton to the Yang-tse-Kiang; it
occurs plentifwly on the mountains north of Foo-chow mixed with
Abies Fortuneiz. It grows from 40 to 60 feet high, with the aspect of
the Japanese P. densiflora, but far inferior to that useful Pine. The
leaves are in twos, but occasionally in threes, very slender, from
4 to 6 inches long. The cones are those of a Pinaster Pine and are
among the smallest in the section.
Section I1.—Pinzs with Taree 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 ligneous 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 Bungeana,
P. cembroides, and P. edulis.
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 CONIFERA.
America between latitudes 18° and 45°, the most northern species in
the eastern part of the Continent being the Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida,
and in the western part, P. ponderosa. 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. Teeda,
are procured in immense quantities, of which a large proportion is
exported to Europe.
Scrznriric Name, Synonyms. Popular Namo, Habitat. a
Feet.
|
PINUS AUSTRALIS Pinus palustris (Miller)| The swamp Pine 8.E. United 60 to 70
(ALichauz) States
BUNGEANA es ds The lace-bark | Northern China | 60— 75
(Zuccarint) Pine
CEMBROIDES Pinus Llaveana , The Cembra-like South California | 20— 30
(Gordon) (Schiede) Pine and Mexico
3, fertilis (Rez)
», Larryana
(Engelmann)
EDULIS ua wee ea New Mexico ...| 25— 30
(Engelmann)
GERARDIANA — ai sa Capt. Gerard’s | Western 40— 50
(Wallich) Pine Himalayas
insianis (Douglas) Pinus radiata (Don) The remarkable | California vl 40— 80
Pine!
JEFFREYI Jeffrey’s Pine | Californiaand | 100—150
(Balfour) Oregon
LONGIFOLTA i i
The long-leaved | The Himal mr —100
(Roxburgh) Pace yee x si
MACROCARPA Pinus Coultert (Don)| The large-coned | California we] 75— 90
(Lindley) or Coulter’s Pine
PATULA (Schiede) ei Mexico... 60— 80
PINUS BUNGEANA, 161
Scrgwirrro Name, Synonyms. Popular Name, Habitat. in
PINUS vonprerdsa | Pinus Benthamiana Theheavy-wooded| Western North | 100—150
(Douglas) (Hartweg)| or Western Pitch Americal) and
» Stnelairiana Pine upwards.
(Hooker)
» Parryana
(Gordon)
», Beardsleyt
(Murray)
», deflexa (Torrey)
RicipA (Miller) ,, Fraseri The Pitch Pine | The Eastern 50— 75
(Loddiges) United States
SABINIANA ies wee The Nut Pine | California wl 40— 60
(Douglas)
Tapa (Linnceus)' Pinus serotina The Torch or S.E. United 50— 80
(Michaux) Loblolly Pine States
yy Blliotti
(Engelmann)
TEOCOTE ai a a Mexico... .,., 60—120
(Schiede)
ToRREYANA Pinus lophosperma Dr. Torrey’s Pine) South California
(Dr. Parry) (Lindley)
TUBERCULATA 5, californica The tuberculated| California wl 25— 40
(Don) (Hartweg)| or Monterey Pine
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 off
like that of the birch; the leaves are from 3 to 34 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.
Habitat.—Northern China.
Introduced into England in 1846, by the Horticultural Society of
London, through their collector, Robert Fortune.
Mr. Fortune gives the following description of this Pine in his
M
2, A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Yedo and Peking. “Near the royal tombstones (at Pekin), I observed
a species of Pine tree having a peculiar habit and most striking
appearance. It had a thick trunk which rose from the ground to the
height of 3 or 4 feet only; at this point some eight or ten branches
sprung out, not branching 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 Arbutus, and the leaves, which
were chiefly on the top of the tree, were of a lighter green than
those of the common Pine. Altogether this tree had a very curious
appearance, very symmetrical in form, and the different specimens
which evidently occupied the most honourable places in the cemetery,
were as like one another as they possibly could be. In all my
wanderings in India, China, and Japan, I had never seen a Pine
tree like this one. What could it be? Was it new? And had I
at last found something to reward me for my joumey to the far
north. I went up to the spot where two of these trees were standing
like sentinels, one on each side of a grave. They were both covered
with cones, and, therefore, were in a fit state for a critical examina-
tion of the species. But although almost unknown in Europe, the
species is not new. It proved to be one already known under the
name of Pinus Bungeana.”
This remarkable Pine is still comparatively rare in British gardens.
It much resembles the Himalayan, P. Gerardiana, but is superior to
it as an ornamental tree. It is quite hardy.
Pinus Bungeana is named after Alexander von Bunge, a Russian
Botanist, who accompanied Ledebour in his travels through Siberia,
and who was afterwards (1830) sent by the Russian Government as
naturalist with a mission to Pekin, where he first met with this
Pine and many other plants not previously known 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 their ramifications are very numerous,
imparting a dense habit to the tree; the leaves are about 14 inch
long, triquetral and compressed, rigid, erect or sub-erect, and hight
glaucous green. Cones ovoid, 2 to 24 inches long.
Habitat—The mountains of Orizaba and the Real del Monte in
Mexico, at elevations between 8,000 and 12,000 feet; also in south
California.
Introduced by Hartweg in 1846.
On the mountains of Orizaba this Pine is said to attain a height
PINUS GERARDIANA, P. INSIGNIS. 168
of 30 feet. In England its growth is very slow; all the specimens
we have seen of it are much branched and twiggy, well furnished
with foliage, but of, irregular shape. It is a very distinct Pine, and
tolerably hardy.
Pinus Gerardiana.—A medium-sized tree with a conical outline,
attainmg a height of from 40 to 50 feet; the bark is smooth,
greyish, and peels off like that of P. Bungeana. The branches are
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 pointed, 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 1830.
Dr. Aitchison (Jowin. Lin. Soe, Nos. 106—107), thus describes
Pinus Gerardiana as seen in the Kuram district in Afghanistan :—
“A very handsome tree that does not branch as Pines usually do,
the trunk and branches being more like those of a well-formed Oak.
It is easily recognised at a distance by its nearly white, ash-grey bark,
which, on close examination 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 way the bark exfoliates.
The nuts are a large article of diet amongst the villagers of the
district in which the Pine grows, and a luxury in north-west India.”
Named by Dr. Wallich in compliment to its discoverer, Capt. Gerard,
an officer in the Bengal Native Infantry. It is tolerably hardy, but
its growth in England is slow. Several beautiful specimens, however,
are to be met with in the south and west of England, among the
finest of which, one in the Pinetum of T. Gambier Parry, Esq., of
Highnam 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 6 inches long; the cones, which are also very handsome
appendages of the tree, are from 4 to 5 inches long, obtuse at the
164 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
base, pointed at the apex, and with greater developement on the
outer or exposed side; the scales are spineless, smooth, and of a
glossy orange-brown colour.
Habitat—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 much
in habit, according to
the soil and ‘situation
in which it is growing.
In the close forests in
the neighbourhood of
Monterey, it is drawn
up to a height of 60
feet without a branch;
on the outskirts of the
woods, and when stand-
ing far apart, it grows
a handsome tree, with
wide spreading branches
from the ground to the
summit. At its northern
limit, when growing close
to the seashore, and
exposed to the prevailing
north-west winds it
scarcely exceeds _ the
height of a tall-growing
shrub.
Pinus insignis is one
of the most ornamental
of all the Pines, but it
cannot be said to be
sufficiently hardy in
England, except in the
south and south-west, to
be relied on as a_ per-
manent decorative tree.
In the severe winter of
Fig. 39.—Cone and leaves of Pinus insignis. Natural size. 1860-1 more than two-
(From the Gardeners? Chronicle.)
thirds of the trees of
this species then existing in Great Britain were killed 3 and in ordinary
winters it does not always escape injury; the foliage is often browned
and rendered unsightly by frost and piercing winds, and unripened
PINUS JEFFREYI. 165
shoots are frequently killed. To secure finc specimens of P. insignis
the young plants must have a sheltered situation or be “nursed” by the
more hardy Pines and Firs. As the lower branches of the largest and
finest Specmens in this country have attained a length of upwards of
30 feet, it is evident that a space having a radius greater than this
should be provided to allow the tree to develope its fine proportions.
Being found on the Californian coast close to the beach, 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. This Pine
frequently suffers much, especially in its young state, from the attacks
of the Pine Beetle (Hylurgus piniperda ), which seems to prefer it to
all others. See page 34.
The specific name us/gnis, “remarkable,” was selected by Douglas
to designate this noble Pine.
Pinus Jeffreyi—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, rigid, 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.
Habitat.—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, by William Lobb, and preserved in the
Museum attached to the Nursery at Chelsea. We have also examined
cones produced by some of the oldest specimens of Pinus Jeffreyi
growing in England, and find that they vary much both in size and
shape. We also find variations in the size and shape of the cones of
P. ponderosa grown in England; forms of the latter closely approach-
ing forms of the former. In their general aspect P. Jefreyt and P.
ponderosa are scarcely distinguishable, and the leaves of the two are
identical in all their essential characters. It has long been suspected
that P. Jefreyi is nothing more than a local variety of the widely
distributed P. ponderosa, and experience of the two in this country
tends to point to their specific identity, so that we believe P. Sefreyt
must ultimately sink to a synonym of P. ponderosa, An examination
165 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
of the inflorescence, which we have not yet seen, will doubtless decide
the point.
As Jeffrey's name stands prominent among those who have been
instrumental in introducing new and fine Conifers into Great Britain,
the following particulars of his life and character, from Lawson’s Pinetwm
Britannicum, will be read with interest.
“Joun Jurrrey was a young gardener of Fifeshire, born on the
estate of Lochore, the maternal patrimony of the late Sir Walter Scott,
and employed in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, where he attracted
the attention of Professor Balfour and Mr. McNab 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. McNab, 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 Bay. 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 requisite of a collector by the readiness which
he bore the hazards, the labours, and exposures of the winter journey.
He was on his ground in the spring of 1851, and for the whole of
that year he devoted himself zealously to exploring and collecting. The
first really new introduction of Jeffrey was Abies magnifica which he
sent home under the name of A. amabilis, believing it to be identical
with the A. amabilis of Douglas. Other fruits of his first year’s collec-
tion were seeds and cones of A. Albertiana and A. Pattoniana also
new, A. Douglasii, A. Menztest’, and Pinus flewilis, 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
species 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.
What became of Jeffrey afterwards is not known. He was last heard
of at San Francisco, where, it was said, he had 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, rather stiff, three-angled and flattened, more or
less incurved, and of greyish glaucous green; they are persistent from
two to three years, and thus always appear clustered at the extremities
TINUS IONDEROSA. 167
of the branchlets. ‘The cones are larger than 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 4 to 5 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 8,000 to 4,000 feet
elevation ; also on the coast range as far as latitude 37° N.
Introduced by David Douglas in 1832.
Nothing is known of the economic uses of this tree; the seeds are
large, and like those of the closely allied species Pinus Sabiniana,
edible.
In England its growth is comparatively slow; 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 giving
the branches a very naked aspect; but, for the sake of its extra-
ordinary cones, P. macrocarpu should be planted in every collection
where space can be found for it, and which should have a radius not
less than from 25 to 30 feet.
The specific name macrocarpa-(paxpoc), “large,” and (xaprdc), “ fruit,”
was appropriately selected by Dr. Lindley, on account of its remarkable
cones ; it is that by which this Pine is best known in this country ;
but the name Cuudter?, given by Professor Don, in compliment 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 Californian mountains
attaining a height of from 150 to 200 feet, with a girth 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 4 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 3 to 6 inches in
length, with the scales terminating in a short spine or umbo.
168 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Habitat.—Western America, from British Columbia southwards to
the Mexican boundary, and eastwards from the Sierra of California
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
Pinus Benthaniana.
The economic value of Pinus ponderosa is very considerable to the
inhabitants of the Pacific States of North America. The wood is very
resinous, and heavy; it is also brittle, and has the grain much twisted.
Pinus ponderosa is spread over a greater area, and occurs in greater
abundance than any other Pine in western America. On the Sierra
Nevada, between 4,000 and 6,000 feet elevation, mixed with P. Lam-
bertiana, it forms the forest, and on the slopes. lower down it is
predominant, but intermixed with Abies grandis, Libocedrus decurrens,
P. Sabiniana, and other trees. “In the sterile regions of the interior,
whole day’s marches may be made in forests of P. ponderosa, of
which the absolute monotony is unbroken, either by other forms
of vegetation, or the stilmess by the flutter of a bird, or the hum of
an insect. In this region it is a noble tree, although never rivalling
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 be 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 have met with in cultivation
is one in the Pinetum at Highnam Court, near Gloucester, named
Pinus Parryana, in compliment to the proprietor, Mr. Gambier Parry.
It has a more striking aspect than the common form; the branches
are more numerous, and better furnished with foliage, and the leaves
longer and more pendulous. Another in the collection of Mr. W.
Parker Hamond, at Pampesford Hall, near Cambridge, called P. Sin-
clairiana differs from the usual type in having numerous sub-erect
branches, clothed at their extremities with thicker and shorter leaves
that are quite glaucous.
In England, Pinus ponderosa is quite hardy, and its growth moderately
rapid, but owing to the limited persistency of the leaves, it has a
rather tufted and bare appearance. It is, however, a useful and distinct
Pine for the park and landscape.
The specific name ponderosa, “heavy,” 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. Newberry, Pacific Railway Report,
PINUS RIGIDA, P. SABINIANA, 169
resemblance to Pinus rigida of the eastern States 3 ib is 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; on the summits of the Alleghany
mountains, it is a mere scrub, in more favourable spots it is upwards
of 70 feet high. In England it is generally from 30 to 45 fect
high, much branched at the top, forming a dense head; it is also
easily distinguished by its very rough dark bark. Tho leaves are
from 8 to 5 inches long, rigid, triquetral, with roughish edges,
sharp pointed, and light green. The cones are ovoid, about 38
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 Pinus rigida consists chiefly in its resinous
products, which are very abundant, whence this tree has obtained the
name of “Pitch Pine,” a name also often applied to the southern Red
Pine, P. australis. The timber is knotty, heavy, hard, and resinous, but
of little value. The growth of P. rigida in England is rather rapid; it
is a sturdy accommodating kind, growing in wet damp places where no
other Pine will live; it should be planted for landscape purposes only.
The specific name rigida, “stiff,” refers to the leaves, but the
appropriateness of the designation is not very manifest. There are
other Pines that have stiffer leaves than P. rigitda.
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. macrocarpa, 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 long, 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 9 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 THE CONITERZ.
hard, solid point bent like a hook; they are fawn or yellowish-brown,
and remain on the tree for several years.
Habitat.—California, from the Santa Lucia to the Oregon boundary.
Introduced by David Douglas in 1832.
As a timber tree Pinus Sabiniana is not much in repute ; the wood
is white and tough, but the crooked irregular habit of the tree renders
it unprofitable to work.* The large seeds are edible, and were one
of the chief resources of the Indians in winter.
Pinus Sabiniana never forms forests, but is disseminated very generally
over California; scattered sparsely over rough and rocky surfaces where
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
and situation. In favourable spots, where 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 being
notable characteristics; but all defects are amply atoned for by its
fine cones, which almost rival those of Pinus macrocarpa 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.
Pinus Sabiniana was named by Douglas in compliment to Mr. Sabine,
for many years, and at the time of its introduction, Secretary of the
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 plaht 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 off, 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 tuberculata, t
* Pmetum Britannicum, Pinus Sabiniana. + Idem., Pinus tuberculate:
PINUS TUBERCULATA, 171
Habitat—California, the coast range from Monterey northwards.
Introduced into England in 1847 by the Horticultual Society of
London, through their collector, Hartweg.
From a paper read before the San Francisco Microscopical Society,
by Mr. J. P. Moore, we derive the following interesting particulars
respecting Pinus tuberculatu.
“Tt cannot be said to be 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 where it can be
fully exposed to the sun. It has the peculiarity of bearing its cones
on the main trunk of the tree, giving it a singular appearance as they
are arranged around the stem in almost a circle 3 usually five though
often seven cones compose the circle. Sometimes two or three of these
circles of cones will be closely crowded together, overlapping each other
as they hang down. A peculiar feature of these cones, and one worthy
of attention, is their manner of attachment to the trunk. It may be
observed that the base of the cones rest against the bark, and that
they are so firmly 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 trunk, 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. Nature has
also made good provision for the preservation of the seed; thé cones
are very compact, and covered with a resinous coating which insures
them against cracking ; they are never shed until the tree dies or has
been felled, and even then they do not open for a long time.* In the
forests where this Pine abounds, the trees are all of the same age,
which may be readily accounted for by the cone shedding. As a
timber tree Pinus tuberculata 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 blowing from the
north, north-east, and east.
The following Pines belonging to this section are 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 Pinus
tuberculata that were sent by W. Lobb from California twenty-five years ago. They ate at the
present time (1881) apparently as firm and compact as when first received:
172
A MANUAL Of' THE CONIFERS.
Pinus australis.—A tall tree with a spreading head and long
deep green leaves. Sparingly interspersed with P. Yeda it forms
the forest extending from Virginia to Florida in the neighbourhood 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 used in ecclesiastical
edifices. The 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 height, with
a trunk 8 to 12 inches in diameter. The foliage resembles that of
P. Cembroides; the cones are short and sub-globose, with thick scales.
The seeds are large and edible, furnishing a valuable article of food
to the Indians of New Mexico and Arizona, where this Pine is
abundant; it also occurs in the neighbourhood of Cafion City, Colorado.
Pinus longifolia.—a tall tree, rather sparingly branched, inhabiting
the valleys and lower hills of Nepaul 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. Next to the Deodar Cedar, it is
the most valuable timber tree in the Himalayan region.
Pinus patula.—A beautiful Pine with spreading branches and long
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, which quite conceal the stem and branches. It is a native of
the colder parts of Mexico, on the Real del Monte, Malpays de la
Joya, and other places.
Pinus Teeda, called in America the Loblolly or Frankincense
Pine, 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. australis in the “ Pine Barrens” near
the Atlantic coast. A closely allied form, usually described as a distinct
species under the name of FP. serotina, is sometimes met with in
collections. It appears to be somewhat hardier than P. Teeda.
Pinus Teocote.—A large tree with spreading and ascending
branches, well-furnished with glaucous green foliage. It is a native
of Mexico, and found at a considerable elevation on the mountains of
Orizaba and Real del Monte, where it attains a height of upwards 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 branches. 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. pines. 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 found by Mr. William Lobb, who sent
cones and dried specimens to England in 1860, when it was described
by Dr. Lindley as a new species under the name of P. lophosperma.
Section II].—Pines wire Five Leaves in a SHEATH.
In this section Pinus Cembra and P. Strobus 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 habit, profusion of
foliage, and small erect cones bearing wingless seeds, are the most
obvious characteristics, while the latter represents several large and
tall trees{ with spreading branches, long leaves, elongated tapering
cones that are quite pendulous when full grown, 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.{ The timber
of the hardy Pines in this section is distinguished by its whiteness,
softness, and fineness in grain, that of P. Strobus being the most
in repute on account of its durability and cheapness; this is the
“White 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. Strobus have extensive ranges in the
eastern and western continents respectively. P. excelsa is confined to
the Himalayas, and under the name of P. Peuce to the mountains of
Roumelia 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
P. occidentalis (St. Domingo), P. filifolia, and P. tenuifolia (Guatemala).
* Pinus Cembra, P. flexilis, P. kovaiensis, and P. parviflora.
+ Pinus excelsa, P. Lambertiana, P. monticola, and P. Strobus.
t They form a separate sub-section, of which Pinus pseudo-strobus may be regarded as the
type,
174,
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
Scientific Name, Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat, ai
Feet.
PINUS AvyacaunuilrTeE | Pinus Loudoniana The Hickory Mexicu... .| 75 to 100
(Ehrenberg) (Gordon) Pine
1 strobiliformis
(Engelmann)
BALFOURIANA », amstata California, Ne-| 40— 50
(Murray) (Engelmann) yado Colorado
ChMBRA ee ae The Swiss Stone | Central Europe 50—120
(Linnceus) Pine and Siberia
» pumila | Pinus Cembra Mands- | The Dwarf Siberia and Yesso| 2— 4
(Endlicher)| churica (Regel) Cembra Pine}
DEVONIANA The Duke of Real del Monte, | 60— 80
(Lindley) Devonshire’s Pine Mexico
EXCELSA Pinus pendula (Griffith)| The Himalayan | The Himalayan | 50—100
(Wallich)| ,, Peuce (Grisebach) Pine Mountains
PLEXILIS », cembrotdes The Californian | California 5— 50
( Tarrey) (Newberry) Cembra Pine
», albicaulis
(Engelmann)
Hartwker . Hartweg’s Pine | Orizaba, Mexico} 40— 50
(Lindley)
KORAIENSIS The Corean Pine | Corea and Japan| 20— 30
(Siebold)
LAMBERTIANA ‘ The Sugar Pine | California and 200—250
(Douglas) Oregon
LEIOPHYLLA The smooth- Mexico ... 60— 80
(Lindley) leaved Pine
Montrztua Pinus macrophylla Montezuma’s $i 6C—100
(Lambert) (Lindley) Pine
», Lindleyana
(Gordon)
5, Wincesteriana
(Gordon)
car se “ North California] 75—100
(Douglas and Oregon
OOCARPA ” “ Mexico .., | 40— 50
(Schrede)
PINUS BALFOURIANA. 175
Screntivic Name, Synonyms Popular Name, Habitat. che
Feot,
PINUS PARVIFLORA Japan .,, 25— 40
(Stebold)
PSEUDO-STROBUS ‘ The false Strobus| Real del Monte, | 50— 75
(Lindley) Mexico
RUSELLIANA The Duke of Mexico .., 60-- 80
(Lindley) Bedford’s Pine
Storrs The Weymouth | North America, | 100—160
(Linneeus) Pine, In America| Eastern portion
the White Pine
»» nana Pinus Strobus wmbracu-| The dwarf Wey- ne 5— 10
(Knight), lifera (Hort.) mouth Pine |
Pinus Balfouriana.—An Alpine species, of variable height; in
sheltered slopes, it is a tree 40 feet high and of pyramidal outline,
but becomes a straggling bush, prostrate, and almost creeping on
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 2% 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.
Habitat-—North California, on the Shasta and Scott Mountains; on
the high mountains extending through Nevada, northern Arizona,
Utah, and Colorado.
Introduced in 1852 by John Jeffrey; and, many years afterwards,
reintroduced under the name of Pinus aristata, which is now regarded
as a variety of P. Balfouriana.
Pinus Balfouriana is a very slow-growing Pine even on its native
mountains, where it may be regarded as the’ American representative
of the European P. montana, From the peculiar tufted appearance of
the foliage, it has acquired the name of the “ Fox-tail Pine” in
Nevada.
The specific name Balfouriana was given by Mr. Murray, in com-
pliment to the late Professor Botany, in the University of Edinburgh,
176 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
The young specimens growing in British gardens under the name of
Pinus aristata, are. somewhat different from those regarded as the true
P. Balfouriana. They are more robust and of more rapid growth, the
leaves are longer, stouter, duller in colour, and much less glaucous on
the inner faces. The merits: of P. Balfourtana, as a decorative tree
in this country, have yet to be 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.
Habitat—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 1746,
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 of the species, from 14 to 2 inches long and very
silvery. The cones are small, about 14 inches long, and 1 inch in
diameter. It is a native of eastern Siberia and Jesso.
The economic value of Pinus Cembra is very considerable in the
alpine regions where it is native; the wood 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 upholstery, especially for lining clothes chests, &e.
The large seeds are much eaten in Russia and Siberia where other
fruit is scarce, and in the Tyrol, an oil is expressed from them which
is used for lamps.
The chief use of Pinus Cembra in this country is for ornamental
purposes, for which 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 circumstances, but
PINUS EXCELSA. 177
generally much less. It requires but little room; it is quite hardy,
always well-furnished with foliage, which has a pleasant fragrance during
the growing 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 Roumelia
and Macedonia in south-eastern Europe, from 2,400 to 5,800 feet
elevation.
Introduced into England by Dr. Wallich about 1827.
As an ornamental. Pine, Pinus excelsa takes a high rank among
landscape and park trees; it thrives best in light and well-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. excelsa in this country, cover a space having a radius of upwards
of 25 feet.
The Pinus excelsa found in south-eastern Europe and described as a
distinct species by the late Professor Grisebach under the name of P.
Peuce, is a smaller tree than the Himalayan form. In England the
young plants are denser in habit, more conical in outline, and have
shorter and stiffer leaves.
The specific name excelsa, “lofty,” refers, according to Major Madden,
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
bush to a tree 50 to 60 feet high, and from 23 to 4 feet in diameter.
* Mr, A, Murray, in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1875, 1V., p. 356,
N
178 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
The leaves are from 2 to 24 inches long, three-angled, rigid, erect
and glaucous green; the cones resemble in size and shape those of
P. Cembra, 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 New Mexico.
Introduced by John Jeffrey, in 1851, but discovered some years
previous by Nuttall.
“On the summit of the Cascade Mountains in California, the bleak
and barren surfaces are held by this Pine in a possession undisputed 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
Range, in central Nevada,
trees from 50 to 60 feet
high are not infrequent,
the finest specimens being
found on the banks of the
mountain streams. Pinus
Jlexilis is known among the
colonists as “ White Pine,”
and is the only tree of the
region sawn into lumber.
The wood is soft, white,
and, although not free from
knots, is of fair quality,
being about intermediate
between eastern White
Pine (P. Strobus) and Sugar
Pine (P. Lambertiana).” *
The specific name flexilis
refers to the pliant crooked
branches.
Pinus koraiensis is
believed to have been intro-
duced many years ago from
the Corea into Japan, being
Fig. 40.—Cone of Pinus koraiensis. Natural size,
* Professor Sargent in American Journal of Science and Art, June, 1879.
PINUS LAMBERTIANA. 179
met with only in cultivation in the last-named country. 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 8 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. Veitch.
Pinus koraiensis is one of the most useful of Pines for garden decora-
tion; its comparatively small size, compact habit, 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 380 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.* Tho bark is rather smooth,
ash-grey, and full of resin; the leaves are clustered towards the
extremities of the branches; they are from 8 to 5 inches long,
three-angled, with the edges rough, slightly twisted and of a bluish
glaucous green. 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 Mexican line to the
Columbia River.
Introduced in 1827 by David Douglas.
Pinus Lambertiana does not form forests but is always associated
with other trees, as the Redwood and P. Ponderosa. In the vicinity of
* Pinetum Britannicum. Pinus Limbertiana.
180
A MANUAL OF 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. Lambertiana)
attaining nearly equal gigantic dimensions. North of 42° N. it mixes
with Abies grandis, A. Menziesii, Thuia 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. ponderosa, P. contorta, and Abies
grandis, which 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. Strobus). 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 Lambertiana 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 height of the trunk, the lower ones spreading, those
higher up 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. B.
Lambert, Esq., a munificent patron of science, and the author of a
beautifully illustrated large folio work entitled The Genus Pinus. This
work, together, with the encouragement he‘ gave to the discovery and
introduction of new kinds, has associated Mr. Lambert’s name with
Coniferous plants.
AYLMER Bourke Lampert was born at Bath in February, 1761, and
died at Kew in January, 1842. He was educated at St. Mary’s Hall,
Oxford, and early devoted his attention to botany. He was one of
the founders of the Linnean Society, of which he was one of the
Vice-Presidents ; he was also a Fellow of the Royal Society. When
he came to his paternal estate, he formed a large herbarium, which
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 enabled him to gratify his taste in this
* Dr. Newberry, Pacific Railway Report, p. 11. Lawson’s Pinetum Britannicum—Pinus
Lambertiana, : : : ;
PINUS MONTICOLA. 181
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 his botanical tastes. Besides the work above mentioned,
he published a description of the genus Cinchona, and contributed
Fig 11 - Cone of Pines monticola.
Natural size.
many papers to the Transactions of the Lin-
nean Society. After his death his herbarium
was sold by public auction, when a small
portion of it was purchased for the British
Museum.*
Pinus monticola—A handsome tree of
pyramidal habit; the trunk is erect, and
furnished with whorls of branches that are
rather short in proportion to the height of
the tree; the bark is smooth and greyish ash-
brown. It is a Strobus Pine, having shorter
and more rigid foliage than that of the type;
the leaves are about 38 inches long, three-
angled, with the edges slightly scabrous, the
sheaths short and the points blunt; the outer
or rounded side is dark glossy green, the
flattened or inner sides are whitish or glau-
cescent, The cones are from 5 to 6 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
Rapids 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 park. In
selecting a situation for it, preference should
be given to a south-east or south-west aspect,
and a clear space, with a radius of not less
than 18 feet should be allowed for it.
The specific name monticola, “ dwelling on
the mountain,” refers to the elevated spot in
which Douglas first found it. It was, however, subsequently found in
* Chiefly from the Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography.
182 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
the plains, and on the banks of the rivers, in Oregon and Washington
territory. The wood of Pinus monticola is white, fine grained, strong,
and durable.*
Pinus parviflora.—A medium-sized or low tree, of compact habit,
with a bluntly pyramidal head, and clothed with dense short foliage.
The branches are approximate, either horizontal or slightly ascending
at the extremities,
sc furnished with
numerous short, tufted
branchlets. The leaves
-are from 1 to 14 inch
long, crowded, rigid,
slightly twisted, light
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 24 to
34 inches long, com-
posed of about twenty
coriaceous broadly
Fig. 42.—Cone and leaves of Pinus parviflora. (From the wedge-shaped scales,
Gardeners’ Chronicle.) ’
Habitat.—Japan.
Introduced in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.
Pinus parviflora, according to Siebold, although found cultivated all
over Japan, is a native exclusively of the northern islands, extending
from about latitude 35° N. 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 parviflora is one of the most distinct of the Cembra Pines, and
owing to its small size, well-furnished trunk, and dense foliage, 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
* Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1878, ix., p. 52.
PINUS STROBUS. 183
soil. It is more esteemed by the Japanesc gardeners than any other
Pine ; they cultivate it assiduously, dwarfing 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 lony,
Pinus Strobus.—aA tall tree, rising in a straight column, from 120
to 160 feet high in cool and damp woods in its native country,
generally divested of branches for the greater part of its height, and
with a conical top. In England the habit of P. Slrobus 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 8 to 5 inches long,
slender, soft, light green, marked with silvery lines, spreading in
summer but contracted or pendulous in 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 17085.
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, compacta, nivea, variegatay.
and viridis, have been in cultivation, but are now rarely met with.
Pinus Strobus is one of the most important of the American timber
trees, and great numbers are felled every year, and sent to: Europe,
under the name of White 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 been observed in other Pines of the Strobus section ; in Pinus
excelsa, P, Lambertiana, P. monticola, &e
184 A MANUAL OF THE CONITERZ.
free from knots, and very easily worked. It finds its way into every
carpentering establishment in Great Britain.” *
In England, the principal, if not the only use of Pinus Strobus in
planting, is for the park and landscape, and for mixing with other
trees in forming belts, screens, &c. Experience has shown, that although
it will grow in all 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 climatal causes.
The specific name Strobus, appears to have been taken by Linnzus,
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. Strobus
is called the Weymouth Pine, from having been extensively planted
by Lord Weymouth, at Longleat, in Wiltshire, soon after its intro-
duction, and whence seeds were afterwards distributed.
The following Pines, all natives of the higher mountain regions
of M.xico, were introduced to British Gardens by the Horticultural
Society of London, through their collector, Hartweg, who discovered
them in 1838-9 :—
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. Strobus in habit and appearance. It
is a native of the mountains in northern Mexico, where it occurs at
elevations between 7,000 and 11,000 feet. It rarely escapes injury
during severe weather in England, even in sheltered situations.
Pinus Devoniana.—A fine tree, 60 to 70 feet high with spreading
branches and deep green leaves, 8 to 10 inches long, with sheaths
1 inch long. It was discovered by Hartweg, on the mountains 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 by Dr. Lindley after its discoverer. It is somewhat hardier than
most of the Mexican Pines, but liable to injury in severe weather,
* Mr. Rowan’s Emigrant and Sportsman in Canada.
+ Petunt ct in Carmanos arborem strobum ad suffitus perfusam vineo palmes accendentes,
Mig Ce Tes
MEXICAN Pinks. 185
Pinus leiophylla.—.\ tall tree with a pyramidal 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 other places in Mexico. It is quite tender in
England.
Pinus Montezume,—<A large tree “ attaining a height of from
45 to 60 feet, with large irregular branches, thickened branchlets, 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 Hartweg sent
home cones and seeds in 1839. It is not hardy.t
Pinus oocarpa.—.\ medium-sized tree with an open head, the
lower branches decumbent, rather rigid leaves, and small egg-shaped
cones, whence the specific name. It was found by Schiede between
Ario and Monte Jorullo, and afterwards by Hartweg, who sent seeds
for the first time to Europe in 1838. Tt is not hardy.
Pinus pseudo-strobus.—A large tree with spreading branches,
much resembling the Himalayan Pine (P. excelsa}, 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.j—One of the handsomest of the Mexican
Pines. It has robust spreading branches, with the foliage tufted at
their extremities ; the leaves are a foot long, bright green, and grace-
fully pendulous. It is found on the Real del Monte, in Mexico,
where it was discovered by Hartweg, and named by Dr. Lindley in
compliment to the Duke of Bedford. It is not hardy.
The introduction of the Mexican Pines 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:—
Kart Taroper Hartwe¢ was born in 1812, at Carlsruhe, in the
Grand Duchy of Baden, and descended from a long line of gardeners.
Besides the advantages of his father’s experience, he enjoyed the
* Carriére, Traité Général des Coniféeres, p. 415.
+ According to Parlatore, Pinus Lindleyana and P. macrophylla are but varieties of P.
DMontezume, the former having shorter and the latter longer leaves.—Prod. xvi., p. 399.
£ Parlatore gives Pinus Russelliana as a synonym of P. Montezuma. The specimen of the
former at Bicton, doubtless the finest in England, is quite distinct from that Pine.
186
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
benefits of a far better education than usually falls to the lot of a
gardener. Unfortunately, his father died before Karl had completed
his nineteenth year, and, consequently, he determined to visit France
and England, where 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 establishment to
improve himself. After gaining a tolerable knowledge of French, he
came to England haphazard, but falling ill before he obtained any
employment, he became very needy. When his health became better,
he entered the Horticultural Society’s garden as a common labourer,
where his superior intelligence and education soon became evident to
the authorities, and he was advanced to the higher and more lucrative
post of garden clerk. About that time, the lamented Douglas met
with his death, and it was resolved by the Society to send another
person to explore the highlands of Mexico, chiefly with a view to the
possible discovery of new plants which would bear the climate of this
country.
Hartweg, having been selected for the expedition, left England in
October, 1836, for Vera Cruz, and from thence went to Santa Fé.
He did not, however, remain long in the unhealthy lowlands, but
ascended the Taquapan on the east side of the lofty Orizaba;
and here he met with the first batch of the many splendid epiphytal
Orchids with which he enriched our gardens. He afterwards went
to the Aguas Calientes and Bolanos. Having explored the district,
he proceeded, in February, 1838, to Mechoancanha, where he made his
first important discovery of Coniferous trees, for here he found Pinus
oocarpa, P. letophylia, and P. pseudo-strobus. Here, too, he saw the
majestic sacred fir Abies religiosa, rising to a height of 150 feet.
His next move was to the Real del Monte, and thence to Queretaro,
where he met with Pinus Cembroides (Liaveana) and P. patula, in
company with Cupressus thurtifera, better known in England by the
name of C. Knightiana.
At the close of 1839, Hartweg was instructed to go to Guatemala,
and on his way he visited Oaxaca, the seat of Cochineal culture.
He remained a few days and discovered Pinus Russelliana, P. Devo-
niana and P. Teocote. While staying at Quesaltenango to collect
Orchids, ascending the highest of the mountain range, he discovered
P. Hartwegii and P. filifolia. He afterwards made a trip to Ecuador,
and the Cordilleras of New Granada, where he found several Orchids
not previously known. Soon after he embarked for England, where
he safely arrived in 1843, after five years absence.
In 1845 Hartweg went out again to America; this time to Cali-
fornia. In his excursions through the country, he discovered Pinus
ARAUCARIA. 187
tuberculata, P. muricata, and Cupressus Goveniana, and by collecting
cones and seeds of species previously discovered by Douglas, he was
the means of greatly increasing the number of living plants in England
of these grand specimens of arborescent vegetation. In addition, he
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 went back to his native country. The late
Grand Duke Leopold having taken great interest in him, appointed
him inspector of the Ducal Gardens at Schwetzingen, which post he
held till his death in February, 1871.—(Abridged from the Wochen-
schryt and Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1871).
V.—ARAUCARIA (Jussieu).
The Araucarias are lofty evergreen trees, natives of the southern
Hemisphere, where they may be regarded as partly representing
the Firs and Pines of the north. Their most 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 with 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 defined groups: the first
(Colymbea), comprising Araucaria imbricata, A. brasiliensis, A. Bidwilli,
and A. Rudei; and the second (Eutacta), including Araucaria excelsc,
A. Cunninghami, and A. Cookit.
* Araucaria Bidwilli is an exception.
+ Strobili squame apterz, Parlatore.—Prod. xvi., p. 370.
t Strobili squame alate.—Idem. p. 372.
188 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
So far as yet observed, the Araucarias are considered to be
dicecious plants, that is to say, the pollen bearing and ovule
bearing catkins are produced on different trees, and not on the
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 diccious, probably far from it.
There is a tree of Araucarta imbricata at Bicton, in Devonshire, 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 Rolle we are enabled to
give an illustration of this tree, and also of a fertile branch taken
from it. A fine tree at South Lytchelt, in Dorsetshire, has shown
the same peculiarity. As the numerous healthy trees now growing all
over Great Britain become cone bearing, the moncecious principle may
probably be found among them to an extent not hitherto suspected.
The difference in the 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 Conifere,
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 cultivation, that are constantly making their appearance.
The economic value of the Araucarias has not yet been much
developed. The timber of Araucaria imbricata 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 fragrant resin that
exudes from the trunk of A. brasiliensis is mixed with wax for
making candles. The whitish resin of A. imbricata 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.t
The seeds or “nuts” of all the large coned species are edible,
and are consumed in great quantities by the inhabitants of the
provinces and districts where these trees abound.
The Araucarias are natives of a comparatively restricted area in
South America, eastern Australia, and some of the adjacent islands.
* Su madera, de un blanco, medio anarillento, es lena de fibras y de vetas muy vistosas
y admite un buen pulimento. Historia de Chile, por Claudio Gay.—TZomo v., p. 416.
t+ Idem. loc, cit.
189
ARAUCARIA,
“oITYSMOAIE “MOPIE 4 a1} SNOTOVOUOU OY} WoL
sguryyeo Taptwoq-afnao pue uoyjod qloq YA vpwoKIGul, DRLDaNDAY Jo YouTsE— "Eh “Sty
190
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
The 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 kinds 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 Ayrauco, the name of a province in southern
Chili, where the carliest discovered species (Araucaria imbricata) is
abundant.
Screntiric Name. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. ee
Feet,
ARAUCARIA Araucaria Dombeyi The Chili Pine |Chili .| 100t0 150
IMBRICATA (Richard)
(Ruiz & Pavon’| ,, chilensis (Mirbel)
Dombeya chilensis
(Lamark)
Pinus Araucaria
(Molina)
Colymbea quadrifaria
(Salisbury)
a imbricata
(Carriére)
The following species and varieties are not hardy in Great Britain.
ARAUCARIA Colymbea Bidwillt Bidwill’s Arau- | Queensland, 100t0150
~ Bipwittti (Hooker) (Carritre) caria or the Australia
‘Bunya-Bunya
LBRASILIENSIS Pinus dioica (Arrabida); The Brazilian Brazil, Prov. of 75—100
(Richard), Colymbea brasiliensis Araucarial Sao Paolo and
(Carritre) Minas Geras
Cooxir (Brown), Araucaria columnaris | Captain Cook’s | NewCaledonia& | 100—120
(Hooker) Araucaria} | New Hebrides
Eutacta Cookti
(Carriére)
CUNNINGHAMI 3 Cunningham Cunningham’s | Queensland, 100—125
(Aiton) (Link) Araucaria, or Australia)
Moreton Bay Pine
or glauca > Cunninghami vat Garden variety...
(Hort.)
giauca (Carriére)
ARAUCARIA IMBRICATA, 191
Sorentiric Name. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. Hew
. Fect.
ARAUCARIA Dombeya excelsa The Norfolk Norfolk Island | 100—150
EXcELsa (Brown) (Lambert), Island Pine
Eutacta excelsa (Link) *
» — gilatea » excelsa ylanca eh Garden variety...
(Hort.) (Carritre)
2 robusta erry ” ”
(Hort.)
RvLE1 = (AMueller)| Hutacta Rulet (Carriére)} Rule’s Araucaria | New Caledonia 40— 50
», elegans
(Hort.)
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
from 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, during 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 inch 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
does 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 OF THE CONIFERZE.
wedge-shaped bodies more than an inch long, terminated at top
in a curved bract-like appendage.
Habitat—Chili, on the western slopes of the Andes, from about
latitude 386° §. southwards to about latitude 45° 8.
Introduced into England in 1796, by Archibald Menzies, but
first discovered about twenty years previous by an officer of the
Spanish Navy.
Fig, 44.—Pollen-bearing catkin of Araucaria imbricata. Natural size,
The preceding description applies to the 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 like those of the Firs and Pines when growing close together,
and merely crowns of foliage are left at the tops of the trunks, 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 spread near and at
the surface of the ground, and on the declivities of the mountains,
creep over the bare rocks and barren slopes like gigantic serpents,
ARAUCARIA IMBRICATA, 198
Beyond the brief outline sketched above, the limits of the geogra-
phical range of Araucaria imbricata are but imperfectly known.
According to Professor Poeppig, it is found in the northernmost
portion of its habitat, only on the higher slopes of the Andes, and.
always in 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 till it approaches the ocean at its southern limit.
Araucaria imbricata was dis-
covered in 1780, by Don Fran-
cisco Dendariarena, a Spaniard
who was at that 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. Ruiz
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
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 Ruiz and Pavon sailed
for Chili. It was to him that
Fig. 45.—Ovule-bearing catkin of Araucaria Ruiz and Pavon sent the first
imbricata. Natural. sis, dried specimens of the Arau-
caria received in Europe, and by him these were submitted to the
eminent botanist Lamark, who named the tree Dombeya chilensis,
and thus Dombey’s name become associated with the synonymy of
the tree. In 1795, Captain Vancouver reached the coast of Chili,
when Mr. Archibald 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 sent
the others to the Royal Gardens, at Kew. One of the Kew plants
still ‘survives, and it is therefore the oldest, although not the largest
Araucaria in Great Britain. For many years the Araucaria continued
* Loudon, Ard. e¢ Frut., p. 2486. A
194. A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
to be very scarce in England; seed could not be obtained, and the
small quantity that reached this country 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 in various parts of the country originated.
It is worthy of note that Araucaria imbricata 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 full 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 with 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
influence 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 off the water freely.
The aspect of Araucaria imbricata is dark and massive, and large
healthy specimens furnished with tiers of branches from the ground to
the summit are even grand and strangely impressive. Whether solitary,
or planted in avenues, it is the most effective of all Conifers for
contrast. The Aravcaria AveNvE at Bicton, belonging to the Right
Hon. Lady Rolle, presents one of the most striking and remarkable
arboricultural 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,
a:
Araucaria imbricata at Dropmore. Present height (1881) 61 feet.
From a photograph taken expressly for this work,
THE ARAUCARIAS.. 195
trees, with their dark plexus of branches and rigid bristling foliage,
extending for a distance of 500 yards in straight unbroken lines. 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 precisely
opposite those on the other, the interval between every two trees
being 63 feet in this direction, and 54 feet in the rows. The height
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 whose
trunks 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 ground, ranges from 5 to 64 feet; the
length of the lower branches of the most spreading tree is 17 feet.
The specific name ¢mbricata, “overlapping like the tiles on a roof,”
refers to the tile-like arrangement of the leaves.
Araucaria Bidwilli—A tree of rapid growth and imposing
dimensions, 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 pointed,
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. Bidwillé is the Bunya-Bunya of
eastern Australia, attaining its finest developement in the district
between the Brisbane and the Burnett rivers. It is named after
Mr. J. T. Bidwill, one of the early botanical explorers of Australia
and New Zealand, and for many years a correspondent of the late
Mr. James Veitch, Sen., of Exeter. There is a magnificent specimen
of A. Bidwilli 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 growing 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 CONIFERZ.
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
New Caledonia, where it was discovered by Captain Cook in 1774,
after whom it is named, and whose companions “thought at first that
they beheld a tall column of basalt or some other volcanic product
standing aloft in solitary grandeur.”
Araucaria Cunninghami,; 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, where 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 growing to the height of
150 feet, with a circumference sometimes upwards of 20 feet. Its
trunk rises erect, and is furnished with 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 Norfolk Island, its native home, A. excelsa
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
congregated in clumps. The young plants cultivatéd fi “Burbjé 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 awl-shaped, curved, and sharply pointed. t
* R, Abbay in the Gardeners’ Chronicle of 1877, p. 88.
+ Named after Allan Cunningham, favourably known to Science and to Horticulture by his
valuable contributions to the Botany of Australia, and by the many fine plants with which he
enriched the conservatories and greenhouses of Great Britain.
I Dr. Lindley (English Oyclop., 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 primeva.” See also Sir Charles Lyell’s “ Elements of
Geology, p. 407, where the figure of a fossil cone of an Araucaria found at Bruton, in Somerset-
shire, is given. The cone itself is preserved in the British Museum.
{HE ARAUCARIAS. 197
Araucaria excelsa glauca differs from the species in the
colour of its foliage, which is of a lighter green, 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 Ruleii—A beautiful and distinct tree 50 feet high
and upwards, with horizontal branches and subpendulous branchlets.
The leaves of the adult tree much resemble and are nearly as large
as those of A. imbricata, 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 obscurely four-angled
and compressed like those of A. Cookii. It is a native of New
Caledonia, and was introduced into Europe by us in 1863.
Named in compliment to Mr. John Rule, a horticulturist of South
Australia.
Araucaria Rulei elegans is one of the most distinct of the
numerous varieties of A. Rulet; 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 under the names
of Araucaria Balanse and A. Muellert. They are both natives of
New 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 New Zealand,
Australia, the Malayan and Fiji islands, New Caledonia, and New
Hebrides, and generally known by the name of Dammara (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, Acatuis, 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,
dicecious flowers, ovoid or’ subglobose cones with closely imbricated
scales, each bearing one seed. The best known is Agathis australis,
the Kauri Pine of New Zealand, which forms extensive forests in
the northern island, and is one of the most valuable timber trees
in the colony.
198 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
.
Tre II—TAXODLA. The Deciduous Cypress Group.
The Taxodia include a group of trees presenting much diversity
in their general aspect, but agreeing in the following particulars :—
Their 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 maturity, when their lower branches are generally cast off.
Their flowers are moncecious, 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 from three to nine
seeds, according to the kind.
The Taxodis may, therefore, be regarded as occupying in some
measure, an intermediate position between the Abietineze and Cupres-
sinez, 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 from
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.
The 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 Tawodium
distichum, 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.t The Sequoias occur in isolated districts in California ;
* Athrotaxis is an exception in this respect,
+ 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 Taxodiz 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 Cunning-
hamia in China; and Athrotaxis 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 Conifera,
All the members of the Tribe cultivated in Great Britain are
enumerated in the following Synoptic Table:—
.
igh
Sorentrrio Namz. Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat. “in :
a eet,
SCIADOPITYS Taxus verticillata The Umbrella |Japan .. ...{ 800100
VERTICILATA (Thunberg) Pine
(Stebold & Zuccarint)
WELLINGTONIA =| Sequoia gigantea The Mammoth | California ...| 250—825
GIGANTEA (Torrey) Tree
(Lindley) ,, Wellingtonia
(Lawson’s Pinetum
Britamnicum)
Washingtonia
A californica
(Winslow)
Gigantabies
Wellingtoniana
(Nelson)
SEQUOIA Taxodiwm sempervirens | The Californian ij so] 200—250
SEMPERVIRENS (Lambert) Redwood
(Endlicher)| Schubertia sempervirens
(Spach)
Gigantabies taxifolia
(Nelson)
» adpressa ate or a Garden variety...
ey
(Hort.)
», alba spica tse oes we ” ”
(Hort.)
* Professor Parlatore has also included (Prod. xvi., pars. 2, p. 442) in the Taxodie, 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 CONIFERZ,
Scorznt1rio Name.
Synonyms,
Popular Name.
Habitat.
TAXODIUM
DisTICHUM
(Richard)
mexicanum
(Carriere)
”
pendulum
(Loudon)
”
GLYPTOSTROBUS
HETEROPHYLLUS
(Endticher)
CRYPTOMERIA
ELEGANS
(Veitch)
nana
(Veitch)
”
JAPONICA (Don)
3» Lobbi
(Vewtch)
nana
(Fortune)
”
spiralis
(Stebold)
”
CUNNINGHAMIA
SINENSIS
(Brown)
Taxodiummacrophyllum
Cupressus disticha
(Linneeus)
Schubertia disticha
(Mirbel)
(Endlicher)
nvucronatum
(Parlatore)
Montezwmce
(Decaisne)
2?
Pad
+» distichum
nutans
(Loudon)
microphyllum
(Parlatore)
Glyptostrobus pendulus
(Bot, Mag. ,Tab.5603)
te
Taxodium sinense
(Hort.)
heterophyllum
(Brongniart)
japonicum
(Brongniart)
2
a)
Cupressus japonica
(Thunberg)
japonica viridis
(Hort.)
a
Pinus lanceolata
(Lambert)
Belis jaculifolia
(Salisbury)
Raxopitys Cunninghami
(Nelson)
The deciduous
Cypress’
The Mexican de-
ciduous Cypress
The pendulous
deciduous
Cypress
Chinese Water
Pine
The Japanese
Cedar’
Lobb’s
Cryptomeria
South-eastern
States of N.
America
Mexico ... wa
Louisiana ?
China
Japan...
Japanese garden
variety
a”
Height
in
Feet
80—120
120—136
80— 40
25— 40
80—130
1— 2
40— 50
SCIADOPYTIS VERTICILLATA. 201
SorentiFio Name, Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat, ee
Feet.
ATHROTAXIS Athrotaxis imbricata |The Tasmanian | Tasmania see] 80— 40
CUPRESSOIDES (Maule) Cypress
(Don), Cunninghania
cupressoides
(Zuccarini)
LAXIFOLIA Athrotaxis Doniana en ss veal 20— 25
(Hooker) (Maule)
SELAGINOIDES Cunninghamia i ” ve 15— 20
(Don) selaginoides
(Zuccarini)
Sciadopitys verticillata.—The Umbrella Pine of Japan is a tall
tree of conical habit, upwards of 100 feet high, 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 thirty 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 first 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 from 1} to 24
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 Kojasanin, in the Island of Nippon.
Introduced by us in 1861, through Mr. J. G. Veitch. It was
sent to the late Mr. Standish of Ascot about the same time, by
Mr. Robert Fortune.
The earliest notice of the Sciadopitys is by Thunberg in 1784,
who described it as a species of Yew. Its true character was deter-
mined by Siebold, many years afterwards, and who gave it its scientific
202 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
name, which is a literal translation of the popular name. It is much
cultivated by the Japanese, who possess several sub-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 were 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
under 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
Fig. 48.—Cone of Sciadopitye verticillata, one locality of a limited extent, and in
with foliage leaves developed at the apex. ee A -
proximity to a dense population, in a
country in which the forests are rapidly disappearing, the fate. of
the Sciadopitys will 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 oxide, oxeddog (skias, skiados), “a parasol,”
and mirve (pitys), the Pine tree. The specific name, verticillata, 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
SCIADOPITYS VERTICILLATA. 208
to the tree on account of its leaves, which are spread out like the
ribs of a parasol.
Fig. 47.—Foliage of Sciadopitya verticillata. (1) Diminished; (2) natural size.
204 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
Wellingtonia gigantea.—The Mammoth tree of California, A
tree of gigantic proportions, inhabiting in limited numbers the western
slopes of the Sierra Nevada, where it occurs in isolated patches or
groves. Although the largest of existing trees,* the Wellingtonia
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, whose 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 circumference near the base of from 45 to 60 feet,t 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 Eucalypti 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 greater diameter, but their
height is not proportionate.
+ Professor Whitney, Yosemite Book.
t 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 af the ground is often upwards of 100 feet, :
WELLINGTONIA GIGANTEA. 905
the circuit of the stem, and loosely appressed to it in the young
plants, but shorter, stouter, and rather closely imbricated in older
ones; they are subulate or awl-shaped, embracing the stem at the
base, mucronate or pointed, rounded at the back, flat or slightly
concave within, glaucous light green when young, deepening in colour
by age. The cones are ovoid, obtuse both at base and apex, from
Fig. 48.—Fertile branchlet of Wellingtonia gigantea, grown at Linton Park. Natural size,
2 to 24 inches long, and about 13 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 OF THE CONIFERA,
Habitat.—California, on the Sierra Nevada mountains at 5,000 to
7,000 feet elevation.
Introduced by us in 1858, through our collector, Mr. William Lobb.
Under cultivation the Wellingtonia has 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, pygmcea, variegata, é&c.
In the Wellingtonia 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 we call
it by the right name? To this inquiry men of science give an
explicit 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 this 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’ Chronicle for December
24th, 1853. In the leading article of the same paper, after stating
his reason for believing that the new discovery was quite different
from the Redwood, the Sequoia sempervirens of FEndlicher, 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
modern 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 Wellingtonia gigantea.” { In his
description of the tree, after comparing and noticing the differences
between the cones and seeds of Wellingtonia, Sequoia, and Sciadopitys,
he- adds: “When the male flowers shall have been seen, the Welling-
* The name Wellingtonia has 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
‘‘Societé Botanique de France,” held in June, 1854. He was closely followed by the late
Dr. Torrey, of New York, and Professor Asa Gray, of Cambridge, U.S.A.
+ 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,
WELLINGTONIA GIGANTEA. 207
tonia will be still further distinguished by the structure of these parts.”
Among the Conifers, 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 Great
Britain began to produce them. But what
Pager ee aa do they show? Not the further difference
Wellingtonia gigantea, and (2:) that Dr. Lindley predicted, but an almost
Kequoia sempervirens. Natural erfect identity of structure with 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 Redwood,
Sequoia, to which it is
so closely allied, as to
be no other than a
species. Sequoia has
priority of designation,
and must be retained ;
it was given by End-
licher, a botanist of ac-
knowledged reputation,
to the Redwood (Taso-
dium sempervirens of
Lambert), on the dis-
covery of differences
essentially generic
* Ag regards size the male
flowers of Wellingtonia are
rather smaller than those of
the Redwood, but have larger
: thd Tels Me, A Ituray 3
Fig, 50.—Cones of (1.) Wellingtonia gigantea and (2.) Sequoi é late Mr a. Sutay: 1m
iaapenurete, ects on William Lobb in California. Natural size. re ae be ate! ; Be
know that the cones and seeds (Wellingtonia and Redwood) differ in nothing but in size, and
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 often 2 inches long. The
marked distinction between the foliage of the two, is, that the leaves of Wellingtonia are
imbricated scales, while those of the Sequoia (Redwood) are distichously disposed like
the Yew. But the Redwood at different ages dispenses with this character, and 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 CONIFERZ,
between that tree and the deciduous Cypress (7. distichum) of the
Atlantic States. Endlicher 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 New Mexico in 1843. His. remarkable alphabet is still
in use, although destined to pass away with his nation, but not into
oblivion, for his name attached to one of the grandest and most
impressive productions of the vegetable kingdom will for ever keep
his memory green.” *
The habitat of the Wellingtonia, for so it will 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
groves, all of them included between latitudes 36° and 38° 15' N.,
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 lower down proceeding northwards.
Not only is the habitat restricted to the narrow limits above
described, but also the Sequoia (Wellingtonia) 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-walled cafions that intersect the mountains¢ A
species limited to individuals holds its existence by a precarious
tenure, and this (the Wellingtonia) 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 { with which it is associated, the Firs,§ and even the Incense
Cedar, || possess a great advantage ; and though they strive in vain
* Professor Whitney, The Yosemite Book.
+ Sir J. D. Hooker, Address to the Members of the Royal Institution, April, 1878,
{ Pinus ponderosa and P, Lambertiana, § Abies grandis and A. concolor.
|| Libocedrus decurrens,
WELLINGTONIA GIGANTEA, 209:
to emulate the size, they wholly overpower the Sequoias in numbers.
The force of numbers eventually wins. At least in the commonly
Visited groves, Sequoia gigantea is invested in its last stronghold ; it
can neither advance into more exposed positions above, nor fall back
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 big trees occur, not rarely
indeed, but in small proportion to those of the associated trees; and
small indeed is the chance that any of these will attain to the days
of the years of their fathers.” *
The earliest reports of the extraordinary bulk of the “ Big Trees,”
although much in excess of the reality, tended greatly to excite public
interest in them, which can scarcely be said to have been 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
height, and 45 feet in circumference at 10 feet from the ground.
There are but three others whose heights exceed 300 fect, the cir-
cumference of one of them, called “The Mother of the Forest,” being
as much as 61 feet at 10 feet from the ground t 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 obsérved in
any of the other groves 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
growing. 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, with circumferences, at 10
feet from the ground, of from 60 to 40 feet.{ The largest known
Wellingtonia is prostrate; it is called by the settlers around the
Calaveras Grove “The Father of the Forest,” and its height, when
standing, could not have been less than 350 feet.
The immense size of the trees naturally led to conjectures as to the
ages of some of the “full grown - giants,” but which, in the first
instances, were enormously in excess of the reality. The earliest
* Professor Asa Gray, Address to the American Association for the Advancement of Science,
Professor Whitney has pointed out another cause which has hastened 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 height, that was brought to
England for exhibition, and set up in the Crystal Palace, at Sydenham, where it remained
till it was totally destroyed by the disastrous fire of December 30, 1866,
+ Professor Whitney, The Yosemite Book,
P :
210
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
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-five
annual rings at a section of the trunk made 30 feet from the 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 probably 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 Wellingtonias was more recently
supplied to Sir J. D. Hooker, by Mr. Muir, who communicated the
following particulars to the members of the Royal Institution in an
address delivered in April, 1878. “A tree felled in 1875 had no
appearance of age; it was 69 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
hundred and thirty-nine. Another was 107 feet in girth, inside the
bark, at 4 feet from the ground; its wood was very compact, but
showed throughout a considerable portion of the trunk, thirty annual
rings to the inch. This, if the rings were of uniform diameter, would
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, which would give an
age of three thousand five hundred years.” Nevertheless, it is not too
much to assume that few, if any, of the existing Wellingtonia ante-date
the Christian era, or that, with very few exceptions, the oldest of them
reach within five hundred years of that epoch, and whose age, therefore,
does not much exceed that of some of the oldest Yews in Great Britain.
Very little can be said about the economic value of the Welling-
tonia. “No known timber is so excessively light, soft, and brittle;
its bark is tough, spongy, and stringy in texture, and seems to be
largely charged with 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 grows in all ordinary soils in which
water does not stagnate, but evidently prefers light, rich, and deep
soils, in open airy places, but not exposed to piercing winds. In
such situations its growth is rapid, and it becomes a handsome sym-
metrical tree in a few years. In heavy soils its growth is slower,
and its habit in consequence more dense. Under all circumstances the
trunk increases in thickness with a rapidity greater in proportion to
* Lawson’s Pinetwm Britannicum, Sequoia Wellingtonia, page 18.
“WELLINGTONIA GIGANTEA. 211
the height than that of most other large Coniferous trees, the circum-
ference at the base being often as much as one-fifth of the height,
In Abies Douglasti the circumference of the trunk at the base is
generally not more than one-eighth or one-tenth of the height, and
this proportion is not much exceeded in other tall Conifers, as Pinus
Lambertiana, Abies nobilis, &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
Wellingtonias scattered throughout the country, or by gardeners under
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 annual average temperature and rainfall. Like all other
Conifers, the Wellingtonia will not live under the influence of smoke,
and it should, therefore, never be planted as a memorial tree in the
immediate vicinity of large towns. 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.
Numbers of fine specimens in all parts of Great Britain attest the
complete acclimitisation 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 now over 60 feet
high, the girth of its trunk 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, &¢., &.
The facility with which the Wellingtonia has adapted itself to the
climate of Great Britain, is partly explained by Professor Gray’s acccunt
of the climatal conditions under which it has flourished on the slopes
of the Sierra Nevada, and which he describes “as a happy mean in
temperature locally favoured with moisture in summer.” For centuries
the wonder, and probably the worship of the wild man who roamed
through the silent Californian 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 new home, where 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
Pachydermata wallowed in the swamps and marshes of these islands.
212 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
Sequoia sempervirens.—The Californian 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 with 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.t The foliage is dimorphous;
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.—California, 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 foliage 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 foliage is glaucous, and the tips of many of the branchlets
creamy-white.
In its scientific aspect and associations, the Redwood 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
Conifers. In the geological system called the Miocene, Sequoia semper-
virens, or species closely allied to it, were widely distributed over the
* Dr. Newberry in Pacific Railway Report, p. 15.
+ Like the Wellingtonia, the Redwood swells at the base near the ground,
SEQUOIA SEMPERVIRENS. 218
eastern Continent in high latitudes. “As a fossil, their geographical
range extends from Greenland, latitude 70° N., to Sinigaglia in Italy,
latitude 44° N.; and in an east and west direction from the Hebrides
(Isle of Mull), to the Steppe of the Kirghis,”* and, from recent dis-
coveries, also to Spitzbergen, northern Asia, &c.; it is remarkable too
that the Miocene fossil plants found in latitude 83° N. during the late
Arctic expedition under Sir G. Nares, includes the Redwood, or its near
ally, Taxodium distichum. From the time of its greatest developement,
and through 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 Wellingtonia, by millions; the extreme
restriction of its habitat cannot fail to be noted as a significant fact
in its present history.
The Redwood was discovered by Mr. Archibald Menzies, in 1795,
from whose specimens Mr, Lambert figured and described it in his
great work, The Genus Pinus, under the name of Tawodium sempervirens.
Nothing more was heard of it fill David Douglas visited California
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 received from him. Ten years later Hartweg, when collecting
for the Horticultural 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 Californian 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.t Owing 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 would almost exceed belief,
* Sir C. Lyell, Geology, p. 260.
+ Pinetum, p. 880. Carriére says it was introduced in 1840, but gives no particulars,
Traité Général des Coniferes, p. 211.
+ Mr, ©. Nordhoff in Harper’s Magazine, from The Garden, vol. v., p. 88
214
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
were it not attested by reliable statistical facts. Saw mills and logging
camps are established along the coast, where the 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
ruthlessly carrying fire and the saw into the forests of California,
destroying what he could not use, and sparing neither young nor old,
and before a century is out, the two Sequoias may be known 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 Redwood 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 Sequoia 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 trunk
thence becomes forked, and the outline of the tree irregular; the
foliage is frequently discoloured or “ browned” from the same cause.
For these reasons the Redwood 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 winds, and where a space with a minimum
radius of 25 to 30 feet can be allowed for it to develope its fine
proportions. A moist but well 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, from
80 to 120 feet high, and from 25 to 40 feet in circumference. When
young it presents a pyramidal outline with slender spreading
* Sir J. D. Hooker, Address to the Members of the Royal Institution, Apvil, 1878.
TAXODIUM DISTICHUM. 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. The
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, from Dela-
ware, in latitude 88°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 Mississippi 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 are necessary conditions
for its well being. Neglect of these has led to frequent failures, and
doubtless the disfavour into which this form of the deciduous Cypress
has fallen. There aré some fine specimens in the grounds of Robert
Barclay, Esq., at Bury Hill, Dorking.
Under cultivation Taxodium distichum has a tendency to sport in
the seed beds, and numerous varieties have thence at different times
been selected and named by horticulturists.* 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
* Loudon (Arb, et Frut., p. 2481) gives the names and descriptions of several of these
forms. Carriére (Traité Général des Coniferes, p. 181), describes fifteen varieties, and
Henkel and Hochstetter (Nadelhélzer, p. 260) select five.
216
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
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 which nothing certain is known.
Taxodium distichum is a semi-aquatic 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 whose 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 swell out into large buttresses at the base,
but to such an excessive extent, that in order to fell the trees with
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 hollow, smooth on the surface, and covered
with a reddish bark like the roots, which they resemble, also in the
softness of their wood. No 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 Tuxodium distichum is very gveat throughout
the region in which it is abundant. This tree is to the inhabitants
of the Southern States what the Redwood 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 water; it is much used for posts, fencing, railway sleepers, &c.
The deciduous Cypress is quite hardy, and its great importance as
an ornamental tree in Great Britain is mainly due to two cireum-
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 water, and in damp places where few other Conifers
will live. It is, comparatively speaking, of rather slow growth, but
* Loudon, Arb. ct Frut., p. 2483,
wf
ight (1881) 90 feet.
Present hei
The “knees” extend 60 feet from the bole.
Laxodium distichum, with “knees,” at Syon House, Isleworth.
GLYPTOsSTROBUS HETEROPHYLLUS. 217
in rich moist soil it makes from 5 to 6 feet in six or eight years
from seed, and about 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 rdéog (taxos) the Yew, and eédoc (eidos) “ external
appearance,” from the resemblance of the foliage to that of the Yew ;t
and déertxoc (distichos) “arranged in double rows.”
Taxodium Mexicanum, or 7. Montezume, is the Mexican repre-
sentative of the deciduous Cypress, from which it is distinguished “ by
the less size, fresher green, and more slender and tapering character
of its twigs and leaves.”{ 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 Maria 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 Montezume” by Humboldt, and it is the tree
under which Cortes, the Spanish Conqueror of Mexico, passed the
night§ after the defeat and expulsion of the Spaniards from the city.
Glyptostrobus 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.
The special interest attached to Glyptostrobus heterophyllus is purely
scientific. It is the only representative of the genus at present known,
* Loudon, Ard. et Frut., p. 2484.
+ The resemblance is much greater in the Californian Redwood, formerly called Tawodium
sempervirens.
t Lawson, Pinetum Britannicum, part 36.
§ La noche triste. ‘‘La battalla nocturna en la calzada fue la mas horrorosa y funesta
para los espafioles, é hizo en ellos impresion tan dolorosa, que desde entonces le dieron el
sobrenombre de noche triste.” —Solis Conquista de Mejico, Lib. iv., cap. 19.
218 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
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 yAvmroe (gluptos), “sculptured,” in reference to
the markings on the outer face of the scales of the cone, and orpébog
(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
Glyptostrobus is referred to Taxodium.
Cryptomeria elegans.—A beautiful tree with a robust upright
trunk, furnished with 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 C0. japonica.
ee The cones are not distinguishable
from those of C. japonica.
Introduced from Japan in 1861, by Mr. J. G. Veitch, who met
with 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
Cryptome
“a elegans at Linton Park, near Maidstone.
Present height (1881) 20 fect,
Cryptomeria Lobbi at Dropmore. Present height (1881) 46 fect.
CRYPTOMERIA JAPONICA, 219
retains in all its intensity the glowing crimson hue of (. elegans
during the winter months, with the exception of the pendulous
tips of the branchlets, which continue green.
Cryptomeria elegans is so distinct from’ C. japonica that we have
preferred describing it as specifically different, 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
disappointing in C. japonica, especially during the winter months. On
account of the peculiar and remarkable change in colour which the
foliage undergoes at the end of autumn, together with its pleasing
habit, a first rank among out-of-door winter decorative plants is justly
assigned to it The resemblance of C. elegans during the 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.
Cryptomeria 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, frondose and spreading, the
lower ones deflexed with the extremities ascending; the branchlets
are very numerous, generally alternate, and with 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 marked 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.
Habitat—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. Robert Fortune, who sent
seeds from Shanghai.*
Cryptomeria 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.
920 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
pointed, and more closely appressed to the branchlets. It was
sent to us from the Botanic Garden at Buitenzorg, in Java, by
Mr. Thomas Lobb in 1853.
Cryptomeria japonica nana.—A small procumbent bushy shrub,
rarely exceeding 2 feet in height. It is useful for the 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 araucartoides, dacry-
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 public
roads, especially along the approaches to spots associated with important
historic personages or events. One of the finest of these avenues,
and probably one of the most remarkable of its kind in the world,
is that leading from the town of Namada through Outsonomeya
to Nikko, celebrated as the burial place of one of the greatest of
Japanese rulers 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 averaging 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-Yama, extending
for several miles.
Dr. Siebold has pointed out* that the Cryptomeria introduced
by Mr. Fortune, from China, is not the true Sungi, or Cryptomeria
of Japan, but a variety of it, differing from the Japanese species
in having its branchlets pendulous, and the ultimate branchlets
longer; the leaves are also much longer, more slender, and more
bent. The true Sungi is distinguished by its more spreading and stiffer
* Fl, Jap., Il, p. 48, 1870.
CUNNINGHAMIA SINENSIS. 221
- branchlets, more pyramidal habit, shorter leaves, and deeper green colour.
Seeds of the Japanese Cryptomeria 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 this 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 Cryptomeria japonica Lobli. 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 affect the main fact. It would be a more correct nomen-
clature for the tree at present known in British gardens as C. japonica,
to be called C. japonica Fortune’, and that known as C. japonica
Lobbi, to be called C. japonica,
. The economic value of the Cryptomeria 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 grain, 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 building of
houses entirely of wood, and, on the other hand, the destructive fires
which sometimes lay waste a whole town 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 Cryptomeria develops the fine ornamental qualities it
is seen to possess in its native country, 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 xpumrds (kruptos), “hidden,” and pépos
(meros), “a share or part.” The name was given by Professor Don, on
account of its obscure relationship 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-lke
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 OF THE CONIFER.
late, sharply pointed, rigid, coriaceous in texture, the 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. The 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. Wilham Kerr, under
instructions from the Directors of the East India Company. *
The Cunninghamia cannot be said to have adapted itself to the
climate of England. Although there are specimens of considerable size
scattered over the country, which have withstood the severest winters
known, the tree cannot be considered very hardy. The foliage is
discoloured by the frost of an ordinary winter, and it has accordingly
an unhealthy appearance, which, with its somewhat scantily furnished
trunk and branches, deprives it of the ornamental qualities it undoubtedly
possesses in its native country. With so many disadvantages, the
Cunninghamia 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 Cunningham, who
discovered it in the neighbourhood 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 46péoc (athroos), “crowded together,” and rattc
(taxis), “arrangement,” in reference to the crowded arrangement
of the scales of the cones.
* Loudon, Arb. et Frut., p. 2446,
+ “Errore Arthrotaxts auctorum fere omnium.” Bentham and Hooker Gen. Plant, vol,
iii, p. 430,
THE CYPRESS TRIBE. 223
Athrotaxis cupressoides.—A medium-sized tree, from 30 to
40 feet high, with numerous branches; the branchlets are 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 River, near Marlborough.
Athrotaxis laxifolia—A low tree, from 20 to 25 feet high,
much resembling A. cupressoides, 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 selaginoides.—A low tree or shrub, of variable
height, quite distinct from either of the preceding. The branches
and their ramifications are very 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.
Trigg III.—CUPRESSINEA, 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 spreading 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 and 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 MANUAL OF THE CONIFERR.
only in 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 appressed
to the stem, and arranged in opposite pairs.
The flowers are moncecious 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 spiny pro-
jections, arranged in opposite pairs (decussate), each scale
bearing numerous seeds,
A deviation from some
of these general characters
is seen in the cones of
Thuia and Libocedrus,
which are ovate-oblong,
with the scales not peltate ;
and in the Junipers, in
which the acicular leaves
are arranged in threes, and
in many species of which
the leaves never or only
Fig. 52.—Strobile, or cone, Fig. 53.—Strobile, or cone, partially assume the scale-
of Cupressus muerocarpa, of Libocedrus decurrens. Na- like form. In the Juni-
Natural size. tural size, 3
pers, also, the flowers are
generally dicecious, and the scales of the fruit fleshy, and of a deep
purple colour, giving it a berry 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 Cupressines
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 380th 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
THE CYPRESS. 225
tribe rarely form forests like those of the 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 with that of
the Firs and Pines. There are not many of the species that attain
dimensions large enough to supply planks in sufficient quantity or of
sufficient size to be serviceable beyond the localities in which the
trees are growing, 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 the species and varieties
included in it, that are sufficiently hardy for 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 with white, and
the strong contrast they make to the trees and shrubs of other
Orders, render them among the most attractive as well as the most
popular of garden plants.
I.—CUPRESSUS (Tournefort), Tue Cypress.
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 Retinosporas is a considerable item in Japanese
commerce, and that of Libocedrus tetragona is shipped from southern Chili to many of the
ports of South America on the Pacific coast.
Q
226
A MANUAL OF THU CONIFER.
Being natives of a warmer climate than that of Great Britain,
the Cypresses, with the exception of three 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. Cupressus Lawsoniana and C. nutkaénsis 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 weeping 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 svdpooe (kuparissos), is
the
ancient name of Cupressus sempervirens, the Cypress of Scripture,
Mythology, and the Classical Poets. .
The modern dismemberment of the genus Cupressus, by which three
of the species, together with Retinosporas, are brought under Chamecy-
paris,* does not find favour among British Horticulturists. The sole
character on which the so-called genus Chamecyparis 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 Cupressus Lawsoniana this distinction has completely broken
down, and that the reference of this species and C. nutkaénsis to
Chamecyparis is ‘“‘utterly 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 which 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 Plantarum (Pars. i, vol. iii), Chamecyparis is made a Section
of Thuia (Thuya).
* Chamecyparis from xapat (chamai), ‘‘on the ground,” and. curdotoco i
the Cypress—one of Spach’s numerous creations, a , p e (eipanasns),
+ Botanical Magazine, 1866, Tab, 5587.
THE CYPRESS.
227
Screntiric Name. Synonyms. Topular Namo, Habitat.
CUPRESSUS — FuNé-| Cupressus pendula The Funereal _| North-east
BRIs (Endlicher) (Staunton Cypress China
GovENIANA
(Gordon)
KNIGHTIANA
(Gordon)
LAWSONIANA
(Murray)
+» alba spica|
(Hort.)
», albo-
variegata)
(Hort. Veitch)
x argentea
(Hort. Waterer)
9» argenteo-
variegatal
(Hort. Lawson)
y) aureo-
variegatal
(Hort. Waterer)
>» erecta
viridis
(Hort. Waterer)
>, filiformis
(Hort.)
+ gracilis
pendula
(Hort. Barron)
3, intertexta
(Hort.)
Cupressus californica
(Carriére)
», Hartwegit
(Carriére)
3, elegans (Hort.)
» Lindleyana
(Klotsch)
Chamecyparis Boursiert
(Carriére)
a Lawsoniana
(Parlatore)
Cupressus attenuata
(Gordon)
Cupressus Lawsoniana
glauca (Hort.)
Chamecyparis Boursiert
aurea (Carriére)
Gowen’s Cypress'
Knight’s Cypress
Lawson’s Cypress
The white
speckled Law-
son’s Cypress
The white varie-
gated Lawson’s
Cypress
The silvery
Lawson’s Cypress
The golden varie-
gated Lawson’s
Cypress
The erect Law-
son’s Cypress|
South California
Mexico... ee
North California
Garden variety
Height
1n
Feet.
40 to 50
15— 20
45— 60
75—100
228
A MANUAL Of THE CONIFERZ.
Scrzntir1o Name, Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat.
CUPRESSUS ' one The yellow Law-| Garden variety
LAawsonIana son’s Cypress
Iutea (Hort.
Rollisson)
» nana Chamecyparis Boursieri| The dwarf Law- 9 9
(Hort.)| nana (Carriére) son’s Cypress
” a alba eee vee oe ae! ”
(Hort.)
»» 99 glatical Cupressus Lawsoniana ” ”
(Hort.)} = minima (Hort.)
LUSITANICA Cupressus glauca Cedar of Goa | Portugal and
(Miller) (Lamark) 8.W. Spain
MAcNnaBIANA Cupressus glandulosa |MacNab’sCypress| North California
(Murray) (Hooker)
» nivalis
(Lindley)
MACROCARPA: | Cupressus Lambertiana | The large fruited| South Californial -
(Hartweg) (Gordon)} or Lambert’s
Cypress,
» fastigidta - ie The upright ” ”
(Murray) Lambert’s Cypress
NUTKAENSIS Chamecyparts The Nootka | British Columbia|
(Lambert), mnutkaensis (Spach)) Sound Cypress and Oregon
Thuiopsis borealis
(Fischer)
»» argénteo- 3 Silo Thesilver Nootka
variegata Sound Cypress
(Hort.)
»» — alireo- sia 5 The golden Garden variety
variegata Nootka Sound
(Hort) Cypress
»3 compacta ds The dwarf Nootka) 5 x9
(Zort.) Sound Cypress
» — glatica we The glaucous 1
Nootka Sound
(Zort. :
Cypress
Height
in
Feet.
40— 50
10— 15
50— 60
50— 60
40— 50
4— 6
CUPRESSUS FUNEBRIS. 229
Height
ScrentrF1o Name, Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. in
Feet
CUPRESSUS Cupressus fastigiata The upright South of Europe] 60—100
SEMPERVIRENS (De Candolle)} Roman Cypress) and Asia Minor
(Linneeus)
» horizontalis| 2» Aortzontalis South of Europe} 50— 75
(Parlatore) (Miller) and the Levant;
»» indica ae Whitleyana
(Parlatore) (Gordon)
» — Roylet
(Carriére)
» australis
(Hort.)
THYOIDES Chamecyparis The White Cedar| Eastern States off 40— 70
(Linneus)| spheeroidea (Spach) North America
> 4, glatca Chamecyparis Kewensts Garden variety
(Hort.) (Knight)
” Hoveyi ” Hoveyi
(Hort. ) (Hort. ) ” ”
>» leptoclida| see Retinospora leptoclalda.
» nana Chamecyparis The dwarf White] Garden variety... 1— 2
(Loudon) spheroidea nana Cedar
(Endlicher)
» variegita 3 spheroidea | The variegated “5 o3
(Loudon)| variegata (Endlicher) White Cedar
TORULOSA (Don)| Cupressus cashmeriana | The tufted Himalayas ...| 50— 70
: (Hort.) Cypress}
3 nepalensis
pendula (Hort.)
», Corneyana i Corneyana Corney’s Cypress nea 20— 25
(Carriere) (Knight)
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 OF THE CONIFERZ.
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. *
Habitat—China, the north-east provinces, from the Hang-chow River
to the Great Wall.t
Introduced in 1846 by Mr. Robert Fortune.
The Funereal Cypress first became known to Europeans during Lord
Macartney’s Embassy to Pekin in 1792, when 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 Whey-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 this 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 branchlets are killed and the plant much
disfigured. If seed could be procured from the northern limit of its
habitat, where the rigour of the climate is fully equal to that of ours,
it is highly probable that a hardier race would 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. {
Cupressus Goveniana.—A low tree or shrub, of dense habit,
with spreading branches and bright green foliage; the branchlets
are numerous, irregularly disposed, and slender, the leaves scale-like,
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,
+ Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1850, pp. 228, 437.
f Sir J. D, Hooker, Himalayan Journals, vol. i., p. 315.
CUPRESSUS LAWSONIANA. 23]
when shed, 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 compliment 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 Knightiana is the hardiest of the Mexican Cypresses, and the
only one from that country available for planting in England, but it
requires a sheltered situation. It was named in compliment to Mr.
Knight, of the firm of Knight and Perry, our predecessors at the Royal
Exotic Nursery, Chelsea. It has now become quite rare.
Cupressus Lawsoniana,—A tall tree, attaining a height of
upwards 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 like that of the Deodar, and the foliage deep
glaucous green, which, in the early spring, is relieved by bright
erimson male catkins that are terminal, numerous, and produced
while the trees are still young. The cones or strobiles are about
the size of large peas, and are borne in great profusion.
Habitet.—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 yarieties 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.
282 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Cupressus Lawsoniana albo-variegata.—A dwarf compact
variety, of conical habit. The branchlets and foliage are of the
deepest green, profusely spotted and blotched with white.
It originated in our Coombe Wood Nursery.
Cupressus 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.
Cupressus Lawsoniana argenteo-variegata has many. branchlets
and leaves creamy-white, interspersed among the deep green foliage,
characteristic of the type.
It originated in the Nurseries of Messrs. Lawson, at Edinburgh.
Cupressus 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.
Cupressus Lawsoniana erecta viridis has a fastigiate and
tapering habit, with foliage of a lighter and brighter green than
the species, which it retains through the 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.
Cupressus Lawsoniana filiformis—A singular variety, having
its branches excessively elongated at the expense of the lateral
branchlets. It is of sub-pendulous habit.
Cupressus 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.
Cupressus Lawsoniana intertexta.—A variety more robust in
all its parts, so that the ultimate branchlets appear more divaricate
CUPRESSUS LAWSONIANA. 233
than in the common form. The foliage has a peculiar glaucous
hue quite unlike that of any other variety.
Cupressus 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 awreo-variegata.
Cupressus Lawsoniana nana.—A diminutive variety of slow
growth, dense in habit, globose in outline, and deep green in
colour.
Cupressus Lawsoniana nana alba.—A dwarf compact little
plant, with the whole of the young growth yellowish-white, which
deepens to light green when mature.
Cupressus Lawsoniana nana glauca resembles the variety nana
in its dense dwarf globose habit, but differs in its highly glaucous
foliage.
Cupressus Lawsoniana possesses almost every quality that renders a
Coniferous tree valuable for British gardens. As an ornamental tree, it
is one of the jhandsomest. It is perfectly hardy; the severest winters
that have occurred since its introduction have scarcely affected it. It
thrives in almost every description of soil, wet and cold peat alone
being unfavourable for it. It is remarkably prolific, bearing seed in
abundance even in its young state, which 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, both in
summer and winter. It may be used for almost every purpose for
which Conifers are planted—as a single specimen for the lawn or park,
in groups of its own kind, or intermixed with other trees or shrubs,
for evergreen 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.
Cupressus 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 MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
and clothed with small scale-like deep green foliage, arranged in
four rows, and very glaucescent.
Habitat—Northern California, on the Shasta Mountain.
Introduced in 1852 by the Oregon Association, through their
collector, John Jeffrey.
Jt 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 from 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.
Habitat—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 macrocarpa 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 were called C. Lambertiana, 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. Lambertiana. In 1846, Hartweg, at that
time collecting for the Horticultural Society in California, sent home
seeds of this Cypress under the name of € 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, macrocarpa,
was given subsequently to Gordon’s Lambertiana, 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. Lambertiana and the fastigiate growth
* Gordon’s Pinetum, p. 92,
CUPRESSUS NUTKAENSIS. 235
of the C. macrocarpa of Hartweg are of frequent occurrence, but that
the former and its modifications are the most numerous. —
Cupressus 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 should be allowed ;
the lower branches of some of the finest specimens in England having
attained that length. C. 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 grand 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 nutkaénsis.—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 having a rounded top.* Under culti-
- yation 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. Lawsoniana, 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 foliage.
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 nutkaénsis argenteo-variegata has many of its
terminal branchlets creamy-white, with the laterals more or less
spotted with the same colour.
Cupressus nutkaénsis aureo-variegata has the same habit as
the type, with its green foliage varied here and there by sprigs
of light yellow.
Cupressus nutkaénsis compacta is of dwarf dense growth,
* Dr. Newberry, Pacific Railway Report, p. 63, describes the individuals he saw as “‘trees
of moderate Sy ae much the appearance of Thuia occidentalis, when growing under
the most unfavourable circumstances,”
936 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
having its stem much divided, and its branchlets smaller than in
the species,
Cupressus nutkaénsis glauca differs from the species only in
the appearance of the foliage on which the glaucescence is much
more highly developed.
Cupressus nutkaénsis 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, The Genus Pinus.
It was introduced to European gardens by the late Dr. Fischer, of
St. Petersburgh, under the name of Zhuiopsis borealis, the name by
which it is still generally known among horticulturists. 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 nutkaénsis 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 light, 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, &.” *
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.
Habitat—The Mediterranean region, especially the Levant and
the Greek Archipelago; also westwards as far as the Himalayas.
Introduced into England prior to 1548, 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 are analogous to two similar forms
* Mr. Robert Brown in the Gardeners’ Chronicle,
CUPRESSUS SEMPERVIRENS. 237
in cultivation of the Californian Cupressus macrocarpa. M. Carriére
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 arc connected by intermediate forms, in which the gradations
from one to the other are plainly perceptible.
Many varieties of Cupressus sempervirens have been noticed, and
some of them described as distinct species; but owing 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 Pinetum.
The economic value of Cupressus 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 Romans, 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.t It is still
used for 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 Rome,
that were planted by Michael Angelo (ap. 1474-1563); 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 Cesar. ‘Besides its great age, it is remarkable for having
been wounded by Francis IL, 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 Napoleon, who, when laying down the plan for
the great road over the Simplon, diverged from the straight line to
avoid injuring the tree.”{ M. Carriére states that there still remains
a Cypress near Montpellier over eight hundred years old, and known
to the inhabitants by the name of Arbre de Montpellier. It is the
only surviving tree of the forest of Cypresses that is believed to
* Traité Général des Coniferes, p. 149.
+ Loudon, Arb. ct Frut., p. 2473. $ Idem, p. 2471.
238 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
have once covered the ground sloping towards the south, on which
part of the town is built.*
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.j—A tree of variable height and of pyramidal
and dense habit. The 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 Collinson 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 leptoclada.
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 White Cedar,
The wood is reddish, light, fine in grain, and very durable, and on
* Carritre, Traité Général des Coniferes, p. 149,
‘t+ Cupressus thyoidcs is the typical tree upon which Spach founded his genus Chamecyparis;
Ce eo were subsequently grouped C. Lawsoniana, C. nutkaénsis, and the Japanese
CUPRESSUS TORULOSA. 239
that account much used for shingle, palisades, boat-building, 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 which 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 called 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 forulosa, “tufted,” 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 C. torulosa, that, except in
habit, this plant can scarcely be distinguished from the species to
which we have referred it.*
This Cypress was introduced to British gardens by Messrs. Knight and
Perry, our predecessors at the Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, who left
no account of its origin. In their Synopsis of Coniferous Plants (page
19), they state that it is supposed to be a native of either Japan or
the north of China, a supposition that has not yet been verified.
Cupressus lusitanica.—A tree attaining a height of about 50 feet,
with spreading flexuose branches and numerous incurved scattered
branchlets, clothed with glaucous scalelike pointed leaves. It is popu-
* M. Carriére has also referred it to Cupressus torulosa for the same reason, and states that
it is a native of the Himalayas, but gives no authority.—Traité Général des Coniferes,
p. 151. Mr. Gordon says, ‘‘It is found in Japan and the northern parts of China,” but
quotes no authority.—Pinetum, p. 81.
240 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ:
larly known as the Cedar of Goa, and is supposed to have been
introduced into Portugal from Goa, on the west coast of India, but as
no Gymnospermous plants 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 whence numerous
varieties find their way into English gardens, that generally perish
during the first severe winter to which they are exposed.
II.—RETINOSPORA (Siebold). Tur Japanese Cypruss.
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, with two or three exceptions, to
two well defined forms or species, Retinospora obtusa and R. pistfera,
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. Veitch in 1861, and in the same
year other. varieties were sent to Mr. Standish, of Ascot, by Mr.
Robert Fortune.
The Retinosporas are quite hardy, thriving best in a moist soil and
in a situation not too exposed. The fastigiate and dwarf varieties
require but little space, but Retinospora obtusa and R. pisifera attain
the dimensions of large trees in Japan, and are handsome specimens
for the park as well as for the lawn. 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 fnrivn (rhetind),
“resin,” and oxopé (spéra) “seed.”
The chief characters upon which Siebold founded 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 Lawsoniana are marked with
* Siebold has Retinispora, Flora Japonica, ii., p. 36.
i
| "i 7
Mh
m
Group of Japanese Conifers in Linton Park.
RETINOSPORA. 241
resinous blotches in the same way. Hence it is that Sicbold’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.
In 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—
Filicoides, lycopodioides, and tetragona, are forms of obtusa; filifera,
plumosa, and squarrosa, are forms of pisifera.
ScrENTIFIO NaME.
Synonyms.
Popular Name.
Habitat.
RETINOSPORA
ERICOLDES
(Hort.)
FILICOIDES
(Hort. Veitch)
FILIFERA
(Hort. Standish)
LEPTOCLADA
(Hort.)
LYCOPODIOIDES
(Hort. Standish)
Juniperus ericoides
(Hort.)
Widdringtoniaericoides
(Hort.)
Retinosporajuniperoides
(Carriére)
Chanuecyparis decussata)
(Hort.)
Biota orientalis decussata’
(Hort.)
Retinospora decussata
(Hort.)
obtusa filicoides
(Hort.)
”
» Dpistfera filifera
(Hort.)
1 squarrosa lepto-
clada (Gordon)
Chamecyparis squarrosa
leptoclada (Endlicher)
leptoclada
(Hort. )
spheroides andely-
ensis (Carriére)
a3
a?
obtusa lycopodioides
(Carriére)
Netinospora monstrosa
(Hort.)
Es
The Heath-like
Retinospora
The Fern-like
Retinospora,
The slender-
branched
Retinospora
The Club-moss
Retinospora
Garden variety...
Garden variety
from Japan
Garden variety,
France
Garden variety
from Japan
8— 10
349
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
ScrentiFio NAME.
Synonyms.
Popular Name.
RETINOSPORA
OBTUSA
(Siebold &
Zuccarint)
albo-picta
(Hort)
ted
alrea
(Hort. Veitch)
”
compacta
(Hort.)
a
-y) gracilis aurea
(Hort. Veitch)
nana
(Hovt.)
pygmea
(Gordon)
PISIFERA
(Stebold &
Zuccarint)
alrea
(Hort. )
”
PLUMOSA
(Hort. Veitch)
albo-picta
(Hort.)
>
argéntea
(Hort.)
x
alirea
(Zort.)
”
SQUARROSA
(Stebold &
Zuccarint)
dubia
(Hort.)
a)
TETRAGONA aurea
(Hort. Barron)
Chanveecyparis obtusa
(Endlicher)
(Parlatore)
Retinospora obtusa alba
(Hort.)
Chamcecyparis obtusa
aurea (Carritre)
obtusa nana
(Carriere)
”
Thuia pygmea (Hort.)
Chanvecyparis pisifera
(Endlicher)
(Parlatore)
Retinospora pisifera
argentea (Hort.)
Retinospora pisifera
aurea (Hort.)
Chameecyparissquarrosa
(Parlatore)
Cupressus squarrosa
(Lawson)
Retinospora pseudo-
squarrosa (Carriére)
Retinospora juniperotdes
(Gordon)
Retinospora filicotdes
aurea (Hort.)
The Japanese
Cypress}
The golden
Japanese Cypress
The dwarf
Japanese Cypress
The Pea-fruited
Retinospora
The feathery
Retinosporaj
Garden variety...
Height
Habitat. in
Feet.
Japan se 60— 80
Garden variety...
Garden variety
from Japan
Garden variety...;| 5— 6
9 ”
” ” 3— 5
Garden variety 1— 2
from Japan
Japan wv. veel 50— 80
Garden variety...
Garden variety | 15— 20
from Japan
»% 9 12— 15
cia ” 12— ibd
” ” 15— 20
Japan. vee] LO— 15
yoo vr} 10— 15
RETINOSPORA FILICOIDES, R. FILIFERA. 243
Retinospora ericoides.—A small compact shrub, generally of
conical form, not exceeding 3 or 4 feet in height. The branches
are very numerous, and furnished with short branchlets 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.
We have included this plant among the Retinosporas on account
of its name having become - too firmly 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 ”
form, 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 Retinospora leptoclada “are cultivated in Japan, in pots,
under the name of Nezu” (Pinetwim, p. 363), is without foundation,
as neither of them is known to Japanese horticulturists.
Retinospora filicoides.—A beautiful
tree, resembling in habit R. obtusa, of
which it is a variety. The branches
are thickly furnished with short fern-
like branchlets, of equal size, and
distichously arranged. @The leaves are
closely imbricated in four rows, thick
in texture, and of a rich deep green
colour on the upper side of the
branchlets, and slightly glaucous on
the under side.
Retinospora filifera—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-
ee ee eae cipally on one side with numerous
Stranicls: branchlets 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 green in colour.
244 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
Retinospora lep-
NM toclada.—A low tree
ARG or shrub, of fasti-
K xe giate or pyramidal
tS habit, and _ silvery
Nees bluish- grey foliage.
Zip, i The branches are
“fk " close-set along the
( A K stem, short, sub-erect,
ah OS aid mich. divided:
i he branchlets flattened,
i \ j fern-like, and clus-
Ne tered towards the
JK Dex. extremities of the
\\\e branches and their
f numerous sub - divi-
N sions The leaves
\ : age
aN are of two kinds,
i the primoidial ones
a linear awl - shaped,
\ IN ; recurved, and light
N 4 Wey JE Slaucous green ; the
later ones scale-like,
closely appressed to
the branchlets, and
deeper in colour.
~
Fig. 55.—Retinospora filifera.
The shrub cultivated in this country under the name of Retinospora
leptoclada originated many years ago in the Nursery of M. Canchois,
at Andelys, in France. It appeared among a batch of seedlings of
Cupressus thyoides, 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 Chamecy-
paris spheroidea 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. Carriére, under the name of R. leptoclada, and
which he affirms to be distinct from the Andelys plant,* is unknown
to us. His statement that it “habite le Japon, d’ot elle fut importée
“Il wa aucun rapport avec la plante que la plupart des horticulteurs vendent sous ce
méme nom Retinospora leptoclada.
RETINOSPORA OBTUSA. 245
en 1861, par M. Veitch fils” (Zraité, p. 139) rests on no evidence
’ that we possess.
As a garden shrub the Retinospora leptoclada 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. The
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 are
about half an inch in
Fig. 56.—Retinospora obtusa.
diameter, and composed of eight or ten scales, arranged in opposite
pairs, each scale having an umbo or small protuberance on the
exterior surface,
246 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
Retinospova obtusa is one of the most useful timber trees in Japan ;
the wood is light, white, fine in grain, and susceptible of a high
polish. The Japanese show the high estimation in which they hold
this tree by selecting its wood for the construction of their shrines
and temples. Retinospora timber 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, &, it is
also used in shipbuilding. As an ornamental tree &. obtusa has
long been cultivated in Japan, where many beautiful and distinct
varieties of it have been obtained. One of the purposes for which
it is planted in that country is for the formation of avenues, in
which its fine proportions are very effective. In England it should
be planted only for ornamental purposes, and always in a moist
retentive soil, and sheltered from the north and north-east.
Retinospora obtusa albo-picta resembles the ordinary form in
habit, 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 habit than the
type, and has 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, with 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 BR. obtusa.
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 with short
branchlets, which with their foliage when first formed, are 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
Tt. obtusa.
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 pygmea,.—A singular little bush, rarely
RETINOSPORA PISIFERA, 247
exceeding 1 foot high. It spreads horizontally on all sides, 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 R. obtusa 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 pisifera,
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 Jt. obtusa; in colour they
are light fulyous green above and marked with two glaucous lines
248 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
beneath. The strobiles or cones are about the size of small peas,
which suggested the specific name—pea bearing.
The timber of Retinospora pisifera is like that of R. obtusa, 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. obtusa.
Retinospora pisifera aurea has the whole of its foliage and
young growth of a rich golden-yellow. It is a very pretty variety,
quite distinct from R. plumosa aurea 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 decoration ;
they are among the best
of Conifers for geome-
tric and formal gardens,
Fig. 58.—Retinospora plumosa. and also for winter and
permanent bedding.
Retinospora plumosa albo-picta.—A variety of the preceding, in
RETINOSPORA SQUARROSA. 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-
age of a light glaucous
green, suffused with 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.
Fig. 59.—Retinospora squarrosa. Grown at Linton Park.
Retinospora squarrosa is described by Sicbold as a species which is
said to grow wild (sponte nascens dicitur), on Sukejama in the island
250 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
of Kiusiu (#0. Jup., ii, p. 41). The figures and description which he
gives of the fructification are, however, so nearly identical with those
of FR. pisifera as to raise doubts as its being specifically distinct.
Moreover, we have seen plants of R&R. squarrosa with branches having
R. pisiferu foliage, thereby unmistakeably indicating its real affinity: It
is, in fact, a variety of &. pisifera, in which the primordial or acicular
foliage only is developed. We have analogous forms in &. ericoddes, Biota
meldensis, Cupressus funebris in its young state, and others,
Retinospora squarrosa dubia.—A small compact bush, with
glaucous light green foliage. The leaves are generally larger and
more erect than those of the preceding; the secondary branches less
furnished with spray and the branchlets more rigid.
Like the preceding, it is most probably a “juvenile” form of Retinos-
pord pisifera,
Retinospora tetragona aurea.—A dwarf slow-growing plant,
“with horizontal branches, tufted 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 nseful plant for the rock garden.
It originated in the Nursery of Messrs. Barron & Sons, at Borrowash,
near Derby,
ITI.—BIOTA (Hndlicher), Toe Cainese Arpor Vira.
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 :—
The trunk is usually much divided, the branches numerous,
and turned upwards, the ultimate branches much ramified,
frond-like, erect, and parallel 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 wingless seeds.
It is upon the lastmamed character chiefly that the generic distinction
THE CHINESE ARBOR VITA, 251
of Biota rests; in Thuia the seeds are winged. The generic separation
of the Chinese from the American Arbor Vite by Endlicher, although
adopted by Parlatore and others, has not generally found acceptance.
By Mr. Bentham and Sir J. D. Hooker both are referred to Thuia
(Thuya).—Gen. Pl. vol. 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 many
interesting varieties have been raised, some of which have been
introduced to British gardens. The common form was first brought
to Europe about the middle of the eighteenth century, by French
missionaries; it has been in cultivation in England since 17852.
Biota from ior) (bioté), meaning “living” or “mode of life,”
a lengthened form of ioc (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,
Height
ScrentirFic Name, Synonyms, Popular Name, Habitat, in
Feet.
BIOTA onzentais | Thuia orientalis The Chinese China and Japan| 18— 25
(Don) (Linneeus) Arbor Viti
»» argenteal 3, argentea (Hort.) Deg Garden variety...| 15— 18
( Hort.)
>, aurea », @urea (Hort.) The golden ” ” 5— 6
(Hort.) » compacta aurea | Chinese Arbor
(Hort.) Vite
y» attreo- »» variegata (Hort.)| The variegated mw. os 15— 18
variegata Chinese Arbor
(Hort.) : Vite
»> decus- | See Letinospora ericoides
sata
(Hort.)
», clegan- | Thuia elegantissima vee ” ” 5— 6
tissima) (Hort.)
(Hort. Rollisson)
», faledta », falcata (Hort.) wits ” ” 6— 8
(Lindley), Biota falcata (Hort.)
3, japonica] ,, orientalis Sicboldi vii Japan
(Stebold) (Endlicher)
33 japonica (Hort.)
252
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
ScreniiFic Name,
Synonyms.
Popular Name,
Habitat,
BIOTA oRIENTALIS
Biota meldensis (Hort.)
Garden variety
meldénsis | Thuia meldensts (Hort.)
(Hort.), Retinospora meldensis
(Hort.)
», pendula} Biota pendula(Lambert) ” ”
(Parlatore)) ,, filiformis
(Loddiges)
9» sSemper- one one eee ” ”
auréscens
(Hort.)
», Zuccari- 3 ra
niana
(Zort.)
Biota orientalis—A low tree or shrub of pyramidal, but very
frequently of columnar habit, attaining a height of from 18 to 25
feet in its native country, and seldom more in Europe under culti-
vation. It is easily distinguished from the American Arbor Vite
by its denser habit and foliage of brighter green.
the commonest and most useful of garden shrubs.
It is one of
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 arly spring, of a rich golden-yellow, which
gradually changes by age to the bright green of the species.
This valuable variety originated in the Nursery of Mr. Waterer, at
Knap Hill. It is generally known under the name of Thuta auret,
and is one of the most ornamental and popular of all the varieties of
Biota orientalis,
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 Nursery of M. Dauvesse, at Orléans, in France.
BIOTA ORIENTALIS. 253
Biota orientalis elegantissima.—A dwarf variety, of fastigiate
habit; the branchlets 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 Nursery of Messrs. Rollisson, at Tooting.
Biota orientalis falcata.—A variety of dense conical habit, from
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. Veitch 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 meldensis is a “juvenile” form in which the
leaves are never scale-like as in the species. According to M.
Carriére,* it originated at Meaux, about the year 1853, from seed of
B. orientalis, gathered in the cemetery of Trilbardon, near that town.
It was supposed to be a hybrid between the Virginian Red Cedar and
the Chinese Arbor Vite, because, in the cemetery in question, several
trees of these two species are planted side by side. But as analogous
forms of Biota and allied genera are in cultivation whose origin is
known, this hypothesis is unnecessary.
Biota orientalis pendula shows a wider departure from the type
than any variety yet obtained; the branches are elongated into
flexible, pensile cord-like appendages, with few ramifications, and
* Traité Général des Coniferes, p. 103.
254 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER
clothed with alternate opposite pairs of subulate decurrent leaves—
larger, wider apart, and less appressed than in the species.
This curious 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 were 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 pendula, bearing fruit in all respects like that of B. orientalis,
On inquiry, it was proved to him that plants of B. orientalis, which
were pointed out by the Curator of the Garden, had been raised from
seeds of B. pendula, thus showing, beyond all doubt, that B. ortentalis
and B. pendula ave 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 awrea. The foliage and terminal
growth are of a golden hue, which they retain throughout the
season. :
It originated in the Nursery of M. Lemoine, 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 (Tournefort). Tas Amurican Arsor Virz.
The 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 imbric&ted scales in opposite
pairs, of which two only are fertile, with two winged seeds at the
base. The Thuias are natives of North America, and are spread
* At Messrs. Loddigts’ Nursery, Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1861, p. 575.
+ Carridre, Traité Général des Coniferes, p. 101.
% Communicated to the Gardeners’ Chronicle for 1861, p. 575.
w
THE AMERICAN ARBOR VITE, 258
over the continent from Canada and New England to British
Columbia 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.
All the Thuias are perfectly hardy in England; they are among
the most useful of Conifers on account of the numerous purposes for
which they may be planted, and the variety of soils in which they
thrive ; but generally preferring in their native country, low lying,
moist situations, as the banks of rivers or streams, the shore of lakes,
&e., they are also found to thrive best in Great Britain under
similar conditions. Under cultivation, the Thuias are polymorphous,
and several distinct varieties have originated in gardens both in
England and America.
Thuia is from @viz, 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
Vite (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 orthography ; Thuya is that of Tourefort, the
founder of the genus. We have preferred the original form as being
the most free from ambiguity, and which is also adopted by Carriére.
qi Height
Scrznti710 Name. Synonyms, Popular Name, Habitat. in
Feet
THUIA GIGANTEA Thuia Menziesis Lobb’s Arbor N.W. America | 50 to 150
(Nuttall) (Douglas or Vite
Carriere)
5, Lobbt (Hort.)
OCCIDENTALIS = Pee The American | Canada and New} 40— 50
(Linneeus) Arbot Vite/ England States
7 Elwangeriina Retinospora ate Garden variety ;
(Hort.) Elwangeriana
(Gordon)
Thuia occidentalis
ericoides (Hort.)
33. Hoveyi 45 globosa (ort.) ae OF
(Hort.)
256 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
Height
Screntivi0 NAME. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. an
eel
THUIA ocorwEnrauis| Thuia “ George Pea- Garden variety
lutea body” (Hort.)
(Hort.) », elegantissima
(Hort.)
», pendula The pendulous ” ”
(Gordon) Arbor Vite
», variegata is’ as The variegated ‘5 5 25— 30
(Hort.) Arbor Vite
>, Vervaeneana The new Belgian es 35
(Hort.) Arbor Vite
PLICATA (Don)| ;, + stbirtca (Hort.)) The Siberian N.W. America | 18— 20
x» occidentalis Arbor Vitel and E. Siberia
plicata
(Loudon) 7
»» dumdsa x antarctica és I~ 38
(Gordon) (Hort.)
» minima (Hort.)
+» pygmea (Hort.)
» variegata 1» Wareana varie- oe Garden variety | 18— 20
(Hort.) gata (Hort.)
STANDISHII Thuiopsis Standishit ae Japan
(Gordon) (Gordon)
Thuia gigantea
(Parlatore)
WaAREANA (Hort.) a Japonica Ware’s Arbor Garden variety | 49— 60
(Maximowicz) Vite
» tartarica
(Lodiges)
GIGANTEA (Hort. ), eee Libocedrus decurrens.
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 River, but ranging from
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 foliage are of a glossy bright green, a
Do es € MGC
Fite att
Lil,
Coe a :
Lig.
Oe bay
be
%
G0
See
% +
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Thuia gigantea (Lobbi) at Linton Park. Present height (1881) 50 feet.
THUIA LOBBI. 257
colour they retain through the winter months, and by which this
species is easily distinguished from 7. occidentalis.
Habitat.— North-west America, between latitudes 45° and 55° N.,
and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. It attains its greatest
developement in the neighbourhood of the Columbia River.
Introduced by us in 1853, through our collector, William Lobb.
Thuia Lobbi 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, Mr. McNab, 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 be mentioned an atrovirens, a pumila, a variegata,
&c., names sufficiently indicative of the character of the varieties to
which they are applied.
The economic value of- Thuia Lobbi in its native country is
considerable. “Its timber is fine grained, bright. yellow, and much
used for building purposes. The natives at Nootka Sound manufacture
their cloaks of its inner bark, which- 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 other 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 proximity to ornamental water where the soil is not
waterlogged ; it is also one of the best Conifers for the formation of
evergreen hedges. :
Thuia Lobbi ig described under the name of T. gigantea by some
writers, and J. Menziesii by others,t while the name under which we
distributed it is generally adopted by horticulturists. By Carriére and
Hochstetter, the Libocedrus decurrens of Torrey is described under the
name of Thuia gigantea, and by this name that tree is generally
known among horticulturists in Great Britain. There is, therefore, a
confusion in the nomenclature of the two species, which it is very
desirable should be got rid of. It originated in this manner :—A
~ few years previous to the introduction of 7. Lobbi to British gardens,
Nuttall, an American botanist, published his Plants of the Rocky
Mountains. At page 52 of that work, a Thuia is described under
the name of TJ. gigantea, which some refer to our 7. Lobbi, and
others { to the Lcbocedrus decurrens of Torrey, discovered during the
* Sir E. Belcher, Voyage Round the World ; ex Gordon, Pinctum, p. 402. But it is quite
probable that Cupressus nutkaénsis may be the tree Sir Edward refers to, see p. 236.
+ Carritre, Traité Général des Coniferes, p. 107. Henkel and Hochstetter, Nadctholzer,
p. 281. Pinacee, by Senilis, p. 67.
t See Parlatore, Prod. xvi-, p. 457; A. Murray, ‘in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1873, p.
1717; Gordon, Pinetum, p. 402; Hugh Fraser's Handy Book of Conifers, p. 151.
8
2
8
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
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, John Jeffrey,
without a name, a few months earlier than 7. Lobbi was received
by us at our Exeter Nursery, from William Lobb. The Oregon
Committee named Jeffrey's tree 7. Craigiana, 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 Carriére’s
name, J. gigantea, became generally current in English gardens.
T. Lobbi was not distributed till three or four years later. The
late Mr. James Veitch finding a TZ. gigantea already in cultivation,
and desirous of paying a well merited tribute to the exertions of
Lobb, selected this beautiful Thuia to perpetuate his name.t 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.
Wiiu1am Lops was born in the eastern division of Cornwall, in the
year 1809. The place is unknown, nor is anything known of his
early life When a young man, he applied himself to gardening, and
obtained a situation as gardener to Mr. Stephen Davey, of Redruth,
whose horticultural establishment appears to have been on a modest
scale, but which, under Lobb’s management, became thoroughly 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 was
quick of observation, ready in resources, and practical in their appli-
cation. While 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 which 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 Orgéos Mountains, 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. Murray, in The Garden, vol. ii., p. 542.
+ Aérides Lobbi, Bolbophyllum Lobbi, Aschynanthus Lobbi, Cryptomeria Lobbi, and
ees Lobbi, are 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 Ayres, and then proceeded to Chili by crossing the great
Pampas of the Argentine Republic 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 Araucaria imbricata.
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. Veitch, and sailed again for Brazil in April of the following
year. After sending home from Rio Janeiro, a consignment of plants
which he had collected in southern Brazil, he once more proceeded to
Valparaiso, for the purpose of exploring southern Chili, at that time
but little known to Europeans, except along the coast. Here a rich
harvest awaited him. Among his earliest successful introductions from
this region were Lapageria rosea,t Escallonia macrantha,t Embothrium
coccineum, § Philesia buxifolia,|| Desfontainea spinosa,{1 and many other
beautiful plants still 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
Libocedrus tetragona, Fitzroya patagonica, Saxe-Gothea conspicua, and
Podocarpus nubigenus, “four most interesting Conifers for this country,
after Araucaria imbricata, that South America produces.”** Nor must
we omit mention of Berberis Darwinit,tt which was first introduced to
British gardens by 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 firm friendship that
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 Emgland, 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
Horticultural Society of London, three years previous, but the plants
raised from them were distributed among the fellows only. It was,
therefore decided that. Lobb 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
* Bot. Mag., Tab, 4262. + Idem, 4473. + Idem, 4447. § Idem, 4856.
|| Idem, 4738. 4" Idem, 4781. ** Tdem, 4616. tt Idem, 4590.
+t Loudon, Arb. ct Frut., pp. 2249, 2251, 2266, 2344,
260
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
summer of 1849, and at once made arrangements for exploring southern
California. Lobb’s experience as a collector, his indomitable perse-
verance and courage, which was deterred by no danger, no toil, or no
ptivation, enabled him to surmount difficulties and accomplish enter-
prises during the succeeding seven years of his collecting excursions
through California and Oregon, which were scarcely equalled by
Douglas himself. One of the first fruits of his expedition to southern
California was the successful introduction of Abies bracteata.* During
the years 1850-1, he sent home consignments of cones and seeds of
Pinus insignis, P. muricata, P. Sabiniana, P. macrocarpa, P. tubercu-
lata; also of many shrubs and flowering plants, some of which were
quite new to British gardens. In the autumn of 1851 he extended
his operations further north, and collected cones and seeds of the
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Pinus Lambertiana. P. monticola, &e.
In 1852 he made an excursion to the Columbia River and Oregon,
where he succeeded in obtaining seeds of Abies Douglasii and A.
nobilis, still rare at that time in England, and the beautiful Thuia
named after him. Returning through north California, he collected
seeds of Abies grandis, A. magnifica, which he sent home under the
name of A. amabilis, believing it to be the A. amabilis of Douglas,
A. concolor (lasiocarpa), the first received in England of that fine Fir,
Juniperus occidentalis, Pinus ponderosa, &e. In 1853 he explored the
Sierra Nevada, whither he was led by the reports of the discovery of
trees of extraordinary magnitude, and which 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 with him two living plants, which were
afterwards planted out in our Exeter Nursery, where they survived
but three or four years.¢ Lobb returned to California in the autumn
of 1854, and from that time up to the end of 1856 he continued
to send home consignments of plants and seeds. In 1857 his engage-
ment with Mr. Veitch terminated. He remained, however, in California,
and sent collections of seeds to England from time to time. In
1863 he was seized with paralysis, and lost the use of: his limbs,
which probably his long journeyings in thinly populated countries, and
consequent exposure to all weathers, had predisposed. He died at
San Francisco in the autumn of the same year.
Lobh’s labours and journeyings as a collector of new and rare plants
extended over a period nearly as long again as that of any of the
excellent and fearless men who have ventured their lives in similar
missions ; the distance he travelled, the fatigues he encountered, and
* Bot. Mag., Tab. 4740. It is w remarkable fact that no seeds of Abies bracteata were
received in England alive till more than twenty-five years afterwards.
+ The statement .of a correspondent in the Journal of Horticulture for January 25th,
1877,
is incorrect.
THUIA OCCIDENTALIS. 261
the privations he endured, doubtless exceeded theirs 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 his 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 enough
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 Vite. A
medium-sized tree, of pyramidal habit, from 40 to 50 feet in height.
Tt has a rapidly tapering trunk furnished with branches at irregular
intervals ; the secondary branches are numerous and frequently
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.+”
Introduced into England prior to 1597, in which year it is men-
tioned by Gerard as “growing in his garden very plentifully.”+
Under the name of “Cedar,” the timber of Thuta occidentulis ig much
used in Canada and the adjoining States for fencing and out-door car-
pentry. Mr. Rowan observes,§ “That the wood of J. oveidentalis 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 miles of
Cedar forest in Lower 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
* Si iting the above we have received from our respected correspondent, Professor
Segee oe ee Massachusetts, seeds of a Ribes from Vancouver's Island, labelled
Ribes Lobbi (Gray), but figured and described in the Botanical Magazine, Tab. 4931, under
the name of Lt. subvestitum. This is truly 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.
+ Dr. Asa Gray, Botany of the Northern States, p. 472.
+ Historie of Plants, p. 1369.
§ The Emigrant and Sportsman in Canada,
262 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
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
known in England it would be largely imported.”
The common Arbor Vite 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 awrea, 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-
vaeneana.
It originated in the Nurseries of Messrs. Maxwell, of Geneva, New
York, and is generally known in American gardens under the name of
George Peabody’s Arbor Vitee.
Thuia occidentalis pendula.—In this variety the principal
branches are recurved towards the trunk, and the branchlets are
tufted at their extremities,
Thuia occidentalis 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 Vite. During
the growing season, all the branchlets, which are more slender than
in the species, are tinged with a deep golden-yellow, which changes
in winter to a brownish-orange,
It originated in the Nursery of M. Vervaene, at Ghent.
THUIA PLICATA, T. £TANDISHIT. 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 pairs,
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 dwarfest 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 foliage of a bright golden-
yellow.
Thuia Standishii—A medium-sized tree, with the habit of the
common Arbor Vite, 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.
Intreduced 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 Thuia Standishti of British gardens is derived from a culti-
vated form only, which is of smaller size and somewhat more dense
in habit than the wild tree, which has only recently been met with
in the locality named above. By Parlatore, 7. Stundishit is referred
' * Parlatore (Prod., xvi., p. 458), observes of Thuia plicata, ‘‘Species in hortis frequens
sed indigend vix nota et melius in patria investiganda. A T. occidentali, cui valde affinis
et cujus forte varietas hortensis, ramis secondariis ob folia marginalia navicularia et per-
sistentia compresso-ancipitibus et fere alatis, ramulis crassioribus et longioribus strobilo-
rumyue paulo majorum squamis angustioribus presertim videtur diversa,
264 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
to T. gigantea (T. Lobbi), Prod., xvi. p. 457; but from this 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 TZ. Lobbi, in common with all the American
Thuias, emit a powerful aromatic fragrance when bruised or rubbed,
T. Standishii gives out an odour more like that of the bruised
foliage of Bivtu orientalis or Thuiopsis dolabrata, which is anything
but agreeable.
Thuia Wareana.—A low tree, of dense habit and conical out-
line, with short horizontal or ascending branches, having the
ultimate branches clustered towards their extremities, and frequently
erect and parallel as in Biota. The branchlets and foliage are of
a much deeper green than either J. plicata or TY. 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 in the Nursery
of Mr. Ware, at Coventry.
V.—THUIOPSIS (Siebold 5 Zuccarini). .Tuz Japanese Tuvia.
Thuiopsis is a beautiful Japanese tree, of which there igs but. one
species, distinguished by the following characters :—
The 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 Ova (thuia), and ¢c (opsis) “ appearance,’ from
its resemblance to the Thuia, in which genus it is now included
by Mr. Bentham and Sir J. D. Hooker (Gen. Plant., vol. iii., p. 427).
Thuiopsis dolabrata at Ashridge Park, the seat of Karl Brownlow.
THUIOPSIS DOLOBRA'TA. 265
Scrent1F1c NameE. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. in
Feet
THUIOPSIS sorzatis! see Cupressus nutkaénsis
DOLABRATA Thuia dolabrata The Japanese | Japan ... | 40— 50
(Siebold & Zuccarini) (Thunberg) Thuia
4 letevirens Thuiopsis dolabrata The dwarf Garden variety,
(Lindley) ‘nana (Hort); Japanese Thuia from Japan
»» vVariegata ee age The variegated af ”
(Fortune) Japanese Thuia
Thuiopsis dolabrata.—A beautiful pyramidal tree, varying in
size according to the situation in which it is growing. “In a
young state, until it attains the height of from 15 to 18 feet,
nothing 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
foliage being more luxuriant than when exposed to the sun.”
The habit and aspect of Thutopsis dolabrata vary very considerably.
On the mountain slopes in central Japan, at~ from 6,000 to 8,000
feet clevation, it is a straggling shrub, 8 to 10 feet high, forming
an undergrowth to Abies Veitchii and A. Muarivsti, and not unfre-
quently mixed with Rhododendrons and dwarf Maples. Lower down,
and in the plains, it takes an arborescent form with stouter branchlets
and leaves.
Thuiopsis dolabrata was first made known to Europeans by Thunberg,
in 1784. The first living plant received in England was sent to our
Exeter Nursery 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 Mr. J. G. Veitch, and later in the
same year, Mr. Robert Fortune, sent plants and seeds to the Chelsea
and Ascot Nurseries respectively, that this fine Conifer became generally
distributed. As an ornamental tree for British gardens, if takes a
high rank; its growth is at first rather slow, but when established
in a good moist loamy soil, and protected from piercing winds, its
* Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1855, p. 241.
266 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
progress is satisfactory ; under such circumstances, it is one of the
finest of lawn trees.
The specific name dolabrata, “shaped like a hatchet,” refers to the
peculiar form of the leaves.
Thuiopsis dolabrata letevirens—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-
bling 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.
VI—LIBOCEDRUS (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 bearmg 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 \vEavoc (libanos), the name of a tree from which
the ancients obtained frankincense, but which has not been satis-
factorily identified by modern botanists, and xédpoc (kedros), “ the
Cedar.” The name has reference to the fragrance of the wood.
* Prod., xvi, p. 464,
LIBOCEDRUS CHILENSIS. 267
|
Sorentiric Name, Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat. Height
Feet.
LIBOCEDRUS Thuia cuneata The Chilian Chili .. —...! 50 to 60
CHILENSIS (Dombey) Arbor Vit
(Endlicher)| ,, chilensis (Don)
DECURRENS » gigantea The Californian | California ves} 120—140
(Torrey) (Carriére) White Cedar
» Craigiana
(Balfour)
Calocedrus californica
(Kurz)
Donrana Thuia Doniana Don’s Arbor New Zealand ...| 60—100
(Endlicher) (Hooker) Vite
Deacrydium plumosum
(Don)
TETRAGONA Thuta tetragona The Alerze Patagonia and 40— 80
(Endlicher) (Hooker) Chili
_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.t
As a timber tree Libocedrus chilensis is much valued in its native
country ; its wood is soft and easy to work, but the planks are only
used for indoor carpentry.t 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 large 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.
+ Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1850, p. 489.
+ Su madera es docil y soave para trabajar, pero solo se hace con ella cuartones que
girven para trabajo interior de las casas.—C. Gay, Idem, p. 407.
268 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
ing a height of from 120 to 140 feet, with a trunk 6 to 7 feet
in diameter near the base, and free of branches for 70 to 80 feet
of its height.* The general form is conical, the trunk tapering, the
branches horizontal, with the extremities ascending; the branchlets
frondose, 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. Newberry the wood of Libocedrus decurrens is of
similar character and of about equal economic value as that of Thuia
occidentalis. 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 planted in’ sheltered situations,
even in the south of England and Iveland. In its young state, it is
a beautiful conservatory plant.
Libocedrus tetragona.—A tree or shrub of variable form,
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, Murray, in The Garden, vol. ii., p. 542,
FITZROYA PATAGONICA. 269
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—vValdivia, in southern Chili, the island of Chiloe,* and
the Andes of Patagonia, as far as the Straits of Magellan.t
Introduced by us in 1849, through William Lobb.
Libocedrus tetragona is the Alerze of the Chilians, by whom it is
justly valued as one of the most important timber trees of their
country. The wood is almost indestructible by the weather, boards
and shingle that have 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
carpentry. Alerze timber is exported in considerable quantities from
Valdivia and Chiloe to the various ports along the Pacific coast of
South America. From the thready 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 their
skiffs and small craft water-tight.{ ZL. tetragona has, up to the present
time, generally failed in England, and has now become “quite rare.
VII—FITZROYA (Sir J. D. Hooker). Tur Patacontan 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
dicecious, 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.
By Sir W. Hooker, Fitzroya was considered to be nearest allied to
the Japanese Thuiopsis, but Parlatore places it next to Diselma, a
* Claudio Gay, Historia del Chile, v., p. 408. + Prod., xvi., p. 455.
+ De la corteza filamentoza se obtiene una estopa incorruptibile dentro del agua, y que la
gente del pais utiliza con mucha ventaja para tapar Jas junturas de sus Piraguas. C. Gay, v.,
p. 408.
270 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
rare and remarkable dicecious Conifer, also including but a_ single
species found in Tasmania. By Bentham and Hooker the Diselma is
now referred to Fitzroya as a second species.
The genus is named in compliment to Captain FitzRoy, by whom
it was first discovered, when in command of H.M. surveying ship
“ Beagle.” *
ScrenTrF10 Name, Popular Name. Habitat. leg
FITZROYA PATAGONICA The Patagonian Cypress | Western Patagonia | Variable
(Sir J. D. Hooker) |
Fitzroya patagonica.—A fine tree, of from 50 to 80 feet high,
on the rocky precipices of the Andes below the snow line; 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
Inbocedrus tetragona, with which it is frequently 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.t As an ornamental tree in this country, its
character is sufficiently stated in the above description. It is worthy
of notice that the young plants of Fitzroya growing in Great Britain
bear female cones in great abundance, 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 Thuia.
* 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 he accepted. The ‘‘ Beagle” returned to England in 1836.
+ A section of a plank of Fitzroya, brought home by William Lobb, and 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 3c. in. to the oz. A similar section of a plank of the
Alerze (Libocedrus tetragona) of precisely the same size, is found to be of the same weight.
THE JUNIPERS, 271
VIII.—JUNIPERUS (Linneus). Tus Juntrsr.
The Junipers are: medium-sized or low trees, of fastigiate or
columnar habit, and bushy shrubs, 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 Tribe, the branches of the Junipers are
not frondose, 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 Cypress, Thuia,
&c. Often both kinds are seen
on the same plant at different
stages of its growth. The. Juni-
pers are dicecious, but exceptions
are sometimes met with, and in
such cases the staminate and
ovule bearing catkins are borne on
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 number of its parts
below what is usual in the Order
to which the genus belongs.” Like other Conifere, 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 galbuli.* 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
* Eng. Cyclopedia, iii., p. 310,
Fig. 60.—Fertile branchlet of Juniperus thurifera.
272 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS,
pea. The resinous odour common throughout the Junipers is more
concentrated in the galbuli than in any other part of the tree.
The economic properties of the Junipers are not very numerous,
and they are restricted to a few of the species, and applied to still
fewer purposes. The wood is light, fragrant, and of a reddish-brown
colour, and that of one or two American species (Juniperus Virginiana
and J. Bermudiana) sufficiently close grained to be employed in the
manufacture of “Cedar pencils.” The berries of the Savin are used
as a diuretic in medicine; and those of the common Juniper in large
quantities for flavouring gin.
As the species and varieties are numerous, and show considerable
differences in some of their characteristics, the Junipers may be
divided into sections, chiefly-in reference to the form of the leaves
and fruit; 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.—Oxzycedi?, 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
fect in height. The common Juniper (Juniper communis), may be
conveniently taken as the type of this section.
IlL.—Sabinie, 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. Many of the kinds
in this section are dwarf or prostrate shrubs, of these the common
Savin (Juniper Sabina) will serve as the type. Others are low trees,
with the Savin type of foliage or some modification of it.
II.—Cupressoidew. 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 imcreases 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
(Juniperus chinensis) 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 JUNIPERS.
273
Section I.—Leaves acicular, generally in whorls of three, on the adult plant
spreading.
Sorgntiric Namx. Synonyms, Popular Name, Habitat,
‘
JUNIPERUS Juniperus communis |The Canadian | Canada...
CANADENSIS} canadensis (Loudon) Juniper
(Loddiges)
cOMMUNIS Juniperus vulgaris The Common Northern Europe
(Linneeus) (Bauhin) Juniper] and Asia, as far
south as the
Himalayas
»» compréssa re compressa, “i Pyrenees
(Carriére) (Rinz)
yy cracdvia The Cracow or | Poland ..,
(Loddiges) Polish Juniper
»» hibérnica’| Juniperus stricta (Hort.)| The Irish Juniper| Ireland (?)
(Loddiges) 3, hibernica
(Loddiges)
») nana » alpina — The dwarf or Europe and
(Loudon) (Gaudichaud)) Alpine Juniper} Northern Asia
+ minor montana
(Bauhin)
», sibirica (Hort.)
», oblénga — », oblongata The Caucasian | The Caucasus ...
(Loudon) (Hort.) Juniper
» interrupta
(Hort.)
sudcica 5, suecice(Hort.)| The Swedish Sweden...
(Loudon) » fastigiata Juniper
(Knight),
DRUPACEA Arceuthos drupacea The Arceuthos or| Asia Minor
(Labillardiere) (Antoine)| the Syrian
Juniperus latifolia Juniper
arborea (Tournefort)
HEMISPHERICA | Juniperus echinoformis |The hedgehog | South of Europe
(Pres!) (Rinz) Juniper (Alpine)
+ «communis
hemispherica
(Parlatore)
Height
in
Feet.
2 to 5
12— 15
1— 3
12— 15
15— 20
j=
2— 5
10— 12
20— 25
1—
274
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ,
f Height
SorentrFro Name, Synonyms, Popular Name, Habitat. at
eet.
JUNIPERUS Juniperus wmbilicata | The large-fruited| Central Europe | 10— 12
MACROCARPA (Grenier) Juniper]
(Sibthorp) » — Spheerocarpa
; (Antoine)
» Lobelli
(Gussoni)
NEABORIENSIS » Spheerocarpa Garden variety.,.| 10— 12
(Lawson) (Antoine)
OXYCEDRUS x rufescens The prickly South of Europe} 10— 12
(Linnceus) (Link) Cedar
RIGIDA . fe The stiff-leaved | Japan .. ...) 15— 20
(Stebold) Juniper
Juniperus canadensis.—A dwarf spreading bush of inelegant
habit, seldom exceeding a yard in height, found in Canada,
Labrador, and the territory around Hudson’s Bay, where it may be
regarded as the representative of the common European Juniper,
which it resembles, especially the Alpine form (J.
communis nana), “but it is easily distinguished from it by its
much narrower, sharper pointed, and paler foliage, and by the
silvery band on the upper surface.’ *
much
It is a useful plant for the rock garden, but is frequently much
infested with red spider.
Juniperus communis.—The common Juniper of Britain and the
Kuropeo-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 ;
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 jit 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
are concave and glaucous on the upper side,
on
but convex and
* Gordon, Pinetum, p. 129.
JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS AND VARIETIES, 275
green on the under. The fruit is used in considerable quantities
on the Continent in the preparation of gin, and in medicine it
is a powerful diuretic.” *
The common Juniper is not unfrequent in a wild state in England,
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 bush 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, erect, and grow close together ;
the leaves are short, thin, and bright green.
It is one of the smallest of Conifers; 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 with 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 branchlets covered with short, sharp pointed,
needle-like leaves, glaucous above and green beneath. It is found
in all the Alpine districts of northern Hurope and Asia, from
* Dr. Lindley, Eng. Cyclop., iii., p. 311.
+ Hence hibernica compressa, the name under which this variety is frequently found in
nursery lists, is an hibernicism.
276 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Scotland to Kamtchatka,* and in America on the shores of the
Great Lakes and northwards.t}
Juniperus communis oblonga is a procumbent bush, with
slender branches and branchlets clothed with long attenuated leaves
of a deeper and brighter green than the common kind.
It is a native of the Caucasus.
This variety rarely thrives well in England. It is very distinct as
regards the colour of its foliage, and it sometimes takes an erect habit.
Juniperus communis suecice.—The Swedish Juniper 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 Juniper varies, but it is always
formal, sometimes it is columnar, 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 breader 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 be 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.
Habitat—The mountains of northern Syria, Mount Taurus, places
in western Asia at from 8,500 to 5,000 feet of elevation.
Introduced into European gardens in 1854, by Theodor Kotschy.t
A very handsome and distinct Conifer, suitable for lawns, either as a
single specimen or for grouping with other kinds.
Juniperus hemisphzerica,—A dense little rounded bush of singu-
lar appearance, with short rigid leaves, resembling those of. the
common Juniper, and quite glaucous. It is a native of Mount
* Prod., xvi, p. 480.
+ Dr. A. Gray, Flora of Northern States, p. 474. ~ Nadelhilzer, p. 810.
JUNIPERUS OXYCEDRUS, J. RIGIDA, 277
Hina, in 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 British gardens under this name is
evidently a variety of Juniperus communis. We have not been 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 with sharp spreading needle-like leaves.
Juniperus oxycedrus may be distinguished from the common Juniper
by its somewhat broader and shorter leaves with more prominent white
bands on the under side. In Great Britain, owing to climatal causes,
it attains but small proportions, has an inelegant habit, and is quite
destitute of any ornamental qualities.
Closely allied to Juniperus oxycedrus aro J. Cedrus, a tall tree, native
of the Canary Islands, and J. brevifolia, a bush 10 to 12 feet high,
inhabiting the Azores, neither of which are 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 of
threes. The foliage and young growth, which is slender and pen-
dulous, are of a lively light green, with a perceptible tinge of yellow,
to which is superadded a glaucous hue peculiar to this species,
*'Carritre, p. 16,
278
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
These tints subside to a bright cheerful green as the foliage arrives
at maturity, a colour it retains through the winter months.
Habitat—Japan, on Mount Hakone, at Atame on the east coast,
and under cultivation.
Introduced into England in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Veitch.
The ornamental qualities of Juniperus rigida are of a high order.
The
graceful habit and appearance 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 grouping with other shrubs.
Section II—Leaves generally closely appressed, scaly in form, and
imbricated in the type.
Sete Height
Screntirio Name. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat. in
Feet,
JUNIPERUS Juniperus orientalis The Greek or Greece, Asia 20 to 40
EXCELSA fatidissima | Crimean Juniper ‘Minor, and
(Bieberstein) (Tournefort) Afghanistan
1 =religtosa
(Royle)
3, stricta 1» — excelsa glauca Garden variety
(Hort. Rollis- (Hort.)
son)
PROCUMBENS » prostrata The Carpet Canada and
(Pursh) (Michaux) Juniper] Northern United
» Sabina States)
humilis
(Hort.)
+9 repens
(Nuttall)
RECURVA (Don) +» nepalensis ‘ibe Himalayas...) 10— 30
(Hamilton)
» «recurva densa
(Hort.)
» repanda
(Hort.)
Sasina (Linneus) » cupressifolia |The Savin __,,.| South of Europe 5— 8
(Aiton)
»» tamarisci- » Sabintoides | The Spanish Spain ... 1— 2
folia (Endlicher) - Savin
(Aiton)
» Variegata ale Ae The variegated | Garden variety
(Loudon)
Savin
THE SAVIN JUNIPERS.
Scirentiric Name. Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat. Hsieh
Feet.
JUNIPERUS Juniperus dumosa The scaly-leaved | Himalayas 1— 3
SQUAMATA (Don) (Wallich)| Nepal Juniper
sy Tecurva,
squamata
{Parlatore)
THURIFERA »» hispanica The Incense Spain and 15— 25
(Linneus) (Miller) Juniper] Portugal
VIRGINIANA io was The Red Cedar | North America | 10— 60
(Linneeus)
y) aureo- 1 virginiana | The Golden Red | Garden variety
variegata aurea Cedar}
(Hort.) (Hort.)
1, Bedfordiana + gossain- ae 2 7
(Knight) thantana
. _(Loddiges)
1 «virginiana
barbadensis
(Gordon)
3, dumdsa » adumosa The Bushy Red |Garden variety
(Loddiges) (Hort.) Cedar|
», glaica » argentea The Silvery Red 5 is
|(Zort.) (Hort.) Cedar
», pendula >» Chamber- The Weeping ‘3 3
(Zort.) laynet Red Cedar
(Hort.)
» «= virginiana
pendula
viridis’,
(Hort.)
»» Schotti s» Schotti tee Ph ”
(Hort.) (Hort.)
» «virginiana
(Hort.)
», tripartita » bripartita - ” ”
(Hort.) (Hort.)
Juniperus excelsa.—A symmetrical pyramidal
height from 20 to 40 feet, according to situation.
tree, varying in
In the Haridb
280 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
district in Afghanistan, it is a large tree, forming fully half the
forests at 9,000 feet elevation. The bark peels off in long fibrous
strips, which are collected and employed by the natives for
making pads for carrying their water jars on, and for other
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.
Habitat—The Greek Archipelago, and the sub-alpine districts of
Asia Minor, also Armenia and Syria (Mount Lebanon).*
Introduced in 1806 by Sir Joseph Banks,
The distribution of Juniperus excelsa is very extensive. Beyond the
limits of the region named above, a variety of it has been met
with in northern Persia; it also occurs in Arabia, Afghanistan, Beloo-
chistan, and the Himalayas, as far east as Sikkim.t In the neigh-
bourhood of Quettah, it grows near the summits of the limestone
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 J. procera, but which
is believed to be a form of J. excelsa.t This probably marks the
southern limit of the Junipers in the Eastern Hemisphere.
A Juniper has been introduced from the Himalayas, under the name
of Juniperus religiosa, so called by Dr. Royle, from its being associated
with the religious rites of the natives. M. Carri¢re considers it to
be only a variety of J. excelsa (Traité, p. 40); but by Parlatore, it
is referred to J. chinensis (Prod., xvi, p. 488). The specimens in
British gardens are scarcely distinguishable from the typical form of
J. excelsa.
Juniperus excelsa stricta differs from the species in having a
more tapering outline and more glaucous foliage. The plant is of
a greyish-white colour, slightly tinged with the bluish-green common
to the tribe.
‘The pleasing colour and symmetrical habit of this variety, render
it very ornamental. It originated in the Nursery of Messrs. Rollisson,
at Tooting.
Juniperus procumbens.—A creeping spreading shrub, never
* Prod. xvi., p. 484. + Sir J. D. Hooker, Himalayan Journals, i., p. 256.
% Arbor excelsa, Junipero excelsce affinisy sed ab illa satis distincta:—Prod. xvi.; p. 486;
JUNIPERUS RECURVA, J. SABINA. 981
rismg above a few inches from the ground, closely resembling
the common Savin in the colour of its foliage, with the young
growth more glaucescent. 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 Wisconsin, and along the upper course of the Missouri.
Dr. Siebold affirms that it is also found in Japan, not only in
cultivation, but also abundantly in a wild state on the mountains 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 Bhotan, but in the valleys, a tree 30 feet high,*
It is a very distinct species with recurved, pendulous, feathery
branchlets, clothed with loosely imbricated pointed leaves, generally
in threes, of a greyish-green colour; intermixed with these are
the rusty-brown chaffy or withered persistent leaves of the preceding
year, which, with the pendulous branchlets, give the plant a
drooping and sickly but picturesque appearance.
The dicecious character of the Junipers is often shown by a marked
dissimilarity in habit or appearance in the different sexes of the same
species. Juniperus recurva is an instance of this. In this species the
mas or male form is more dense, dwarfer, and the foliage looser
than in the famina or berry bearing form, which is more open, and
has the branchlets and small growth more pendulous and the leaves
more closely appressed 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 shrub-
beries, well known as a bushy much branched shrub of spreading
irregular habit. The branchlets are entirely covered with small,
scale-like, imbricated leaves, emitting a very disagreeable odour when
bruised. The berries are 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 1548, as it appears in Turner’s
“ Names of Herbes,” published in that year.
* Sir J. D, Hooker, ew Prod., xvi., p. 482:
282 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
The Savin and its varieties are essentially mountain plants, and
thrive best in light soil in sunny and airy situations. The common
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-
white 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 with 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 from 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.
Habitat——Spain on the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia; Portugal
near Cape St. Vincent; Algiers near Medina.*
Introduced in 1752 by Miller.
Juniperus virginiana is the Red 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 deep glossy green to a light
glaucous green, with many intermediate shades, tinged with red,
* Prod., xvi, p. 487.
JUNIPERUS VIRGINIANA. 283
yellow, or brown. In its most familiar aspect it is a medium-
sized tree of pyramidal form, with branches that are at first erect
or sub-erect, afterwards horizontal, and in old trees frequently
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 like those of
the common Savin. The berries, which are no larger than small
peas, are dark blue, covered with 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 1664, by Evelyn.
The Red Cedar is distributed over a large extent of country.
“From Lake Champlain it spreads through the Atlantic States without
interruption to Florida, and thence round the Gulf of Mexico to
beyond St. Bernard’s Bay. Further inland it is less common, but it
occurs abundantly on the mountain slopes of Nevada, and it has been
seen even further west; it is also met with in Texas and New
Mexico. Closely allied forms also occur in the Bermuda _ islands.
(Juniperus bermudiana), and Mexico (J. mexicana). In so ex-
tensive a range the Red Cedar varies much in form and colour of
foliage ; in dry and sterile rocky places in the Northern 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 type as a representative one for the
whole species. M. Carritre* is of opinion that this variety of form
is an effect of the dicecious character of the plant.” Il y a des
individus exclusivement males, d’autres exclusivement femelles, et d’autres
enfin qui, & des degrés differents, portent les deux sexes. Ce qui est
encore & remarquer, c’est ce que ces caractéres agissent sur le facies,
et qu’elles donnent souvent aux plantes un aspect particulier. Cette
particularité, qui probablement s’applique & d’autus espéces de Juniperus
pourrait peut-étre expliquer la multiplicité qu’en a faite d’espéces qui,
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 which it is applied in America are numerous. The
matured or heart wood is of a fine red colour, whence the popular
name of the tree; it is of close texture and fine in grain, admitting
of a high polish; it is also very fragrant, on which account it is
employed in cabinet work and inlaying; it is durable, and free from
the attacks of insects; it resists for a long time the action of water,
* Traité de Général Coniferes, p. 47.
284. A MANUAL Of THE CONIFERZ.
and was much used by the earlier colonists and settlers 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, which 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 wood of the Bermuda Juniper has
hitherto been preferred, but which is now becoming too scarce to supply
the demand. The average growth of the Red Cedar in England is
not more than from 12 to 15 feet in ten years, and the tree does
not often attain a timberlike size, except in deep and rich soils that
could be far more profitably cropped by other vegetation, so that it
cannot be recommended for planting in this country for the sake of
its timber. As an ornamental tree for the shrubbery its qualities are
well known, 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 branches, 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 (Pinetum, p. 156), states that it is a native of Barbadoes and
other West Indian Islands, but quotes no authority in support of the
statement. It was extensively distributed by Messrs. Loddiges, under
the name of Juniperus gossainthanianq, thereby indicating a Himalayan
origin, which is accepted by M. Carriere (Traité, p. 45), but 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 bright green during the growing season, The
leaves are for the most part acicular, either opposite or in threes,
others are scale-like and closely imbricated.
Juniperus virginiana glauca.—The Silver Juniper of gardens,
* Loudon, Ard. e¢ Frut., p. 2497, ex. Michaux.
JUNIPERUS VIRGINIANA, ETC. 285.
A free-growing variety, with branches more slender than in the
usual type. The branchlets and their foliage during the growing
season are of almost silvery whiteness, which changes in winter to
a pale green.
Juniperus virginiana pendula.—‘‘There are three forms of the
pendulous Red Cedar to be found in collections: one of the male
form, another the female, and the third a bright green one. The male
kind has shorter and much more numerous branchlets, while the
female one has longer, more slender, and much fewer branchlets ;
the third variety is of a light glossy green.” *
Of these forms the fremina is the best; the foliage is richer in
colour than in the other two forms, and although the branches springing
from the trunk are horizontal, the branchlets have the pendulous
character strongly developed.
Juniperus virginiana Schotti—A variety of pyramidal habit,
distinguished by its peculiarly 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 height of from 40 to 50 feet. The foliage is dimorphous ;
on the young plants the leaves are acicular, and arranged in threes,
but 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 except in a young state—being too tender to endure severe
winters,
From Juniperus bermudiana 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 Bermuda an old
Cedar tree, the diameter of whose trunk was 58 inches.t
Juniperus davurica.—A low spreading shrub, native of Siberia.
Introduced in 1791,¢ but now rarely seen in this country. The Juniper
met with in collection under this name is Juniperus canadensis, or a
variety of J. communis. §
Juniperus pseudo-Sabina.—A low shrub, resembling the common
* Gordon, Pinetum, p. 156. + Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1872, p. 1035.
$ Loudon, Ard. et Frut., p. 2500. § Gordon, Pinetum, p. 141.
286
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Savin in habit and aspect, found on the Altain mountains, whence it
was introduced into Europe through the Imperial Botanic Garden at
St, Petersburgh, *
It is quite rare in England,
Section III.—Leaves both acicular and scale-like on the same plant at
different stages of growth.
ScrentiFio Name. Synonyms, Popular Name. Habitat.
\ ,
JUNIPERUS Juniperus dimorpha | The Chinese China and Thibet
CHINENSIS MAS (Roxburgh)| Juniper, male
(Linneeus) mG taxifolia form
(Hooker)
» femina 1 cernua The Chinese ” ”
(Linneeus) (Roxburgh)| Juniper, female
» —_ flagelliformis form
(Reeves)
sy albo- sa The variegated | Garden variety,
variegita, Chinese Juniper China
(Fortune)
>> atirea a Young’s golden | Garden variety...
(Hort, Young) Chinese Juniper
JAPONICA Juniperus procumbens | The Japanese Japan see tn
(Carriére) (Siebold) Juniper
»> aurea The golden Garden variety,
(Fortune) Japanese Juniper Japan
19 aUreO- The variegated | Garden variety...
variegata Japanese Juniper
(Hort.)
OCCIDENTALIS Juniperus excelsa The western California,
(Sir W. Hooker) (Pursh) Juniper] Oregon, &e.
. dealbata
(Loudon)
oy californica
(Carritre)
3 pyrtformis
(Lindley)
5) venusta
(Hort.)
59 Sragrans
(Hort.)
* According to Parlatore, ‘‘ Species a Juntp
confundenda.”—Prod., xvi., p. 482.
Height:
in
Feet.
20— 25
20— 25
8— 5
8— 5
8— 5
10— 50
ero Sabind valde distincta nee cum aliqua
JUNIPERUS CHINENSIS. 287
Screntiric Name. Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat.
‘eet
JUNIPERUS _ mn be a New Mexico
PACHYPHLGA
(Torrey)
PHENICEA Juniperus bacciformis |The Pheenician | Greece, Asia 15— 18
(Linneeus) (Carriére) Juniper Minor, &c.
i Langoldiana
(Hort. )
Cupressus bacciformis
(Weldenow)
SPHERICA Juniperus Fortunet The globular- North China ...| 25— 30
(Lindley) (Hort. Van Houtte)} fruited Juniper}
a chinensis
Smithii
(Loudon)
»» Sheppardi » ~~: Spheerica Sheppard’s North China
(Hort.) glauca Juniper
(Fortune)| -
Juniperus chinensis.—A low or medium-sized tree, of erect or
elongated pyramidal habit, with short branches and dimorphous
foliage. It is dicecious, each sex presenting an aspect distinct
from the other. The mas 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. The foemina or female form has its branches longer, more
distant, and more spreading than those of the male; the leaves
are in opposite pairs, short, scale-like, and closely imbricated P
the berries are small, of a brownish-violet colour, and rarely contain
more than three seeds. The dimorphous foliage is common to both
forms; acicular leaves are frequently found on the small side shoots
and lower branches of the foemina; 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. 488, ex Webb et Griffith.
288 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
Introduced in 1804,*
The Chinese Juniper is one of the most useful of small evergreen
trees for the shrubbery and for ornamental planting generally ; for
single specimen for small lawns the mas form should be preferred.
It is quite hardy, and thrives in every description of soil not too
wet.
Juniperus chinensis aurea.—A Dbeantiful 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 Nurseries of Mr. Maurice
Young, at Milford, 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 by Mr. Robert 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 the 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 are scale-like and bright green.
Juniperus japonica aurea has 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 clothed with spray and foliage.
Juniperus japonica aureo-variegata is quite 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.
* Carriere, Tratté Ginéral des Coniferes, p. 31.
JUNIPERUS OCCIDENTALIS. 289
Juniperus occidentalis.—A tall tree or low shrub, according
to the situation in which it is growing. In the 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 different localities within this region. Also east of the
Rocky Mountains from Utah to Texas.
Introduced in 1889.+ .
A variety called utahensis is abundant in the State of Nevada.
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
growth owing to the dryness of the climate. Another variety called
monosperma occurs at Pike’s Peak, Colorado, and extends through
western Texas and New Mexico to Arizona. A third variety named
conjungens ig an important timber tree of western Texas, where it forms
forests of considerable extent.
Juniperus pachyphlcea.—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.
Habitat.—The mountains of western New Mexico and Arizona.
Juniperus pachyphiea 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’ Chronicle, 1855, p. 420.
+ Loudon’s Encyclopedia of Trees, p. 1090, but this date is probably incorrect. It was
either introduced earlier by Douglas, or later by Hartweg, as there is no record of any
trees and shrubs being introduced from California between 1832 and 1846,
U
290 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
habit will be found to vary. J. pachyphloa is certainly a remarkable,
but can scarcely be called a handsome species. Parlatore observes of
it, “J. occidental’ valde affinis et forsan ejus varietas.”
Juniperus phoenicea.—A low tree or shrub-like bush, of conical
or pyramidal habit. Its stem is furnished with numerous slender
branches much divided 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 dicecious character
of the Junipers is frequently departed from in J. phenicea, 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
yellow 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 spherica combines the upright mode of growth of
J. chinensts with the habit of J. phanicea 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 peculiarity as J. phenicea in
often departing from the dicecious 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,*
Hubitat.—North China. :
Introduced in 1846 by Mr. Robert Fortune.
Juniperus spherica 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.
«
* Parlatore remarks that ‘‘ Juniperus spherica difert a J. chinense floribu ici i
erassioribus, brevioribus, subtetragonis; foliis subpatulis et glandula ale vel mubriuids
prope basin preditis, et precipue galbulis majoribus.”—Prod., xvi., p. 488.
THE YEW TRIBE. 291
Trisz IV.—TAXINEA, Tue Yew Trisz. (Tawvads),
Amidst much variety in habit 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
(Salisburia) they are expanded into a fan-like shape, striated
with veins of uniform thickness, and notched at the edges.
The flowers are moncecious or dicecious and solitary; 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 (monospermous) and not collected into
cones as in the other Tribes; the seed is usually enclosed in
a fleshy covering.
The Taxads are resinous, like other Conifere, 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 (Podocarpus
Totara) in New Zealand, Dacrydium Franklinii in Tasmania, Podo-
carpus cupressinus in Java, &.
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 Dacrydiwm, Phyllocladus, Sawe-Gothoea, &c.
I.—TAXUS (Tournefort). Tue Yuw.
The essential characters of Taxus are sufficiently ‘indicated above.
As regards its distribution, the Yew is rarely met with beyond the
292 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
limits of the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, over which
it is sparingly spread. referring elevated situations often to an
altitude of from 4,000 to 5,000 feet, it nowhere forms a continu-
ous forest like 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 Court. Here an extensive area is covered with
Yews, almost unmixed with other trees and shrubs, except a few
Junipers scattered here and there through the grove. The aspect of
some of these Yews is peculiar 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
thickly furnished with branches from the ground 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 which, except the outside trees,
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 foliage. On entering
the thicket 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, the 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 Downs, near Chichester, and another on the North Downs, in
a slight hollow of the hill, near Guildford. Numerous 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, Evershed, in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1876, vol. vi, p. 99,
THE YEW AND ITS VARIETIES. 293
Sweden and Norway, as far as latitude 60° N ., but 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 Cilicia, in Armenia, and as far eastwards as the River Amour.*
On the Himalayas, “it occurs as high as 10,000 feet, and spreads
east from 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.”+ It is frequent
in Canada and the north-east States, and locally met with in
Florida, California, and Oregon. t
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 Channel, in
which, if there be any truth in bones, the elephant, rhinoceros, and
beaver roamed,” ||
Taxus, the Latin name of the Yew, from the Greek raéoc (taxos),
which, from rdeow (tasso) “to arrange,” probably in reference to the
two rowed or distichous arrangement of the leaves, or probably from
réov (toxon) ‘‘a bow,” the wood being used in ancient times for
making bows.
Yew, or Yeugh. In Chaucer and other old authors, ewe; in
Aubrey’s Wilts, eugh ; Anglo Saxon, iw; German, eibe; Spanish, iva
and tejo; French, if; Welsh, yw; Media Latin, ivus, iva, or ua,
“an abbreviation of ajuga, which was a misspelling of abiga, a plant
mentioned by Pliny as being the same as yapaimirug (chamaipitus) so
called from its causing abortion. These names of the Yew we find so
inseparably mixed up with others that mean Ivy, that dissimilar as
are the two plants there can be.no doubt that their names are, in
their origin, identical How they came to be attached to these trees,
the Yew and the Ivy, is the difficulty.” (Prior, Popular Names of
British Plants).
In the following synoptic table the varieties placed under Taxus
baccata originated in Great Britain, or in continental nurseries.
* De Candolle’s Prod., xvi., p. 500.
t Sir J. D. Hooker’s Himalayan Jowrnais, vol. ii., p. 25.
$ Dr. Asa Gray considers the Canadian Yew to belong to the same species as the Old World
Yews ; the very local one in Florida is slightly different ; that of California and Oregon differs
a very little more. Address to American Association of Science, 1872.
§ Dr. Ramsay, Physical Geology of Great Britain, p. 184.
|| H. Evershed in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1876, vol. vi., p. 99.
294
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
Screntiric Namez.
Synonyms.
Popular Name.
TAXUS ApPRissa
(Knight)
59 erecta
(Hort. Standish)
» variegata
(Hort.)
BACCATA
(Linnecus)
>> aurea
(Hort.)
», Dovastonii
(Loudon)
» elegan-
tissima
(Zort.)
», erecta ~
(Loudon)
39 ericoides
(Zort.)
» fastigidta
(Loudon)
ay 9» atirea
(Hort. Standish)
35 y) aureo-
marginata
(Hort. Fisher)
3, fastigidta
argenteo-
variegata
(Carriere)
Taxus tardiva
; (Lawson)
Cephalotaxus tardiva
(Siebold) (?)
Taxus baccata micro-
phylla (Jacques)
» parvifolia
(Wendworth)
re brevifolia
(Hort.)
Taxus Dovastonit (Hort.)
», pendula (Hort.)
Taxus baccata pyrami-
dalis (Hort.)
9, empetrifolia
(Hort. )
» microphylla
(Hort.)
»» habernica
(Hort.)
Taxus fastigiata argentea’
(Knight)
The flat-headed
Yew
The Common
Yew!
The golden Yew
Dovaston’s or the
Westfelton Yew
The upright Yew
The Heath-like
Yew!
The Irish Yew
The golden Irish
Yew
The silver Itish
Yew
Habitat. in
Feet.
8 to 10
Garden variety
a” ”
Europe and Asia} 380— 45
Garden variety
2 ” 30— 35
”? cP)
” a” 20— 25
” 23 4 — 5
ai 20— 25
Garden variety
THE YEW AND ITS VARIETIES. 295
Screntiric Na: i Hsiaht
ME, Synonyms, Popular Name, Habitat. in
Feet
TAXUS Baccara as vs The yellow- ais 25— 80
» fructu- berried Yew
liteo
(Loudon)
» nana Taxus Foxit (Knight)| The dwarf Yew “ 3—.5
(Hort.)
» Nigra » baccata glauca | The glaucous
(Hort. Paul) (Carriére)| Yew, or Blue John|
BREVIFOLIA » Lindleyana The Californian | California and 30— 60
(Nuttall) (Murray) Yew Oregon
», occidentalrs
americana)
(Douglas)
3» Boursierit
(Carriére)
CANADENSIS », baccata cona-' |The Canadian | Canada and 5 — 15
(Wildenow) densis (Loudon) Yew| north-eastern
» baccata minor States
(Michaux)
3 procumbens
(Loddiges)
» -Variegata ieee The variegated | Garden variety...
(Hort.) Canadian Yew)
7 Washing- Taxus canadensis awrea| Washington’s a.
tonii (Hort.)| Canadian Yew
(Hort.)
CUSPIDATA aa avs The Japanese Japan se «| 15— 20
(Stebold) Yew
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.
habit and want of a leader.
The origin of Taxus adpressu is uncertain,
It is called the flat-headed Yew on account of its spreading
It is a very distinct Yew.
It is generally believed
to have been introduced from Japan, but our collector failed to meet
with it in that country, either in a wild state or in cultivation.
A
higher degree of probability is attached to the supposition of its having
originated in a once famous nursery in north-east London.
296 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Taxus adpressa erecta is an upright variety of the preceding
which 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, m
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 growing, and presenting @
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,
ay. enclosed in a glutinous scarlet envelope or
Fig. 61.—Fructification of the Common pericarp, open at the top, through which
Yew. (1) Male or staminiferous flower ;
(2) Pouale or gvalatontas dover, (@, the nut protrudes. The fruit-bearing trees
Ga” Gor aowian Ge Gace at Gee OBE very handsome in autumn when covered
iia with their bright coloured berries.
The Yew, like the Juniper, is dicecious relatively—not absolutely—
intermediate degrees of fertility being constantly met with. Thus some
trees are annually covered with fruit, others bear but little—certain
branches only being fertile, while others, again, never produce any.
Many individual trees are completely dicecious, 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 somewhat more
rapid than that stated by Loudon.
* Arb, ct Frut., p. 2069.
THE COMMON YEW. 297
The wood of the Yew is exceedingly hard and close-grained, of a
beautiful reddish-brown, susceptible of a high polish, and very durable,
tough, and elastic—qualities that were turned to account during many
centuries in 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, &. The
spray and foliage of the Yew are poisonous to cattle. The berries are
glutinous, and have a sweet taste; they are often eaten by children
without being followed by harmful consequences. The kernel, too, is
edible, and has a bitter flavour not unlike 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 would be more correct
to say, the building of churches and abbeys in proximity to large and
full grown 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 where the Yews were already standing.*
The true cause of the association, in this country at least, is not, we
think, difficult to be found—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 Yew 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 known 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 following are celebrated :—
* There was a very ancient Yew in the churchyard of Kirkheating, near Huddersfield.
The inhabitants of the village have 4 tradition that the church (which dates before 1245)
was built to the tree, and not the tree planted to the church. It was living in 1864, but
is now dead.—G. Roberts, in Science Gossip, 1875, p. 70.
298
A MANUAL OF THE CONITERS.
The Fountains Abbey Yews, in Yorkshire, are very aged. The
Abbey was founded in 1132. The monks are said to have taken
shelter under the Yews growing 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. The trunk, quite hollow, is upwards
of 30 feet in circumference at 3 feet from the ground. ;
Among the fine old Yews in Gresford churchyard, in Derbyshire,
is one supposed to be 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 upwards of 60 feet.
In the churchyard of Darley, in Derbyshire, is a venerable tree,
30 feet in circumference. The trunk, which is hollow, is only
regular and straight to about 10 feet from the ground when it
divides into several large limbs, two of which are erect and the
others spreading. It is a female or berry-bearing tree, and believed
to be upwards of one thousand two hundred and fifty years old.
In the churchyard of Tisbury, in Dorsetshire, is an enormous
Yew tree whose trunk is 37 feet in circumference. It is quite
hollow, and the interior is entered by means of a rustic gate.
The Crowhurst 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 hollow,
and has been fitted up with a table in the centre and benches
around it for as many as sixteen persons.* :
Other very ancient Yews are to be seen at Hurstmonceaux, in
Sussex ; at Withycombe, in Devonshire; at Marden, in Hereford-
shire; at Manhilad, near Monmouth; on the North Downs, near
Guildford, in Surrey, &.t
The association of the Yew with early English History is varied and
important. Venerable trees still mark the spots where great events
have taken place, and others are associated with the names of historic
personages. The Ankerwyke Yew, near Staines, witnessed the con-
ference between King John and the English Barons in 1215, and in
sight of which Magna Charta was signed. It is 272 feet in circum-
ference, and most probably its age exceeds one thousand years old.
Under the Loudon Yew, in Ayrshire, it is said that Bruce bestowed
the ancient castle and estate on the Loudon family, and on the same
spot, some centuries afterwards, John, Earl of Loudon, signed the Act
of Union between England and Scotland. This tree is over 40 feet
high, with a trunk 4} feet in diameter at 12 feet from the ground.
* Science Gossip, 1874.
+ The above are a few instances selected from many. ‘The reader desirous of further
information should refer to Loudon’s Arb. et Frut., pp. 2073—2082; to the pages of
Setence Gossip, for 1873-4-5; the Gardeners’ Chronicle, &e,
THE COMMON YEW. 299
In a much wider bearing the Yew played a prominent part in our
early history, as supplying the material of which the bows 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, &. Every student of English
History can point to great events in which the Yew bow played a
foremost part. It was essentially the Saxon weapon both for warfare
and the chase ; and during the earlier part of the Norman supremacy
was often used with deadly effect by the oppressed natives to rid
themselves of their tyrannical 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 bow was fatal to
several English Kings, to Harold at Hastings, to William Rufus in the
New Forest, and to Richard Cour 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 Agincourt were won chiefly by 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 war.
The association of the Yew with gardening in England began early
in the sixteenth century. It was brought into prominent notice
towards the end of the century by Evelyn, who claims the “ merit”
of being the first to introduce the fashion of clipping it into artificial
shapes, which became general during the next century. It was first
used in the formation of hedges for purposes of utility, but the dense
growth it assumes when pruned, its apparently unlimited duration, and the
readiness with which it may be cut into many shapes without imparing
its vitality, soon led to its being extensively used in topiary work,
which had been previously confined chiefly to the box and juniper. The
dark dense foliage of the Yew, and its more robust and taller growth
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 Yews into geometric figures, and also into the figures of
birds, beasts, and even the human shape, became for a time a very
prevalent practice, which reached its height towards the close of the
* Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, Tales of Robin Hood, &c, See, also, the learned and eloquent
Thiery in his Conquete de Angleterre por les Normands,
300 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
seventeenth and during the early part of the eighteenth century. The
popularity of the Yew as an ornamental garden plant during this period
may be partly accounted for by the paucity of evergreen trees and
shrubs at that time available,* and the desire for variety created by
the taste for gardening which 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 which one kind
of tree was made to take, but into which 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
which they were originally cut and trimmed. Some of the most
remarkable of these are to be seen at Leven’s Hall, Westmoreland,
where the topiary foible of our horticultural predecessors is still main-
tained in all its quaint antagonism to Nature.t
Not less striking 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 thé common Yew, either dividing
parts of the grounds from each other, or enclosing spaces devoted to
special subjects ; and of single specimens, both of the common Yew
and its golden variety, cut into conical pyramids of uniform 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 Elvaston
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 view afforded by the
river Derwent, in its winding 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 Yew clipped into the figure
* The number of native evergreen trees and shrubs may be counted on the fingers, thus—
Yew, Scotch Pine, Juniper, Holly, Privet, Ivy, Butcher’s Broom, Spurge Laurel, and Mistleto
(the Box is a doubtful native), and up 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, Savin, Arbor
Vite, Evergreen Oak, Sweet Bay, Laurustine, Portugal Laurel, Phillyrea, and Arbutus.
+ 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 figures of the British Lion ; Queen Elizabeth and ladies; the J udge’s Wig, a
number of Yews planted ina half circle, so as to form an arbour by bringing the branches over
the top in 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 figures within the prescribed shape
and size, a proof of the astonishing tenacity of life possessed by the Yew.
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Topiary work at Elvaston Castle, near Derby.
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THE YEW AND ITS VARIETIES. 301
of a bird or a quadruped; the peacock * appearing to have been
popular with the yeomanry, and the fox and greyhound with the inn-
keepers.
The Yew sports into many varieties and sub-varieties, from which
those given in the synoptic table have been selected as being useful
and distinct ornamental kinds, and including some valuable additions
to the resources of the gardener and landscape planter.
The specific name baccata, “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 Dovastoniii—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 upright varieties,
it supplies a quaint subject for contrast in the garden.
The origin: of the Dovaston Yew is thus given by Loudon t—“ The
Westfelton 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, John Dovaston, a man without education, but of unwearied
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, each branch in
every direction dangling in tressy verdure downwards, the lowest ones
to the very ground, pendulous and playful as the most graceful birch
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 Yew tree, and the lonely Hall.
Tennyson’s Enoch Arden,
+ Arb. et Frut., p. 2082,
302 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA,
still flourishing, and in 1876 the circumference of its branches was
found to be 72 feet, girth of trunk 74 feet, and height 34 feet.*
Seedling plants raised from the 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 was introduced by Messrs. Fisher, Son, and Sibray, of the
Handsworth Nurseries, 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 deep
green leaves, which are not distichously arranged like those of the
common Yew, but are scattered around the branchlets. It is the
Trish 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 qualities of this shrub during the autumn months.
The following account of the origin of the Irish Yew is taken from
the Gardeners’ Chronicle for 1873, p. 1336, where it is reprinted from
the People’s Journal, as it appeared in one of a series of chapters
entitled, “A Visit to the Eastern Necropolis” (at Dundee), by a writer
under the nom de plume of “Norval,” dating from Rossie 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 The Garden, vol, ix., p. 341,
THE IRISH YEW. + 803-
ments breaking the monotony of the grassy ranges. 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 interest to many.
Here it is, and I quote
from the MS. in posses-
sion of Lord Kinnaird—
‘Above one hundred
years ago, Mr. Willis,
farmer, of Aghenteroark,
in the parish of Kill-
esher, county of Fer-
managh, found upon his
farm on the mountains
above Florence Court,
two plants of this tree.
These he dug up, and
planted one in his own
garden. He took the
other down to his land-
lord at Mount Florence,
where it was planted.
The tree that was
planted in his own
garden remained there
till the year 1865, when
it died. The other is
still alive at Florence
Court, and is the one
from which the millions
of plants now distri-
buted in all parts have
sprung. The first cuttings’ were given by my father, the Earl of
Enniskillen, to Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, then the largest Nurserymen
about London,’ Signed, Enniskillen, Rossie Priory, September 8, 1867.”
That the Irish Yew is a sport of the common Yew is proved by
the seedlings raised from it nearly always reverting to the common type.
Fig. 62.—The original Irish Yew at Florence Court.
304 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER,
Occasionally intermediate forms appear, some of which have a tolerably
distinct character, and have been distributed under such names as
cheshuntensis, columnaris, intermedia, compressa, &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 has many of its terminal
growths 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 Nursery 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. When 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, growing 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 grounds of Clontarf Castle, whence cuttings 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.
* Loudon, Ard. et Frut., p. 2068.
THE AMERICAN YEWS, 805
Taxus brevifolia—The Californian 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 with a short twisted
footstalk, abrupt or mucronate at the apex, and yellowish-green in
colour, The habit of the young plants growing 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 specific name brevifolia, refers to the leaves. This Yew should
not be confounded with Taxus adpressa, which has for one of its
synonyms J. brevifolia (Hort.).
Taxus canadensis.—The Canadian Yew is a much smaller tree
than the European species, rarely forming an erect trunk lke 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 Tine and
Hemlock forests, seldom growing more than 3 or 4 feet from 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 chills
near streams, especially in the shade of evergreen trees.{
Introduced about the year 1800.
The Canadian Yew is commonly known as the ground Hemlock in
America.
* Dr. Newberry, Pacific Railway Report, p. 60.
+ Dr. A. Gray, Flora of Northern States, p. 474,
306 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
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 14 to 2 feet in diameter. The branches are spreading, and the
general aspect is less dense than the common Yew and with 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 and
upright branches, the leaves are scattered as in the Irish Yew.
Habitat—Japan, in the island of Jesso, and in cultivation
throughout the country.
TI.—CEPHALOTAXUS (Siebold). Tus Cuinuse Yuw.
A small 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
Cephalotaxus. 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; flowers dicecious; the
THE CHINESE YEW, 307
fruit in clusters of twos and threes, each 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 growing abundantly on the mountains
of Nippon and Jesso, at 1,000 to 2,000 feet elevation, and always
below Thuiopsis dolabrata. 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 growth
is slow. They should be planted in the shade of other trees where
their foliage retains its deep glossy green as well as its persistency.
Under full exposure to the sun 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 winds, and the soil in which they
are planted should be moist, but sufficiently drained. Under these
conditions alone do they appear to thrive in this country.
Cephalotaxus from «edad (kephalé), “head” and rdfoc (taxos)
“the Yew;”
in reference to the staminate flowers,
which are
small globular heads, with short, footstalks, produced from the axils
of the leaves.
ScientiFic Name. Synonyms. Popular Name, Habitat, Hiseh
Feet.
CEPHALOTAXUS Cephalotaxus Fortunet |The Plum-fruited| China and Japan) 6 to 8
DRUPACEA Sem (Hort.) Cephalotaxus
(Stebold)
FortuNet re a) mas Fortune’s China ... 6— 8
(Sir W. Hooker) (Hort.) Cephalotaxus
PENDUNCULATA | Taxus Harringtoniana |Lord Harrington's) Japan ... 6— 8
(Stebold) (Knight) Yew
» fastigiata » Japonica Japan ... 6— 8
(Carriere) (Loddiges)
Podocarpus koraianus 6— 8
(Gordon)
Cephalotaxus drupacea.—A_ straggling shrub, with horizontal
frondose branches, and with the secondary branches and branchlets
short, stiff, and quite flat. The leaves are from three-fourths of an
308 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER. —
inch to 2 inches 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 1849.
Cephalotaxus Fortunei has the finest foliage of the three kinds
in cultivation. The leaves are upwards of 8 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.
Cephalotaxus 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 which name it is often known in collections.
Cephalotaxus pedunculata fastigiata.—A very distinct and
ornamental variety of the preceding, with the habit of the Insh
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 from Japan in 1861.
This plant, which has now become common in British gardens, is
better known among horticulturists as Podocaurpus koraianus or Taxus
jeponies than the name under which we have described it. That it
is no other than a variety of Cephalotaxus pedunculata, M. Carriere has
clearly demonstrated.* He remarks that “the doubts I expressed in my
former edition relative to the specific value of Podocarpus koraianus
are realised, and, as I suspected, instead of a Podocarp it is an accidental
fastigiate form of C. pedunculata. I have seen a strong plant of this
variety which, at 2 feet from the ground, had developed lateral
branches with distichous foliage, and which, at that point, had formed
a verticil like a projecting stage, while the parts both above and below
were quite upright.” We have ourselves observed a similar case in
Lady Rolle’s Pinetum at Bicton:—An unusually fine and vigorous
plant of C. pedunculata fastigiate has several branches growing in
* Traité Général des Coniferes, 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.—TORREYA (Arnott). Tue Ferm 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 from each other. The Torreyas possess
the following essential characters :—
Branches spreading, the primaries frequently in whorls ;
branchlets produced laterally only, and opposite, or nearly s0 ;
leaves larger and longer than those of the common Yew,
distichously arranged in single rows, coriaceous, very rigid and
sharply pointed; flowers dicecious; 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. Their
distribution shows that they form part of the arborescent vegetation of
those regions in which the Californian Sequoias and their 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
geological 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 gradual extinction of the great trees,
thus refers to the ‘Torreyas.t “There is another set of three or
four peculiar trees, in this case of the Yew family, which has the
* M. Carriére is of opinion that this is owing to the plants having been raised from cuttings
instead of from seed. Z'r. Gen, de Coniferes, pp. 725, 726,
+ See page 208,
310 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
same peculiar distribution as the Sequoias and their nearest relatives.
The genus Torreya was founded upon a tree discovered about thirty-
five years ago (now forty), in northern Florida. It is a noble Yew-
like 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 Redwoods 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 Red-
woods 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 valuable work,
Flora of North America.
ScizntiFic Name. Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat,
Feet.
TORREYA cranpis | Caryotaxus grandis The tall Torreya| China and The | 40 to 50
(Fortune) (Henkel) Himalayast
MYRISTICA Torreya californica The Californian | Californi 40 —
(Sir W. Hooker) (Torrey) Nutmeg! = a
Caryotaxus myristica
(Henkel)
NUCIFERA Tasus nucifera The Japanese | J 40 —
(Siebold) (Keempfer) ETomede aes a .
Caryotaxus nucifera
(Zucearini)
TAXIFOLIA Taxus montana The fetid Yew | Florid:
(Arnott) (Nuttall) Cees See
Caryotaxus montana
(Henkel)
* Dr. Asa Gray, Address to the 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
high, with erect trunk and spreading branches. ‘The leaves are
about an inch long, slightly 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 nucifera.
Torreya myristica.—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 14 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.
Tt 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 24 to 3 feet, the head more dense, and
instead of the pyramidal form of Addes firma, it has a rounded top,
not unlike that of the older Yews of this country; the leaves are
also shorter, narrower, and more pointed. In this situation it has for
its surroundings Camellias, Diospyrus Kaki, and other well known
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.
Tt 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 OF THE CONIFER.
IV.—GINKGO. Tae Marpen-Harr Tres.
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 Yew, 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 country, for the
Ginkgo is diccious, and the greater number of the large trees growing
in England are staminferous 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 white 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 Kempfer’s time, these formed part
of every entertainment.
The Ginkgo is of geological antiquity. In the Miocence period it
included several species or forms which 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
habitat.
Ginkgo* is the Chinese name, meaning “deciduous.” This name
was adopted by Linneus, 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
Capillus-Veneris, the Maiden-Hair Fern. In France it is popularly
known by the eccentric name of Larbre auw quarante écus.t There
is only one species at present known.
* It is called ‘Itcho” by the Japanese.
t For the origin of this curious name, sec Loudon, Arb. et Frut., p. 2096.
THE MAIDEN-HAIR TREE. 3138
Height
Popular Name. Habitat, in
Feet.
Screntiric Name. Synonyms.
GINKGO Binona Salisburia adiantifolia | The Maiden-Hair| China and Japan| 70 to 100
(Linneeus) (Smith)| Tree or Ginkgo
3» macrophylla > biloba laciniata| The large-leaved | Garden variety
(Hort.) (Hort.)|) Maiden-Hair
Tree
ig. 63.— Gi Viloba, (1) Leaf of sterile branch ; (2) of fertile branch ; (3) male, or pollen-bearing
Hig: 68-—iakga Blobs flowers ; (4) female flowers; (5) fruit.
Ginkgo biloba (syn. Salisburia adiantifolia) is one of the most
314 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE,
remarkable and distinct deciduous trees that adorns the 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 14 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 cup
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 Keempfer.
Ginkgo biloba macrophylla has much larger leaves than the
species; they are 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. 815
This fine variety originated at Avignon, in France, about the year
1850.*
A variegated and a pendulous variety have been brought under the
notice of horticulturists, the former having some of its leaves striped
with pale yellow, 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-GOTHAA (Lindley). Prince Atperr’s Yew.
Saxe-Gothea 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-Gothea 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 Yew. It is monecious,
but the male and female flowers are produced on different branches.
Saxe-Gothza was named in compliment to the late Prince Consort.
Sormntiric Nama. Popular Name. | Habitat. en
SAXE-GOTHAA conspicua | Prince Albert's Yew =a Southern Chili and | 15 to 25
(Lindley) Patagonia
Saxe-Gothza conspicua is a low tree, with spreading branches
densely clothed with foliage of a lighter green than that of the
common Yew. ‘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.
Habitat—The Andes of Valdivia and Patagonia.
Introduced by us in 1849 through our collector, William Lobb.
The Saxe-Gothea is but moderately hardy in England; its growth
* Carritre, Traité Gén., p. 713.
316 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
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.
VI—PRUMNOPITYS (Philippi). Tu Prum-rrvurrep 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,t
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 zpodpvo0¢e (proumnos), “ the wild plum,” and zirve
(pitys), “the pine tree.”
3 Height
ScrentTiFic Name. Synonyms, Popular Name, Habitat. in
Feet
PRUMNOPITYS Podocarpus andinus The Plum-fruited| Valdivia, Chili | 40 to 50
ELEGANS (Peeppig) Yew
(Philipps) |
Prumnopitys elegans on its native mountains resembles in habit
a well-grown specimen of Abies 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 eaten 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.
Habitat—The Andes of Valdivia, Southern Chili, at from 4,500 to
6,000 feet elevation.
* Tratté Général des Coniferes, p. 682. t+ Prod., xvi., p. 519.
THE PODOCARPS. 317
Introduced by us in 1860 through our collector, Richard Pearse.
Prumnopitys 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—PODOCARPUS. (I’Heritier).
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.
Only 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 countries, as the Totara Pine of New Zealand, the Podocarpus
cupressinus of Java, &c.
Podocarpus from zots, wod8s (pous, podos) “a foot,” and xapmris
(karpos) “‘fruit;” the berries or fruit of the Podocarps have foot-
stalks.
ScientiFic Name. Synonyms. Popular Name. Habitat, Hehe
Feet.
PODOCARPUS The Alpine Victoria and 10 to 12
ALPINUS (Brown) Podocarp Tasmania
cHILINUS Podocarpus salignus The Chilian Chili vee| 40 — 60
(Richard) (Don) Podocarp
CHINENSIS Taxus chinensis The Chinese China ... awe
( Wailich) (Roxburgh) Podocarp|
MACROPHYLLUS » macrophylla The long-leaved | Japan ... | 40 — 50
(Don) (Thunberg) Podocarp|
Naczia (Brown)| Nageia japonica The Japanese Japan ... ..| Variable
(Gaertner) Laurel]
NUBIGENUS Podocarpus nubicolus Chili and ;
(Lindley) (Makoy) Patagonia
ToraRa (Don) The Totara Pine | New Zealand ... | 60 — 80
318 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS.
Podocarpus alpinus.—A shrub of spreading habit, with slender
procumbent branches and foliage much resembling that of the
Totara Pine. The leaves are linear, 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, well furnished with 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 branches
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.
Podocarpus nubigenus—A remarkable tree of considerable size,
clothed with deep green foliage. 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.
* Carritre, Zr, Gén. des Con., p. 650. t+ Loudon, Ard. et Frut., p. 2100.
PODOCARPUS CHINENSIS, ETC. 319
Although found at considerable elevations on the Andes of Patagonia,
in company with Libocedrus tetragona, Fitzroya patagonica, and Saxe-
Gothea conspicua, 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 now rare in Great Britain.
Podocarpus Nageia.—A beautiful Japanese tree, often from 40 to
50 feet high, with 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 Kempfer 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 New 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 Vite 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, with weeping
branches and pale green foliage. The leaves are small and closely
imbricated all round. “It is the typical tree of the western district of
the North Island, New Zealand. It is usually from 60 to 100 feet
high, with a trunk 3 to 5 feet in diameter. The timber is largely
used in the colony for building and for other constructive purposes.” *
It is rather tender in England.
* Captain C. Walker, Report on New Zealand Forests.
820 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
PART III.
THE VARIOUS PURPOSES
FOR WHICH THE
CONIFERAH ARE PLANTED.
TuE various purposes for which 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 owing to
climatal 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
Coniferee in their scientific aspect, for which end the various trees
and shrubs would be best arranged according to their systematic
THE PINETUM. 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 first formed in this country, was that of the Messrs.
Loddiges, at Hackney, which was begun 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 Duke
of Devonshire, at Chatsworth ; the Duke of Bedford, at Wobum ;
Lady Rolle, at Bicton; Lord Grenville, at Dropmore; the Farl of
Harrington, at Elvaston; W. R. Baker, Esq., at Bayfordbury ;_ T.
Gambier Parry, Esq., at Highnam Court, and others. Of late years
the practice has fallen 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 knowledge and experience of Coniferous plants in Great Britain is
so much enlarged that the mistakes and errors which but too frequently
occurred in the older plantations, may now with certainty be avoided.
Fine collections of Conifere, including most of the recent introduc-
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; W. Parker Hamond, Esq., at Pampesford Hall, Cambridge; the
Earl of Courtown, at Courtown, county Wicklow, Ireland; J. M.
Livesey, Esq., 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 Conifere 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
this. 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, all
x
322
A MANUAL OF THE OONIFERZ.
Conifers thrive in well-drained, but not in too dry, soils. There 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, but 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,
require 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. nutkaénsis 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 Chinese Arbor
Vite appear to possess the greatest power of endurance of a smoky
atmosphere, but these eventually succumb.
The further cultural aids to Coniferee depend much upon local cir-
CONIFERE FOR THE PARK. 323
cumstances and the purposes for which they 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 when
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 which 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 own
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 useful 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-dressing; but if the verdure under the trees is not considered
indispensable, April or May would be best.” *
The growth and well-being of Conifers are greatly influenced by the
annual rainfall of the district in which 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.
Il—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 :—
N.B.—The names in this and most of the lists that follow are
* Mr. D.T. Fish, in Jowrnal 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 OF THE CONIFERA.
given in the Order in which the Trees are described in Part II.
Those marked (*) require a more or less sheltered situation.
Abies ajanensis
» Alcoquiana
excelsa
» orientalis
» polita
. Smithiana
» brachyphylla
» cephalonica
» concolor (lasiocarpa)
» firma
» grandis
» magnifica
nobilis
» Nordmanniana
» numidica
2) pinsapo
» sachalinensis
» Veitchii
», Albertiana
» Douglasii
Larix europea
Cedrus atlantica
© ys deodara
re Libani
IlI.—THE LAWN AND
Pinus austriaca
» densiflora
» Pallasiana
» pyrenaica
» deffreyi
macrocarpa
ponderosa
» Cembra
» excelsa
» Lambertiana
» monticola
» Strobus
*Araucaria imbricata
Wellingtonia gigantea
*Sequoia sempervirens
Taxodium distichum
*Cryptomeria japonica
9 Lobbi
*Cupressus macrocarpa
5 Lawsoniana
Thuia Lobbi (gigantea)
Taxus baccata
Salisburia adiantifolia,
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 Conifere, as single or isolated specimens, for
large Lawns and Pleasure Grounds.
The following list includes select medium-sized and low Coniferous
trees of symmetrical habit, also
suitable as single or isolated
specimens for the Lawn and Pleasure Ground.
Abies Engelmanni glauca
» Hookeriana
» Tsuga
Pinus contorta
» Bungeana
», Cembra
» koraiensis
Pinus parviflora
Sciadopitys verticillata
Cryptomeria elegans
Cupressus Lawsoniana
5 5 argentea
59 5 erecta viridis
5 5 intertexta
CONIFERZ FOR THE
Cupressus nutkaénsis
3 + argentea
variegata
64 thyoides variegata
Retinospora filicoides
+8 obtusa
‘3 » aurea
Pr » gracilis aurea
5 pisifera
¥5 plumosa
4 5 alba picta
5 43 aurea
Biota orientalis
LAWN, ETC. 325
Thuia occidentalis
» Standishii
» Wervaeneana
Thuiopsis dolabrata
Libocedrus decurrens
Juniperus rigida
5 virginiana
fA 9 glauca
1 chinensis mas
Fa drupacea
5 thurifera
55 spheerica.
Coniferous trees and shrubs of fastigiate or upright habit and of
dense growth, requiring but little room; suitable for the Lawn,
the Terrace, and the Geometric or formal Garden.
Pinus cembra
Cupressus Lawsoniana
45 » erecta viridis
. sempervirens
Retinospora leptoclada
Biota orientalis elegantissima
Libocedrus decurrens
Juniperus hibernica
a suecica
Thuia plicata variegata
Juniperus drupacea
$5 excelsa stricta
*
Juniperus neaborensis
5 thurifera
Taxus adpressa erecta
», baccata aurea
rr » erecta
elegantissima
fastigiata
argentea
Ped ced ” aurea
Cephalotaxus pedunculata fas-
tigiata.
” ” ”
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
punila
” ” pygmea
Cryptomeria elegans nana
Cupressus Lawsoniana albo-
variegata
s 53 lutea
5) nana
Mi nutkaénsis compacta
Retinospora obtusa compacta.
a ericoides
a? 2
Retinospora plumosa
albo-picta
5 » argentea
a » aurea
ea tetragona aurea
Biota orientalis aurea
Thuia occidentalis Hoveyi
Juniperus communis compressa
chinensis aurea
43 J albo-variegata
japonica aureo-variegata.
” ”
”
326 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERA.
Coniferous shrubs of dwarf bushy habit and bright coloured
foliage, suitable for permanent and winter bedding.
Abies excelsa pumila
” » pygmea
Cryptomeria elegans nana
Cupressus Lawsoniana alba spica
albo-
variegata
argentea
aureo-
variegata
erecta
viridis
lutea
33 55 nana glauca
nutkaénsis compacta
thyoides variegata
Retinospora ericoides
a5 leptoclada
obtusa aurea nana
pygmeea
” ”
ay a9
”
” ”
Retinospora plumosa
albo-picta
argentea
” ” aurea
5 tetragona aurea
squarrosa
Biota orientalis aurea
5 43 elegantissima
Thuia occidentalis lutea
Thuiopsis dolabrata
” ”
” ”
3 ia variegata
Juniperus sabina variegata
3 » tamariscifolia
3 chinensis aurea
5 5 albo-variegata
35 japonica
is 5 aureo-variegata
45 excelsa stricta
Taxus baccata aurea
% » elegantissima.
Coniferous shrubs of dwarf or prostrate habit, suitable for the
Rock Garden.
Abies excelsa Clanbrasiliana
” » .pygmea
» canadensis parvifolia
Cryptomeria elegans nana
5 japonica nana
Cupressus Lawsoniana nana
” ” » glauca
5 ry albo-variegata
5 nutkaénsis compacta
Retinospora ericoides
a filifera
33 leptoclada
9 lycopodoides
obtusa aurea nana
i pygmea
55 plumosa albo-picta
” 53 argentea,
” ” aurea
” tetragona aurea
3 squarrosa
” is dubia
Biota orientalis aurea
45 " elegantissima
Thuia occidentalis
5 i Elwangeriana
» plicata dumosa
Thuiopsis letevirens
Juniperus canadensis
a communis
a i compressa,
3 hemispherica
5 procumbens
53 Sabina
9 » Varlegata
e tamariscifolia
$5 squamata,
is japonica
i ¥5 aurea
55 ag aureo-variegata
Taxus baccata aurea
Dovastonii
elegantissima
ericoides.
” ”
” ”
” ”
CONIFERE FOR CHALK SOIL.
327
A few Coniferous trees, chiefly North American, grow naturally on
the banks of streams, lakes, &c., and some even in swampy places.
All such are available for planting in proximity to ornamental
-water, lake, or river.
Abies Menziesii
» nigra
» canadensis
Larix microsperma
Pinus rigida
Taxodium distichum
5 pendulum
Cupressus thyoides
oy 43 variegata
Retinospora leptoclada
Thuia Lobbi (gigantea)
The following Coniferous
chalk soil :—
Abies excelsa
» canadensis
Cedrus atlantica
i deodara
oP)
Abies magnifica
» nobilis
» Nordmanniana
» pinsapo
Pinus austriaca
»» Laricio
» pinaster
» sylvestris
» excelsa
* ., insignis
Larix -europea
» leptolepis
Wellingtonia gigantea
Sequoia sempervirens
Cupressus Lawsoniana
erecta viridis
” ”
trees
Of such are the following :—
Thuia occidentalis
‘i 3 pendula
5 - variegata
3 ‘3 Vervaeneana
Juniperus virginiana
aureo-
variegata
dumosa
pendula
” ”
” ”
” a7
% recurva
9 5, densa,
and shrubs will grow on
*Cupressus macrocarpa
53 nutkaénsis
Biota orientalis
i 63 aurea
Thuia Lobbi
» occidentalis
» Pplicata
45 » Wareana
Juniperus communis
5 ri hibernica
r Sabina
‘i virginiana
. chinensis
Taxus baccata
2 ” aurea
ij » elegantissima
43 » tastigiata
Salisburia adiantifolia.
The foregoing list, with the exception of four or five of the included
names,
is taken from an article in the Gardeners’ Chronicle for
November 6th, 1875, communicated by James Salter, Esq., F.R.S., in
which he enumerates the kinds of Coniferous and other trees he
found on trial to flourish on his own chalk land.
Mr. Salter remarks
that “among the larger Conifers that thrive in chalk soil, the common
328 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Spruce ranks first, seareely one dies, and in a short time the young
trees grow with great vigour and rapidity. Pinus Laricio comes
next, fon die, and they grow with singular rapidity and strength. P.
austriaca 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, Cedrus atlantica and
C. deodura do very well, but the latter is apt to become pale and
yellowish where the soil is superficial. The colour of Abies Nord-
manniana degenerates, but A. pinsapo retains its rich deep green,
while its growth is more free and healthy. Thuia Lobbi and
Cupressus nuthaénsis grow most luxuriantly, and the Wellingtonia is a
comiplete 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 growth, 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 Pinus excelsa
*Cedrus deodara » Strobus
Ayraucaria imbricata » monticola
Abies nobilis Abies brachyphylla
» Nordmanniana » Douglasii
» pinsapo » orientalis
» concolor (lasiocarpa) Thuia Lobbi (gigantea)
Cedrus atlantica Thuiopsis dolabrata
5 Libani Cupressus Lawsoniana
Pinus austriaca 5 nutkaénsis
» pyrenaica Libocedrus decurrens
The above-named trees are symmetrical in habit, hardy in constitution,
and clothed with foliage of a distinct and pleasing colour. To secure
uniformity of growth throughout an avenue planted with any one of
these kinds, seedling 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 -
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EVERGREEN HEDGES. 329
with thoroughly decomposed vegetable refuse, should be used, in order
that the young trees may get well established. An avenue of striking
effect may be formed by alternating the Wellingtonia with the Araucaria,
of which there is a good example at our Coombe Wood Nursery.
(See Woodcut), The Araucaria may be also alternated with the Deodar
with fine effect. The Cedar of Lebanon is open to objection on
account 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 Mount Atlas
Cedar may be advantageously substituted for it on chalk soils and
in exposed situations. Very formal avenues may be planted with
Thuia Lobbi, Cupressus Lawsontana, C. nutkaénsis, and Ltbocedrus
decurrens, all of which require much less room than the trees of the
Fir and Pine tribe, and may, therefore, be employed where the space
is limited.
V.—EVERGREEN HEDGES.
The Coniferze 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 obtusa alone requiring a situation not exposed to
the north-east; and the latter, as well as the Thuias, preferring a
moist soil :—
Taxus baccata Cupressus Lawsoniana
Cedrus deodara 5 nutkaénsis
Thuia Lobbi Juniperus chinensis
Biota orientalis i virginiana
Retinospora obtusa 5 $5 argentea
Thuia occidentalis Abies excelsa
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
formed with the other plants named above, its deficiency in this respect
is more than counterbalanced by its utility. To form a Yew hedge of
medium height, that is’to say from 6 to 8 feet, the plants should be
set ata distance of 12 or more inches apart, according to the age and
size of the plants used,
The Deodar forms a highly oriamental hedge. The annual cutting
to which it must be subjected to keep it within the prescribed width,
330
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
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.
Thuia Lobbi forms a strong dense hedge in a comparatively short
period. It is one of the best of plants for an ornamental hedge on
account 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 Retinospora obtusa where a narrow hedge is
required.
Retinospora obtusa 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.
Thuia occidentalis is scarcely inferior to T. Lobbi 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
form a compact hedge of small dimensions. It is a cheap, and on the
whole, a useful substitute for the more expensive kinds.
Cupressus nutkaénsis forms a compact hedge, which is rendered very
ornamental by the light feathery pendulous terminal branchlets. It is
slower in growth than C. Lawsoniana, and for distinctness the glaucous
variety should be preferred to the common form. :
Juniperus chinensis, 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.
Abies excelsa 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 24 feet, according to the size of the plants, it soon forms a
compact hedge of any height, but it is surpassed in all respects by the
common Yew.
All hedges and partitions made with living plants require periodical
cutting and clipping to keep them dense, strong, neat, and within
prescribed limits. Hedges made with deciduous and evergreen plants,
not Coniferous, are usually trimmed in mid-season while growing, but
in the case of Conifers, it will be remembered that during the
cy
BELTS AND SCREENS. 331
growing season, the circulation of the sap is exceedingly active, and
that if much cut at that 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 established, viz.,
that they should 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 Conifere.
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 view 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 Pinus Strobus
» nigra » excelsa
» Nordmanniana » Cembra
» pectinata Cupressus Lawsoniana
» canadensis i nutkaénsis
» Douglasii rs thyoides
Cedrus atlantica Thuia Lobbi
Larix europea », ~ occidentalis
Pinus austriaca Biota orientalis
» Laricio Juniperus virginiana
» Pinaster 9 chinensis
» sylvestris Taxus baccata
In forming mixed belts with any of the above, the Thuias, Lawson’s
Cypress, the Nootka Sound Cypress, and the Junipers, if used, are best
planted on the outside, where they will retain 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. Pinus pinaster,
P. Luricio, and P. densiflora are excellent seaside Pines; P, tnsignis,
ee
302 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERZ.
Sequoia sempervirens, and Cupressus macrocarpa (not included in the
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. Strobus and P. excelsa are
dense on heavy soils; P. rigida, Abies nigra, Thuia occidentalis, and
Cupressus thyotdes are 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 Araucaria Bidwilli
i » glauca 4 brasiliensis
55 » vobusta and Callitris quadrivalvis
other varieties Libocedrus Doniana
s Cunninghami Dacrydium elatum
“3 * glauca araucarioides
5 Rulei Agathis robusta
4 » elegans 53 australis
‘ Cookii 7 Moorei
VITI—MEMORIAL TREES.
The great age and size attained by many of the Conifera,
together with their majestic aspect, render them especially appro-
priate for perpetuating the memory of events and circumstances.
The 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.
MEMORIAL TREES. 333
Cedrus Libani Abies grandis
» deodara » brachyphylla
» atlantica Araucaria imbricata
Wellingtonia gigantea Pinus Lambertiana
Abies nobilis » excelsa
», Nordmanniana » monticola
3» concolor Thuia Lobbi
» Douglasii Thuiopsis dolabrata
» Albertiana Libocedrus decurrens
» magnifica Taxodium distichum
» pinsapo Taxus baccata
» cephalonica 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
account of the many interesting associations connected with it, and
for its own characteristic form and majestic grandeur. To fulfil, in a
befitting manner, the purpose of a Memorial Tree, it is indispensable
that a sufficient 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 beauty ; as an ancestral tree, it may properly be substituted
for the Cedar of Lebanon where sufficient 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. The
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. Abies Albertiana, which bears a royal name, and the
noble Fir A. nobilis, are also magnificent trees for commemorating
royal and distinguished visits; but the latter should not be selected
for a dry sandy soil. The cheerful colour of A. Nordmanniana and
the light aspect of Ginkgo biloba, for which Taxodium distichum may
be substituted in retentive soils, are fitting subjects to commemorate
the foundation or opening of useful or charitable institutions. Pinus
Lambertiana 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; Ades
Douglasii and Thuia Lobbi 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 Memorial Trees for any
object in connection with botany and horticulture.
Abies brachyphylla is one of the hardiest of its tribe, and may be
selected for a Memorial Tree for spots where other Conifers would be
liable to injury from cold piercing winds. A. cephalonica should only
334 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERE.
be planted as a Memorial Tree on elevated ground. <A. pinsapo may
be selected for a chalky and A. Douglasti for a loamy soil.
To enable the young specimens selected for Memorial Trees to get
well established, especial attention should 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
with 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 Clanbrasiliana tRetinospora ericoides
9 » elegans Tt 55 leptoclada.
a » Finedonensis Biota orientalis
j » inverta Pes 5 aurea
7 » pumila ts i elegantissima
” ” pygmea ” ” pendula
» orientalis Thuia occidentalis
» canadensis Hey Si ss Elwangeriana
*Cedrus Libani 5 s pendula
* ,, atlantica t 4, plicata dumosa
* 4, deodora » Standishii
*Pinus austriaca *Libocedrus decurrens
» Cembra Juniperus communis
* Araucaria imbricata 2 i cracovia
Cupressus Lawsoniana albo- 9 3 suecica
variegata i rigida
T 53 » erecta viridis ‘3 virginiana
T ee yy nana 3 a pendula
T 5 » hana glauca 5 chinensis
43 nutkaénsis ile 9 Casa - aurea
tT 4 4 compacta Taxus adpressa
33 sempervirens » baccata
+Retinospora filifera Tw » Dovastonii
r lycopodioides 5 » erecta
+ obtusa ta 1» — fastigiata
i plumosa 35 » fructu-lutea
T ” ” aurea {Cephalotaxus pedunculata
a » argentea fastigiata
CONIFEROUS TIMBER TREES. 885
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 inaccessibility, ‘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 under 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 unfrequently applied
to timber produced by the same species but brought from different
ports
The timber of some of the Agathis (Dammara), Podocarps, and
Darydiums is also called “pine” in Australia and New Zealand. |
Sorento Naz. Popular Name. oe be ao Remarks.
ABIES ALBA... ...| The White Spruce.,,| British North Timber inferior, and used
America) chiefly for certain pur-
poses in shipbuilding.
ALCOQUIANA ... sie sith Japan wie ies
CANADENSIS ...| The Hemlock Fir .,.; North America _...| Timber inferior.
Doverast1_ ..,| The Douglas Fir ...] N.W. America _...| The Red Fir of the settlers
in British Columbia.
EXCELSA ...| The Spruce Fir ...| Northern Europe .,,) Commonly known among
builders as ‘‘ Baltic Fir,”
It supplies the White
Deal of commerce.
ENGELMANNI,.,! Engelmann’s Fir ...) Colorado and New
Mexico
FIRMA .. a 2 ss Japan ae ...| Mo-mi of the Japanese,
336
A MANUAL OF THE CONIFER.
Sorentirio Name,
Popular Name,
Country or Region where
used or exported,
Remarks,
ABIES GRAnpIs
MENZIESII
NIGRA ...
NOBILIS
OBOVATA
ORIENTALIS
eee
PECTINATA
SMITHIANA
ARAUCARIA
" _IMBRICATA
BIDWILLI
CUNNINGHAMI
CEDRUS DEODARA ..,
CRYPTOMERIA
JAPONICA
CUPRESSUS
LAWSONIANA
NUTKAENSIS ..,
SEMPERVIRENS
DACRYDIUM
CUPRESSINUM
«| The tall Fir
.| Menzies’ Fir
.| The Black Fir
.| The noble Fir
.| The Siberian Spruce
.| The common Silver
«| The Indian Spruce
«| Bidwill’s Araucaria
The eastern Fir
Fir
The Chili Pine
The Moreton Bay
Pine
The Deodar,.,
The Japanese Cedar
Lawson’s Cypress .,,
The Nootka Sound
Cypress
The common Cypress
The New Zealand
Spruce
.| Oregon & California
.| N.W. America
...| British America and
...| California & Oregon
.| Southern Chili
.| Western Himalayas
New England States
Northern Asia
eee
Armenia
Central Europe
Himalayas ,,,
Queensland,
Australia)
a”
Japan
North California
British Columbia
and Oregon
South of Europe and
the Levant
New Zealand
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
tree 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-i of the Japanese, and
the most useful timber
tree of Japan.
The Yellow Cypress of the
settlers.
One of the most durable
woods known,
.| Timber valuable for build-
ing and constructive pur-
poses generally,
CONIFEROUS
TIMBER TREES.
ScrzntiFic Name,
Popular Name.
Country or Region where
used or exported.
Remarks.
DACRYDIUM
FRANKLINII
DAMMARA (Agathis)
AUSTRALIS)
JUNIPERUS
BERMUDIANA
EXCELSA
VIRGINIANA os
LARIX EvRoPzA ...
MICROCARPA
LIBOCEDRUS
CHILENSIS
TETRAGONA
DonNIANA aia
PINUS AUSTRIACA «.
DENSIFLORA «+
LARIcIO
PINASTER
MITIS tee
RESINOSA
SYLVESTRIS
The Huon Pine...
The Kauri or Cowrie
Pine
The Bermuda
Juniper
.| The tall Juniper ...
«
The Virginian Red
Cedar'|
The common Larch
The American or
Black Larch
The Chilian Arbor
Vite
The Alerze .. aes
Don’s Libocedrus ...
Tasmania .,.
oe
New Zealand,
Northern Island
Bermuda Islands ...
Western and central
Asia
North America,
Eastern States|
Central Europe
Canada and New
England States
Chili sep
Chili and Patagonia
New Zealand sia
The Austrian Pine | Central Europe
The Japanese Pine | Japan create
The Larch Pine ...| Sovthern Europe
The Cluster Pine ... 5 5
The soft-leaved Pine] New England States
The Canadian Pine |Canada ww ies
The Scotch or Wild | North of Eiitope .
Pihe|
One of the most important
timber trees of the colony.
A very useful timber tree.
Wood formerly much used
in the manufacture of
“* Cedar” pencils.
Much used in parts of
Afghanistan, where other
timber is scarce.
Wood substituted for that
of Juniperus Bermudiana.
The Tamarack of the
Colonists.
|The ‘*Cipres,” or Cypress
of the Chilians.
The most valuable timber
tree of the country.
The Kawaka. Wood used
for indoor carpentry.
Matsu. The common Pine
of the country.
Timber soft, coarse in grain,
and of little value.
American Yellow Pine of
commerce.
Red Pine of commetce. The
best of the Canadian
Pines.
.| Commercially known as
Russian Pine, Memel Fir,
Baltic Yellow Deal, &c.
338
A MANUAL OF
THE. CONIFER.
Sorzntiric Name.
Popular Name.
Country or Region where
used or exported. -
Remarks.
PINUS avstRauis a,
PONDEROSA
RIGIDA..
BALFOURIANA
CEMBRA ate
FLEXILIS
LAMBERTIANA
SrRrosus
PODOCARPUS
CUPRESSINUS
TOTARA
RETINOSPORA
OBTUSA
PISIFERA
SALISBURIA
ADIANTIFOLIA
SEQUOIA
SEMPERVIRENS
TAXUS Baccara
TAXODIUM
DISTICHUM
.| The Western Pitch
.| The Pitch Pine
...| The Weymouth Pine
.| The Totara Pine ...
...| The common Yew...
The long-leaved
Pitch Pine
Pine
The Fox-tail Pine...
The Swiss Stone
Pine
The White Pine
The Sugar Pine
The Cypress-like
Podocarp
The Japanese Cypress
The Maiden-Hair
Tree
The Californian
Redwood
The deciduous
es
J
The Atlantic littoral
from Carolina to
Florida
California & Oregon
...| United States
N. W. America
Central Europe and
Siberia
.| Rocky Mountains
.| California
North America,
eastern portion
Java...
New Zealand a
Japan oe
China and Japan tee
California ..,
Europe
Southern Atlantic
States of North
America
Red or Pitch Pine of the
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.
Canadian White Pine, but
sometimes American Yel-
low Pine of British 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 Retinospora obtusa.
The Ginkgo of the Chinese.
It-cho of the Japanese.
.| Redwood is more used in
California than any other
timber.
Bald Cypress, or Black
Cypress of the Americans,
CONIFEROUS TIMBER. 339
ScrzntrFio N awe. Popular Name, ass en pale Remarks.
THUIA Lossi Lobb’s Arbor Vite...) California & Oregon | Timber called ‘‘ Cedar” by
(GIGANTEA) builders, &c., in Cali-
: fornia.
OCCIDENTALIS...; The American Arbor| Canada and New The wood is called ‘‘ Cedar”
Vite England States; in Canada,
THUIOPSIS The Japanese Arbor | Japan a ...| Asu-naro of the Japanese,
DOLABRATA Vite 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 which
the trees that produce it, are the preponderating members of the
forest. The Corsican Pine, Red Pine, Larch, Californian Redwood,
Kauri Pine, and Sungi (Cryptomeria) are ‘used in enormous
quantities 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 proceeding 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 within 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.”"—(J. 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 the preceding year was
71,000,000 feet. If we suppose 5,000 feet to be the product of an
3840 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFRRE.
acre, it would require more than 14,000 acres to furnish this quantity.
As these figures represent the quantity of Black Spruce timber felled
in a portion of the United 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 Garden,
vol. ix,, p. 481).
“The area of the Redwood forests of California was estimated, five
years ago, at 500,000 acres. The consumption of Redwood timber 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 Gardeners’ Chronicle, Oct. 23,
1875).
“No less than 70,000,000 cubic feet of the Kauri Pine of New
Zealand (Agathis 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 couse of a few years.”—(Capt. C. Walker, Report 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 them
from time to time, are preserved in the museum attached to the
Royal Exotic Nursery at Chelsea. To these have been 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.
Abies (The Fir)
Abies Douglasii ...
Abies Fortunei
Agathis (Dammara)
Araucaria . 3 aes
Araucaria Avenue: at Bicton aie
Arbor Vite—
American ...
Chinese
Japanese ... ses vas ee
Athrotaxis.., ses al a ei
Avenues, Conifere for ...
Belts and screens, Conifers for... als
Biota Pre aes ar
Californian Redwood _... oa as
Cedars—
Synoptic Fable of
Canadian Cedar ... sie sae
Cedar of Lebanon ade
Deodar
Incense Cedar ..
Mount Atlas Cedar
Red Cedar... a
Cedrus... as oe
Cemeteries, Conifere ae ais
Cephalotaxus.... aoe ict
Chalk soils, Conifer fo iis ase
Chinese Water Pine ie we A
Cones at Chelsea .,
Coniferze—
Definition of the Order ...
Developement of, ries the geo-
logical periods .. dese cae
Distribution of ... te .
Europeo-Siberian forest nego
Mediterranean region .,
Himalayas 13% ec
Chino-Japanese region
North American forest region
Californian and Mexican region,
—~—
PAGE
61 | Conifere—
119 Distribution of—
124 Tropical region... .
197 Southern Hemisphere... is
187 Australia and New Zealand ...
194 South African region ..,
South America .. ais
254 Scientific elaseiication of
250 Literature of fs
264 Parlatore’s Classification of the...
222 Synopsis of Genera, Species, and
328 Varieties ee oes
Coniferous Plants—
331 Diseases and accidents
256 From fungi... ss
Matters absorbed A roots ves
212 Stagnant water., de
Smoke of tonne: ote
133 Wounds...
261 From animals ,,,
137 Insects ... ek x
134 Meteorological causes .
266 Enumeration of ... Sea
133 Foliage... tee
283 Flowers, srachure. of
131 Fruit or cones, structure of
334 Polymorphism in... Onn
306 Roots of ... ais iw awe
327 Secretions .., se a a
217 Seeds ss es eas ae
340 Stems eee ie
Coniferous timber—
5 Colour of ... eis is or
Durability... awe es ie
44 Elasticity ... oo aa re
37 Fragrance .., wee tne ise
38 Strength ... ea ‘ive twa
39 | Coniferous trees, age of ... as
40 | Coniferous wood, structure of ...
40 | Conservatory and Winter Garden, Coni-
41 fers for ... ies a sea
42 | Cryptomeria japonica ... oe woe
PAGE
342
Cunninghamia sinensis .., wit te
Cupressus ... ia aah soe te
Cypress Tribe
Cypress...
Synoptic Table of Boacies smd
Varieties of a6
Dacrydium Franklinii
55 cupressinum..,
Deciduous Cypress
Douglas, David .., vn
Douglas Fir sts ails we os
Fir and Pine Tribe i
Hemlock Firs
Silver Firs...
Spruce Firs
Fitzroya patagonica
Ginkgo biloba...
Glyptostrobus heterophytius
Hartweg, Karl Theodor ...
Hedges, Conifers suitable for
Jeffrey, John
Juniper sis
Common x Funipers
Savin Junipers
Cypress-like Junipers
Lambert, Aylmer Bourke
Larch bs ‘
Diseases of is
Synoptic Table of Species
Lawn and Pleasure Grounds, Conifers
for ae
Libocedrus, Synopsis of Species
Lobb, William ... te
Maiden-Hair Tree
Memorial Trees ... we fio aia
Menzies, Archibald oe a se
Park and Landscape, Conifers for
Pine—
Chinese Water
Huon of Tasmania it
Kauri of New Zealand ..,
Stone, at Glenthorne
INDEX.
PAGE PAGE
221 | Pine—
225 Totara ua site .» 819
223 Umbrella of Japan ibe cider ZOE
225 | Pinetum, the a é wine we =820
Pinus (The Pine).. a 140
227 Pines with tri leer ina 4 sheath 142
3h three i 55 159
319 ” five ” ” 173
319 | Podocarps, the... i at we 817
Prumnopitys elegans 1. .«. «. 816
122
119 | Retinospora F 240
Synoptic Table of Species and
59 Varieties xs ss . 241
111
g1 | Saxe-Gothza aay is nr we 815
62 | Sciadopitys verticillata ... ce we 201
269 | Sequoia sempervirens ... ave aoa 212
31g | Tar and turpentine, properties of ma, | 28
217 How procured... ie we 29
Taxads ... ae tee wie we 291
185 | Taxodium distichum ... isis sae. 204
329 | Taxus (The Yew)... we §=292
Synoptic Table of Varieties sy “298
166 | Thuia pan we «62254
271 Synoptic Table a Species and
273 Varieties “ies se vee 255
278 Lobb’s aie ate ue v. 256
286 Standish’s ... eid ast we 263
Ware’s”.. sie sit ve 264
188 | Thuiopsis ... “a oer als wee 264
125 | Timber trees, table of we 335
31 | Topiary work at Elvaston Castle and
126 Leven’s Hall ... a a .. 800
Torreya ... Fac site sae ve 809
824
266 | Water, Ornamental, Conifers for ee: (ORE
258 | Wellingtonia gigantea ... ise vee 204
312 | Yew Tribe... ee ore doe ea 291
332 | Yew aie i si vee sen. 229
74 American Yew... wee vee 805
Chinese... stot ee .. 3806
323 Dovaston’s wi axe .. 801
Fetid ae sie vee 809
217 Grove at Cherdley ae wee 292
319 Trish Sie <n a wee 802
197 Prince Albert’s .., ee ia OLD
155 | Yews, old... oes ai hs ae 298
H, M, POLLETT & Oo., Gencral Steam Printers, Fann Street, Aldersgate Street, City, H.C,
Abies (The Fir) ...
ajanensis..,
alba ... ee
Albertiana ...
Alcoquiana ...
amabilis om
Apollinis ..
palsame2 ss
bifida... ase
brachyphylla
bracteata...
Brunoniana ...
canadensis ...
cephalonica ...
cilicica aoe
Clanbrasiliana
COMMUNTIS wu
concolor aa
Douglasii ...
varieties of
Engelmanni ..,
excelsa ie
varieties of
Jinedonensis ...
firma ... tee
Fortunei tee
Fraseri ies
Glehnii as
grandis aca
Hanburyana
homolepis ss.
Hookeriana ...
hudsonica «.
a
INDEX.
119
114
110
120
124
115
Abies jezoensis ..,
Khutrow oor
lasiocarpa wa
Lowiana one
magnifica...
Mariesii tee
Menziesii..,
Maximowiczii
Mertensiana ...
MACTOS PEYING w+
Morinda 8
nigra ...
nobilis | ae
Nordmanniana
numidica ..
obovata ree
orientalis...
Parryane ws
Parsonsit
Pattoniana ...
pectinata
Pindrow
Pinsapo aia
polita ax
religiosa a
TWIG ie
sachalinensis..,
Schrenkiana ...._,
sibirica, ws.
sitchensis ws
Smithiana ...
subalpina
Tschonoskiane
PAGE
72
65
93
88
99
100
73
80
112
66
65
74
101
102
108
80
76
64
94
116
108
110
105
7
111
76
106
80
11
65
78
ul
83
344
Abies tsuga ian ais
Veitchii ite ete
monstrous cone of
Webbiana
Williamsonti
Abietinee ... sing ae
Agathis (Dammara) se
Araucaria ... ai te
Avenue at Becton ...
Bidwilli eae
“brasiliensis ... ee
Cookii ra
Cunninghami sic
excelsa ‘fais ate
imbricata... sity
Rulei... ee ae
Arbor Vite—
American wn ‘
Chinese aie e
Japanese. wee
Arceuthos drupacea ase
Athrotaxis ae aay
cupressoides ... og
Jaxifolia bg ‘ih
selaginoides ... sigs
Avenues, Conifers for ...
Belts and screens, Conifers
Biota sate a wait
orientalis...
varieties of “es
Californian Redwood
Cedars—
Synoptic Table of ...
Canadian Cedar’ wn
Cedars of Lebanon ...
Deodar ‘ee
Incense Cedar
Mount Atlas Cedar ...
Red Cedar ...
Cedrus... aS =
atlantica veg
' deodara cs aut
varicties of
for ..
INDEX.
PAGE
118 | Cedrus Libani... “ict ae aig
107 argentea... as
81 | Cemeteries, Conifers for... ie
109 Cephalotaxus .. ron
a drupacea. ae . .
59 Fortunei ves isn a :
197 pedunculata aT} ss i ns
187 | Chalk Soils, Conifers for... ee oe
194 | Chamecyparis Boursiert... aa aes
195 Lawsoniant tee nee oa
195 leptoclada ss tee . tes
195 nuthaénsts ss ten tee te
196 obtusa... ate oe ae tee
106 pisifera 2 ise : ;
191 sphecroidea ... aes ios ve
a Cones at Chelsea ... i aie die
oA Comment ;
250 Definition of the Order... oes
264 Development of, during the geo-
logical periods... aia wea
ane Distribution of oes es isis
ae Europeo-Siberian forest region ...
228 Mediterranean region «a
223 Himalayas... ee 3
#28 Chino-Japanese region ... de
828 North American forest region ...
Californian and Mexican region...
331 Tropical region ... ee pe
250 Southern Hemisphere ... ase
252 Australia and New Zealand...
252 South African region... dine
South America .., oes as
212 Literature of... saw i wit
Scientific classification of ... a
133 Parlatore’s Classification of the ...
261 Synopsis of Genera, Species, and
139 Varieties ... sey abs ore
134 | Coniferous Plants—
266 Branches we aes is iss
133 Diseases and accidents... ees
283 From fungi a Fee Ba
131 Matters absorbed by the roots ...
133 Stagnant water ... wee
1384 Smoke of Towns... ose
135 Wounds ... ee
ave one
32
Coniferous Plants—Discases and
Accidents—
From animals... aes esx
Insects... es st eis
Meteorological causes... aie
Enumeration of .., ae wes
Foliage ae se es ang
glaucescence aa es ven
variegation ve tes tee
Flowers ‘is aie ee vat
Fruit or cones, structure of spy
Leaves ues We ex tee
Polymorphisms in .., sas tes
Roots of esi ie aes ads
Secretions ... sae a ‘as
Seeds ... ee ste sits oun
Stems... ‘se “ii ‘is
Coniferous timber ree sis oa
Consumption of ... ae eee
Commercial nomenclature of sie
Colour of ... aie uy ee
Durability... ia eee sea
Elasticity .., ive ae on
Fragrance... one one tee
Strength ,., a0 tee
Coniferous trees, age attained by one
valuable for timber ... cs one
Coniferous wood, structure of ... re
Conservatory and Winter Garden, Coni-
fers for ... ns 28 tee eo
Cryptomeria elegans... ava sigs
japonica see tee te ne
Lobbi eee cat aia oy
varieties ... ves ens .
Cunninghamia sinensis ... ee Pe
Cupressinee ae tee ses de
Cupressus ... see eee te es
attenuata ae se "
bacciformis ao sie tee
californica .. sn or nee
cashinertane ... és te vee
funebris sie sie
Goveniana ... et aoe aes
Knightiana ... tee ete wine
Lambertiana “it ‘sin atin
345
PAGE
231.
2382
239
233
234
235
235
236
236
238
- 238
239
239
225
240
269
229
319
319
122
119
59
111
81
62
270
812
217
200
825
185
829
166
271
273
286
- 278
INDEX.
PAGE
' "| Cupressus Lawsoniana ate
varieties of ae xe tea
33 lusitanica.. .., ae aia A
34 Macnabiana .., at sa ao
36 -macrocarpa wa. ee
47 ‘Nutkaénsis ... eee ane oa
21 varieties of -.- uate vue
23 sempervirens... er
22 horizontalis sti
23 thyoides - .., a ee ist
24 varieties of ao ws
20 torulosa ee a s
27 Corneyana.., ar vise +
9 Cypress, The a5 ae sig ees
28 deciduous. Sec Taxodium distichum.
26 Japanese ss tes et vee
il Patagonian ... rer ise ee
16 Roman vk he. . ads ets
339 Tasmanian, >See Athrotaais,
835
19 | Dacrydium cupressinum... oi i
16 Bramklinii is, ais hae
18 | Dammara. Sve Agathis.
1S | Domgles: Devil me va exe
a Douglas Fir ish ies me
15
885 | Vir and Pine Tribe ots 8 ans
6 Hemlock Firs on ie toe
Silver Firs ... aes Ar es
332 Spruce Firs ... sie its ise
218 | Fitzroya patagonica ... on i
a ee
219 | Ginkgo biloba... ais a is
220 Glyptostrobus heterophyllus ... a
221 pendulus a hee oe ae
223 | Geometric Garden, Conifers for... on
225
297 | Hartweg, Karl Theodor ... tee toe
287 | Hedges, Conifers suitable for... aie
227
229 Jelfrey, John wes oo is
229 | Juniper, The... is
230 Common Junipers ... :
231 | Cypress-like Junipers : ane
228 Savin Junipers wt toe tee
346
Juniperus alpina...
Pa
barbadensis ...
Bedfordiana ...
‘bermudiana ...
previfolia, . ...
californicd, wa. .
canadensis... ...
Cedrus eo
vchinensis, . «+
varieties of
“communis. .,.
varieties of
“COMPLCESSH wae
-davurica. . sv.
dealbata aes
drupacea. s
. -echinoformis...
-excelsa aa
Sastigiata wa.»
Sragrans toe
Gossainthantane. ,
* ‘hemispheerica
hibernice ws
hispanica
japonica iis
varieties of
Langoldiana...
macrocarpa Aa
MONG ose ae
neaboriensis sie
nepalensis ss
oblonga vee
occidentalis ...
oxycedrus...
pachyphleea ...
‘phenicea ..,
procumbens ...
prostrata ue
pseudo-Sabina
YeECUuUrvVa + vee
religiosa ee
repanda ‘ee
rigida... ony
TUFESEENS — ae
Sabina 58
varieties. of
INDEX.
PAGE
273 | Juniperus Sheppardit
279 spherica
284 squamata-: s.
285 stricta. “ts
277 SUCCICE we
286 thurifera.: ...
274 virginiana: ...
277 varieties of
287 a :
288 | Lambert, Aylmer Bourke
274 | Larch, ‘The aes
275 Diseases of ...
273
285 | Larix americana ...
286 _ davurica “
276 europea sa
(273 Griffithii ...
279 japonica
273 Kaempferi ...
286 Ledebourt
284 ’ leptolepis: :
276 Lyalli... or
275 microcarpa ...
279 occidentalis ...
288
288 Libocedrus, Synopsis of Species
287 chilensis ais
277 decurrens ...
275 Doniana , ...
277 tetragona a.
48 | coh William...
276
Zee Maiden Hair Tree
- Memorial Trees ...
290 Menzies, Archibald
280
273 | Park and Landscape, Conifers for
285 | Picea. See Abies.
281 | Pine—
278 Chinese Water
278 Huon of Tasmania ...
277 Kauri of New Zealand
274 Stone, at Glenthorne
281 Totara of New Zealand
282
Synoptic Table of Species ..
Umbrella of Japan ,.,
Lawn and Pleasure Grounds, Conifers for.
eee
Pinetuny The...
Pinus
Binz, with two leaves in each sheath.
Terne, with three ,,
Quine, with five ,,
See also Abies, Cedrus, Larix.
Pinus albicaulis 00 un
aristata ‘ie
australis a
austriaca’ aes
Ayacahuite ... ais
Banksiana .., ase
Balfouriana ... .
Beardsleyt ws * vee
Benthamiana
Bolanderi ... vee
brutia
Bungeana
californica
Cembra
cembroides ...
contorta
~ Coultert
densiflora. ipa
Don Pedri.
Devoniana ...
Edgariana ...
edulis ae
excelsa siti ia
flexilis
Fremontiant... ise
Gerardiana ... tee
halepensis
Hamiltonit ... ie
Hartwegii ... te
inops... bee
Jeffreyi oon eo
koraiensis ...
, Lambertiana... wee
lanceolata ss aes
Laricio re ‘os
Llaveana
longifolia...
Lindleyana ...
Loudoniana ... is
wee
See Ayacahuite.
»
INDEX.
PAGE
820 | Pinus macrocarpa... oes se
140 MATUIME — vee a ves
142 Massoniana. ... rr zs
159 mitis... tee des
173 monophylla ... wee a
montana wes ae one
174 Montezume ... ae a
176 monticola .., nee
172 MMiughus “ia ey vee
144 muricata = s. sie. Wis
184 Murrayand v. dete a
158 oocarpa
175 Pallasiana ... Bo
161 palustris
161 Parryana siti tee
145 avis
patula tee tee oo
a nie as dia te
inaster aie ee es
pinea...
162 ponderosa < ... om or)
145 pseudo-Strobus ae ove
160 Pumitio
146 pungens ae bai oo
pyrenaica
184 mala
resinosa ais vee
a - rigida... nea vee eve
17 Hikisse las a ate
177’ Sabiniana ... tee te
147 een SeeP. Tada ...
sinensis aay es sas
in Strobus ia ie oe
153 sylvestris
134 Teda ...
158 Teocote ia iv oes
163 Thunbergi te ton
165 Torreyana vee tn
178 tuberculata ... ven tee
179 taurica one vee tes
200 cece et aa
147 | Podocarpus ver eee oon
160 alpinus By oes wa
172 andinus oes = gies
174 chilinus
174 chinensis
348 INDEX.
PAGE
Podocarpus macrophyllus we aay, (818
Koratensis wa. wn we eee 807
Nageia ie i bes we 819
nubigenus’ .., sie eas ve §=3818
Totara od lis ses we 319
Prumnopitys elegans... oe oe 816
Retinospora ves aie is vee 240
Synoptic Table o.
Varieties ... a on vee 241
Elwangeriana ase aie ewe = 255
ericoides eas or oe 248
filicoides ie ta ee oe = 248
_ filifera ae ise sie sve 248
ms
‘wT!
Ss
®
rc)
g.
Oo
a
ro)
B
a
Juniperoides ... sist ain vee 247
leptoclada ... es ie we 244
lycopodioides an ea eee 245
obtusa “ine it an eee 245
varieties of as ae see 246
pisifera ve wee ass sue (247
varieties of si ae see 248
plumosa ves ote vee vee 248
varieties of “i ie vee 249
squarrosa te on we 249
dubia vee ves von see 250
tetragona aurea. vee vee 250
Rock Garden, Conifers for wee ws =—826
Salisburia adiantifolia ... ss we 818
Saxe-Gothea conspicua ... on vee B15
Sciadopitys verticillata ... “wae 201
Sequoia gigantea... aie oo we =199
sempervirens was Ss ee §=212
Tar and Turpentine, properties of, how
procured ... sa 2 ve 80
Taxads. « vee eis se vig QOL
Taxodier ... 568 a os vee 198
Taxodium distichum ... cae vos 214
pendulum... sy ais wa 215
mexicanum ... acy oe wy 217
Taxus ste way ae on vee 291
Synoptic Table of varieties we DOL
adpressa wus wee one vn 205
Taxus baccata
varieties of
brevifolia
canadensis ...
cuspidata
Dovastonit ..
Sastigiata ..
Porth vas
hibernica
Japonica
Lindleyana ..
occidentalis ...
Thuia
Varieties ...
antarctica. ...
BUTCH zee
chilensis digi
Craigiant 6.
dumosa tee
Elwangeriana
elegantissima
gigantea me
Hoveyt wig
Lobbi ... alte
meldensis ...
Menzlestt
occidentalis ...
varieties of
orientalis...
plicata ee
pygmen
stbirica one
Standishii ..,
tartarica te
Vervacneant...
Wareana ...
Thuiopsis ... os
borealis se
dolabrata
laetevirens ...
Standishtt ....
Synoptic Table of Species and
| Timber Trees, Table of ... ies
Leven’s Hall...
Topiary Work at Elvaston Castle and:
aoe wee vee
Torreya ... vies oes ae
grandis see ae te ses
myristica “Ke
nucifera sib isis
taxifolia
Water, Ornamental, Conifers for . sie
Wellingtonia gigantea ... sing
varieties of
eee vee oo eee
Winter and Permanent Bedding, Coni-
fers for ...
INDEX.
PAGE
309 Yew Tribe ie or ee Par
311 | Yew ar va es ee re
311 American ve a oe ee
31] Chinese ie ae ine ite
311 Dovaston’s ... ; ass
Fetid... or iS a sia
527 Grove at Cherkley ... aes woe
204 Trish ... ia ni en ties
206 Lord Harrington’s .. ws
Prince Albe:t’s ame ae one
326 Yews, Ancient
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Abies amahilis, foliage of ee
brachyphylla, cone of a sie
bracteata at Tortwortn Court wis
coneof ... on wd ida
foliage of ... ih io a
canadensis, fertile branchlet of ...
concolor (lasiocarpa) at Highnam
Court as 60 ae arr
Douglassii, fertile branchlet of ..,
firma, cone of iis ile a
forms of foliage of
grandis, cone of...
foliage of ... va see ose
Hookeriana, foliage of ... er
magnifica, section of leaf of re
nobilis at Highnam Court ... ai
fertile branchlet and cone of
orientalis at Highnam Court
Pattoniana, foliage and cone of ..,
polita, cone and foliage of ...
sachalinensis, fertile branchlet of...
Tsuga, cone and foliage of ... oe
Veitchii, cone of ... a sie
monstrous cone of
foliage of ... ie
PAGE
86
89
90
91
90
114
93
120
Abies Webbiana, fertile branchlet of ...
Araucaria Avenue at Bicton
imbricata at Dropmore
female catkin of ..,
male catkin of
moncecious branch
Avenue at Coombe Wood
Cedrus Deodara at Dropmore
at Tortworth Court eas
Libani in Goodwood Park ses aos
Cupressus macrocarpa, cone of ,., se
Cryptomeria elegans at Linton Park ..,
fertile branchlet of axe
" Lobbi at Dropmore ...
fertile branchlet of au sii
Ginkgo biloba, foliage and fructification of
Japanese Conifers, group at Linton Park
Juniperus thurifera, fertile branchlet of.
Libocedrus decurrens, cone of .., ie
nee one
Pinus austriaca, cone of... bite wie
fertile branchlet of oe age
insignis, cone and leaves of a
koraiensis, cone of .., mr sig
monticola, cone of ... is’
parviflora, cone and leaves of
PAGE
109
.«. Frontispiece
194
193
192
189
328
134
185
137
224
218
218
219
25
313
240
271
224
144
145
164
178
181
182
INDEX.
ILLUSTRATIONS—continued.
350
PAGE
Pinus pinea (Stone Pine) at Glenthorne, 155
section of cone of... ee we «= D4
scales of cones of ... ne wae 226
Retinospora filicoides, foliage and cones of 248
filifera, foliage and cones of... we 244
obtusa, do. do... vee 245
pisifera, do. do... ve 247
plumosa, do. do... oe 248
squarrosa, do. do... vaae 249
Sciadopitys verticillata, conc he ve 202
foliage of . aaa es w= 208
Scotch Fir, wood cell of... aa ais 8
PAGE
Spruce Fir, female catkin of ... we 24
male catkin of sie aes we «= 28
Stem, three years old, section of seth 7
Taxodium distichum, with “knees,” at
Syon 216
Thuia gigantea (Lobbi) st tities Baie. 257
Thuiopsis dolabrata at Ashridge Park... 265
Topiary work at Elvaston Castle we 3800
Wellingtonia gigantea, fertile branchlet of 205
male flower and cone of ... tas OF
Yew, fructification of ... a ws 276
original Irish, at Florence Court... 303
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