TOT. TIMBER PUKPOSES. 211 



and Taxodium sempervii^ejis. But as in no other instance Lave 

 we any record of this peculiarity having been observed by other 

 travellers, it was probably due to some special cause, whether of 

 locality, soil, or other physical conformation of site, and must 

 not be taken as proving the identity of the two conifers conclu- 

 sively, but as a very significant fact, which, if supported by more 

 evidence of a similar nature fiom other localities beyond the 

 immediate radius of the original habitat of the Wellingtonia, 

 may prove of much value in solving the disputed point of iden- 

 tity in the botanical sense of the term. 



The cones differ somewhat in size and compactness, those of 

 the Wellingtonia being rather larger, and more compact in tex- 

 ture. In the bark and timber again, the difference is very slight. 

 In the Wellingtonia, the former is thicker than in the case of the 

 Taxodium, while the timber is said to be lighter ; but the 

 general character of both, in point of texture, grain, and colour, is 

 the same. Both woods also abound in another essential element 

 of comparison when identity or community of genus is being con- 

 sidered. We refer to the red colouring matter (soluble in water), 

 with which the timber of both these pines has been found to be 

 largely diffused ; and from this peculiar characteristic, the name 

 of " red wood" has been given to the Taxodmm sempervirens. 

 The geographical area occupied by the Taxodium is much wider 

 than that of the Wellingtonia ; hence, though at first probably 

 the same plant identically, by wider diffusion of habitat, change 

 of soil, climate, altitude, &c., the Taxodium sempervirens may 

 have, by such successive and continuous alternations, acquired a 

 slightly altered character of foliage or otherwise, not sufficient, 

 however, to justify us in supporting Dr Lindley's theory of its 

 being entitled to be regarded as a distinct genus. The giant 

 survivors of the Mariposa Grove, and other special locali- 

 ties in California, where individual groups of the Wellingtonia 

 (jifjantea are still found, probably present to us the old " abo- 

 rigines" of the Sequoia type, while the wider distribution of 

 Taxodium semp)ervirens present to us the same individual (or 

 at most, a variety thereof), modified by geological changes or 

 climatic influences. The two are clearly, then, congeners, or 

 allies, as intimately related as are the Finus sylvestris and Pimcs 

 IHnaster, or the now generally accepted single family of Ccdrus 

 Lihani, Deodara, and Atlantica ; and probably a fair compro- 

 mise to this controversy regarding the nomenclature, would be 

 to accept both as of genus Sequoia, the one being ditferenced as 

 Sequoia Wellingtonia, and the other as Sequoia scmj^ervircns. 

 Tliis view lias been favourably entertained by Dr Seeniann and 

 other distinciuished botanists. 



The Taxodium (or Sequoia) sempervirens, is found to occupy as 

 its native habitats, the nortli-western coast of America, where it 

 was first observed l)y Menzies in 1 700, and it has since been 



