210 ON THE TAXODIUM SEMPERVIREXS 



Scales. — Numerous, wedge-shaped, irregular in sliape,rugged and 

 wrinkled on upper edge, hollow in the middle, and furnished at the 

 point with a sharp horn-shaped blunt apex pointed outwards. 



Seeds. — Irregularly shaped, woody, and three to five at the base 

 of each scale, and winged. 



Habitats. — California and North- West America. 



There can be no doubt of the close generic relationship be- 

 tween this magnificent pine, Taxodmm or Sequoia sempervirens, 

 and the well-known Wcllingtonia, or Sequoia gigantea, as it is 

 frequently called on the other side of the Atlantic, although 

 there has been considerable controversy between botanists as to 

 whether both pines are not members of the same genus, and as to 

 the distinctness of each. Dr Lindley's arguments against the 

 proposition of community of genus subsisting between them, 

 have been resolutely opposed by those of Professor Asa Gray, 

 Decaisne, and' others; and indeed at first, when the Taxodium sem- 

 2Mrvivens had been only recently introduced to general notice in 

 this country, it was matter of much speculation as to the real 

 botanical differences existing between the Wellingtonia gigantea 

 and Taxodium semioervirens, for as yet botanists had only the 

 foliage and the cones sent from abroad to guide them, no male 

 liowers having been produced in this country. These, however, 

 were first observed in England in 1866, and appeared identical in 

 structure and form in both conifers; a slight difference only existed 

 in the size. The principal distinction, therefore, seems to be 

 in the foliage ; the spines or leaves of Taxodium semiMrvirens 

 being distichously spread out like those of our common silver fir 

 (Picea ijectinata), or like those of the true Taxus genus ; whereas 

 the leaves of Wellingtonia gigaMtea have an imbricated, scale-like 

 appearance, resembling rather the foliage of the juniper family 

 than that of the Sequoia ; and even after they have attained full 

 development they retain a distinct sessile habit, without any 

 tendency to present aflat laminate surface-form. It should, how- 

 ever, be stated that, although from the distinctness in the structure 

 of the foliage mainly can any difference in genus be traced 

 between these closely allied coniferous giants, there is a spe- 

 cimen in the British Museum of a small branch of Taxodium 

 sempervirens which presents distinctly imbricated leaves, all along 

 its growth, except at the very points of the young branchlets ; and 

 these imbricated leaves are of the same shape, size, and general 

 appearance as those of Wellingtonia gigantea. No instances 

 have been recorded, or have come under our observation, where 

 the converse has occurred, or where the leaves or spines of 

 Wellingtonia have assumed the distichous, laminate habit of 

 the Taxodium. Dr Cooper,"^ however, reports that, at San Diego 

 in 1864, he found some trees of peculiar appearance, the foliage 

 being, he believed, intermediate between Wellingtonia gigantea 

 * Travaux de la Commission Geologique de California. 



