198 CLASS MONCECIA. 



of the most useful and prevalent species is the southern 

 states is the Pinus palustris, or Long-leaved Yellow 

 Pitch Pine, which occupies, in predominating abun- 

 dance, a vast extent of sterile maritime district, from 

 Norfolk, in Virginia, to an indefinite distance on the 

 coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Its leaves grow by 2's, 

 and are mostly 12 to 16 inches long, chiefly growing 

 at the extremities of the branches ; the cones are also 

 proportionably large. Its timber is much used, and 

 it affords a great part of all the turpentine, resin, and 

 pitch exported from the southern states. 



The third section of Pinus is that of the Larch 

 (Larix), principally distinguished by its deciduous 

 clustered leaves, which are slender as threads. The 

 Larches, of which there are 2 species in the United 

 States, and one in Europe, grow generally in swampy 

 grounds, and theip bark is esteemed for tanning. Like 

 all the other sections of the genus, their branches come 

 out in pyramidal stages. 



The Cupressus, or Cypress, belongs also to the Coni- 

 fers. — Its sterile flowers are in ovate aments, with 

 peltate scales. There is neither calyx nor corolla ; 

 and 4 sessile anthers. The fertile flowers are in a 

 cone or strobilus with peltated scales, and are equally 

 destitute of calyx or corolla. The germs are 4 to 8 

 under each scale of the strobile, and to these succeed 

 angular, compressed nuts. The most celebrated and 

 majestic species of this useful genus is the Cedar of 

 Lebanon, which forms a large spreading topped tree, 

 and like the Larch, is clothed with clustered filiform 

 leaves, which are evergreen, and not deciduous as in 

 the latter. The funereal Cypress (Cupressus sem- 

 pervirens) , chosen by the ancients for its sombre verdure, 

 and elegant close pyramidal form, was planted near 

 burial grounds and dwellings. Our White Cedar (C. 

 thuyoides) is also evergreen, and has a somewhat sim- 



