CONIFERS 



73 



narrow, the other broad, oblique, nearly as long as the scale; cotyledons 2, about 

 as long as the superior radicle. 



Libocedrus is confined to western North America, western South America, where it 

 is distributed from Chili to Patagonia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Guinea, 

 Formosa, and southwestern China. Eight species are distinguished. 



Libocedrus, from Ki^ds and Cedrus, relates to the resinous character of these trees. 



1. Libocedrus decurrens, Torr. Incense Cedar. 



Leaves oblong-obovate, decurrent and closely adnate on the branchlets except at 

 the callous apex, ^' long on the ultimate lateral branchlets to nearly l' long on leading 



shoots, those of the lateral ranks gradually narrowed and acuminate at the apex, 

 keeled and glandular on the back, and nearly covering the flattened obscurely glandu- 

 lar-pitted and abruptly pointed leaves of the inner ranks. Flo"wers appearing in 

 January on the ends of short lateral branchlets of the previous year;staminate tinge- 

 ing the tree with gold during the winter and early spring, ovate, nearly ^' long, with 

 nearly orbicular or broadly ovate connectives, rounded, acute or acuminate at the 

 apex and slightly erose on the margins; pistillate subtended by 2-6 pairs of leaf -like 

 scales, with ovate acute light yellow-green slightly spreading scales. Fruit ripening 

 and discharging its seeds in the autumn, oblong, ^'-V long, pendulous, light red- 

 brown; seeds oblong-lanceolate, y-^' long, semiterete and marked below by con- 

 spicuous pale basal hilums; inner layer of the seed-coat penetrated by elongated 

 resin-chambers filled with red liquid balsamic resin. 



A tree, frequently 150 high, with a tall straight slightly and irregularly lobed 

 trunk tapering from a broad base and sometimes 7 in diameter, slender branches erect 

 at the top of the tree, below sweeping downward in bold curves, forming a narrow open 

 feathery crown becoming in old age irregular in outline by the greater development 

 of a few ultimately upright branches forming secondary stems, and stout branchlets 

 somewhat flattened and light yellow-green at first, turning light red-brown during the 

 summer and ultimately brown more or less tinged with purple, the lateral branchlets 

 much flattened, 4'-6' long, and usually deciduous at the end of the second or third 

 season. Bark ^'-1' thick, bright cinnamon-red, and broken into irregular ridges 

 covered with closely appressed plate-like scales. Wood light, soft, close-grained 



