(A. viridis, Regel), belongs to the section of the genus 
characterised by having the female inflorescences in 
terminal racemes, which make their appearance in the 
spring, while in all the other known species they are 
solitary or racemose in the axils of the leaves and appear 
in autumn. A. firma is moreover easily recognised by its 
leaves having numerous straight almost parallel lateral 
nerves, which in the variety mu/tinervis are as many as 
18 to 24 on each side of the midrib. In this respect 
the leaves much resemble those of some hornbeams. 
Though sometimes found as a bush, at others it appears 
as a small tree, having long, slender, spreading branches, 
which give a graceful effect. A tree at Kew has now 
reached the height of nearly 30 ft., and has a trunk 
about 6 inches in diameter. Three varieties have been 
distinguished, each by some authorities regarded as 
species. The variety muiltinervis (A. pendula, Matsu- 
mura) has longer, more acuminate, doubly serrate leaves 
with 18-24 pairs of lateral nerves, and smaller cones in 
a pendulous raceme. This was the first representative 
of the species introduced into this country, it is believed 
by Mr. John Gould Veitch in 1862. The variety 
Sieboldiana (A. Sieboldiana, Matsumura) has solitary cones, 
which are larger than in the other varieties; its leaves 
are broader and fewer-nerved than in the variety 
multinervis, and its young branchlets, which are pube- 
scent in the variety Yasha, are glabrous. 1. jirma var. 
Sieboldiana is not in cultivation. The variety now figured 
was introduced into America by Professor Sargent in 
1892, and through him to Kew in 1893. At Kew it 
thrives well and makes a very elegant small tree, very 
distinct owing to its handsome, hornbeam-like leaves. 
It enjoys a deep, stiffish, loamy soil. Professor 
Matsumura records it from many localities in the island 
of Hondo, from one in Sikoku and from three provinces 
in Kiushiu. Its Japanese name is Oba-minebari. It is 
presumbly of this variety that Professor Sargent speaks 
in his “Forest Flora of Japan” as “largely planted 
along the margins of rice-fields near Tokyo to afford 
support for the poles on which the freshly cut rice is 
hung to dry.” It has hitherto been quite a rare tree in 
English collections, but it well deserves attention and 
