LXIII. 



THUJA OCCIDENTALS. 



American Arbor Tita. 



Synonyms.— Arb 



Cedrus Lycea, Ger. Em., p 



1369. Thuja occidentals, Linn. Sp. PL, p. 1421; Michaux, Arb. For., y. iii 

 p. 29, t. 3. 



iiGN Names.— Fr. : Thuia du Canada. Germ.: Lebensbaum. 



Nat Order, Conifers. — Moncecia, Monodelphia 



Gen. Char.— Male. Calyx : catkin ovate, composed of a common stalk, 

 on which the flowers stand, opposite, in three rows, each flower having 

 for its base a nearly ovate, concave, obtuse scale. Corolla none. Sta- 

 men : filaments in each flower four, but scarcely visible ; anthers as 

 many, attached to the base of the scale above mentioned. Male catkin 

 with imbricated scales. Anthers four. Female on the 



same 



with 



flowered, ovate, convex scales, converging longitudinally. Corolla none. 

 Pistils .- germen minute. Style awl-shaped. Stigma simple. Pericarp: 



.wise 



nearly equal, obtuse, externally convex scales. Seeds solitary, oblong, 

 each surrounded by a longitudinal membranous, emarginate wing. 

 Catkin becoming an imbricated cone, with two flowered scales. Seeds 



an 



Spec. Char.— Young brandies two-edged. Leaves imbricated, in four 

 rows, compressed, ovate, somewhat rhomboid, dotted. Inner scales of 



under 



History.— The Thuja of the Greeks was probably the Juniperus 

 oxycedros, the KeSgo? **«§« of Dioscorides, and was employed, on 

 account of the hardness of the wood, to make images and 

 statues. This plant has no relation to the Thuja of modern 

 times, and more particularly of the T. occidental, which, being 



Figs. 1 and 2. Catkins, with sections. 3 and 4. Male and female. 



