FLORA OF NOIiTU-'WESTERN MEXICO. 335 
631. Cham^cypakis thurifera, Endl. Synop. Coiiif. p. Q2.—Cupressus thurifera, H.B. et K., 
Nov. Gen. et Sp. vol. ii. p. 3.— Nomen vernacul. " Cedro de la Sierra." On the banks of rivulets 
near Guadalupe, in the Sierra Madre ; also between Mesquital and Tepic. 
632. Taxodium disUchvm, Rich., Endl. Synop. Conif. p. Qi&.—Cupresms dkikiia, Linn. Spec. 
1422.— Nomen vcrnacul. " Sabino." On the banks of rivers and rivulets, common on the tnhle-land 
of the State of Durango. 
This tree, called by the modern Mexicans " Sabino," by the Aztecs " Ahoehoetl," and by the inhabi- 
tants of the United States Black, Biild, or Swamp Cypress, always grows near rivers or running streams, 
and except it and the Cedro de la Sierra {Chamacyparis thurifera, Eiidl.), I do not know any Contfera 
which is so closely confined to them as this one. Often have I rejoiced when, after searching a long time 
for water, the tops of some Sabinos were descried : I had found the object of my search. Tlie Sabino is 
diffused over the whole table-land of Mexico ; it was collected at Misteca Alta (Galeotti, n. 5 !), St. Maria 
de Tule, Oasaca (Liebmann !), and at some other place not specified (.Turgcusen, n. 237) ; it was besides 
found in Texas (Lindhcimer, n. 181!), in Louisiaua (Drummoud, n. 322!), Alabama (Urummoud!), Flo- 
rida (Herb. Hook. !), and in various other States of the North American Kepublic. 
Dr. Bennet Dowler, of ]^ew Orleans, from an investigation of the successive growths of Cj-press forests 
around that city, the stumps of which are still found at different deptlis, directly ovcrhjing each other, from 
the great size and age of these trees, and from the remains of Indian bones and pottery found below the 
roots of some of these stumps, arrives at the conclusion " that the human race existed in the delta of the 
Mississipi more than 57,000 years ago, and that ten subterranean forests, and tlie one Jiow growing, will 
show that an exuberant flora existed in Louisiana more than 100,000 years autcrior to these evidences of 
man's existence." 
633. PiN'us (Abies) reliyiosa, H.B. et K., Nov. Gen. et Sp. vol. ii. p. 5.— P. Mrtella, H.B.K., 
1. c. I— Noracn vernacul. '' Oyamei." Sierra Madre, on the road from Durango to Mazatlan. 
On comparing my specimens of Finns Mrtella, H. B. K., from the Sierra Madre, with those named 
-P. reliyiosa in the herbaria of Hooker and Bentham, I observed that the latter too, without exception, had 
hirtellous branches; and again, on examining specimens of P. reliyiosa growing in the Eoyal Botanic Gar- 
dens of Kew, as well as at various other horticultural establishments, I found that they did not differ in 
any way from those of hirtella collected by myself. As the only difTerence between P. reliyiosa and P. 
hirteUa insisted upon by writers on Cuniferce consists in the former havhig glabrous, the latter hirtellous 
branches, I was forced to conclude that all the specimens of P. reliyiosa which I had seen ui England 
ought to be called P. hirtella, imless it could be shown that P. reliyiosa had (notwithstanding Humboldt's, 
Bonpland's, and Kunth's assertion to the contrary) hirtellous branches. In order to ascertain this point, 
I addressed a letter on the subject to Mr. George Gordon, at the Horticultural Society's Gardens at 
Chiswiek, a gentleman of great practical experience, who, imdor date of Chiswick, November 11, 1854, 
kindly replied, that *' having taken a good deal of interest and pains in the matter, when Mr. ^nrt^^ eg was 
collecting in Mexico, and begged him to examine minutely Humboldt's and Bonpland's localities, to see 
what their A. liirtclla was, he did so, but could discover no other species than the ' Oyaniel,' or Alics reli- 
yiosa, which he carefidly examined in various places between 15° and 22° S. lat., and ascertained its chief 
range to be about 19°, and at an elevation of 9000 feet ; he also found it on the ' Campanario,' the highest 
point of the mountains of Angangues, 5 or 6 feet in diameter, and 150 feet high, at other places very much 
smaller and stunted, but still the same species ; now, after carefully examining all these facts, I, as well as 
Hartweg, came to the decided conclusion that both names, P. hiiiella and P. reliyiosa, belong to the same 
species, and that the error of making two species arose from describing imperfect specimens, and not having 
cones of ^. hirtella to compare with the ' Oyamel' of the Mexicans." 
