Tas. 5576. 
MICROCACHRYS ‘terracona. 
StrawberrySruited Cypress. 
Nat. Ord. Contrerz.—Diaecra Monanpria. 
Gen. Char. Dioicum. Ament. mase. terminalia, solitaria, sessilia, ovoidea. 
Anthere imbricate, 2-loculares, loculis globosis ; pollen 3-gonum. Ament. 
Jem. terminalia, solitaria, sessilia, subglobosa. Sguame patentes, arcte 
imbricate, carnose, rubra, late ovato-rhomboide, concave, incurvee. Ovulum 
solitarium, deorsum spectans, integumento exteriore abbreviato. Strobilus 
decurvus, ovoideus. Semina immatura dorso compressa, integumento ex- 
teriore basi cincta.—Frutex prostratus, ramosus ; ramis 4-gonis. Folia 
triangulari-ovata, arcte imbricata, obtusa, ciliolata. Amenta parva. — 
Microcacurys fetragona. 
Microcacurys tetragona. Hook. f. in Lond. Journ. Bot. v. 4. p. 150, et in 
Flor. Tasman. v. 1. p. 358. t. C. B. 
AntHroraxis (?) tetragona. Hook. Ic. Pl. ¢. 560. 
This is surely one of the most remarkable of Conifers, and 
isin other respects one of the most interesting, being ex- 
tremely rare inits native country, and presenting the unique 
character in the Order of bearing a fleshy brilliantly-coloured 
cone. It is true that we have in the Yew, and in various 
species of Podocarpus, etc., fleshy highly-coloured fruits, but 
a Conifer with the scales themselves of the young cones as- 
suming a pulpy texture, semitransparent consistence, and 
bright colour, is, as far as I know, unique in the Order ; 
whether these characters persist in the ripe fruit I am un- 
able to say. 
Microcachrys tetragona inhabits the tops of a very few moun- 
tains of Tasmania, viz. the Western range and Mount Lapey- 
rouse, where it forms low straggling bushes. The plant here 
figured was brought to Kew by my friend W. Archer, Esq., 
F.L.S., of Cheshunt, on whose property it grew, and was by 
him presented to the Royal Gardens, where it produced its 
female cones abundantly in 1862; but having no male plant 
wherewith to fertilize it, no seeds were obtained. 
MAY Isr, 1566. 
