234 Linnaan Society. 



pressa, vix pollicaria. Amenta mascula in spicam terminalem aggre- 



gata ; foeminea solitaria, globosa. 

 1. C.japonica. 



Cupressus japonica. Linn. Fil. Suppl. 421. 

 Habitat in Insula Nipponiae. 



The habit of this tree is so like that of Araucaria Cunninghamii, 

 that a branch of the one might readily be mistaken for that of the 

 other. The male catkins, which in the other genera of Cupressinece 

 are solitary, are here numerous, as in the normal tribe of Pinus, and 

 crowded in a spike-like manner at the extremity of the branches. 

 The thecse, five in number, are unilocular, very short, combined to- 

 gether in a single series, concealed at the base of the scales, and 

 open inwardly towards the axis by a large aperture. The female 

 catkins are solitary, globular, and squarrose. The scales, or peri- 

 carpia, apparently consist each of a verticil of leaves combined to- 

 gether and concrete with the bracte, which is much developed. The 

 ovula vary from four to six, and appear to bear some relation to the 

 divisions of the pericarpium. The more complex structure of this 

 genus appears to confirm the accuracy of Mr. Brown's view of the 

 scales being the pericarpial leaves, and to militate against the opinion 

 lately advanced by Dr. Schleiden,* who regards the scale or expanded 

 pericarpium of Abietinea as the placenta, and what has hitherto been 

 regarded as the bracte as the true pericarpial leaf. 



The wood of Cryptomeria is compact, and the fibrous tissue is com- 

 posed of very slender vessels, united generally by their truncated 

 ends, and furnished on the sides parallel to the medullary rays with 

 a single row of minute dots, having a circular outline, and an opake 

 centre, much smaller and more crowded than in Pinus. 



The author's description of this remarkable tree is taken from a 

 specimen communicated by Thunberg to the younger Linnaeus, and 

 now forms part of the extensive collections of the Linnsean Society. 



Athrotaxis. 



Amenta mascula solitaria, multiflora, capitata, laxa. Squama antheriferce 

 longe unguiculatae, subfastigiatse. Anther arum thecce 2. bivalves, dis- 

 tantes, divaricato-patentes. Ovula 3, pendula. Strobili squama indefi- 

 nite, lanceolate, acutae, regione seminiferd incrassatd. Semina 2 v. 3, 

 compressa, margine altero alato. 



Arbusculse (Tasmanienses) sempervirentes, facie Lycopodiorum,/o/iis im- 

 bricatis, amentis terminalibus solitariis sessilibus. 



The habit of this singular genus recalls to mind the Lepidodendra, 



* For Dr. Schleiden's interesting memoir on this subject, vide Philoso- 

 phical Magazine, vol. xii. p. 172. 



