2S8 



SKETCH OF THE CONIFERS OP JAPAN". 



■ A tree, often reaching tlie Leigbt of 40 feet, or even more, 

 with a straight tapering trunk, smooth cinereous brown bark; the 

 branchlets dirty cinereous bro^Yu, glabrous, roughened with the 

 bases of the persistent and fallen scales. Buds, generally several 

 in number, verticillately disposed at the ends of the branchlets, 

 ovate, acute, all composed of numerous lanceolate acuminated 

 raggedly ciliated scales, with the base subligneous, hrown, per- 

 sistent, from the middle upwards membranaceous, thence dry and 

 deciduous, at first densely imbricated, later removed from each 

 other by growth, and distributed in place of leaves alternately 

 over the whole branchlet, bearing the secondary leaf or flower- 

 bearing buds in the axillae. These leaf-bearing buds are enclosed 

 with from 10 to 12 dry membranaceous ragged scales, which 

 are persistent, and, after the first growth, become united into 

 a short cylindrical tube (the sheath) encircling the fascicle of 

 leaves (fig 4?2). The leaves are two in each fascicle (fig. 43), 



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Fig. 42. 



Fig. 43. 



FJg. 4i. 



persistent for three years, slender, stiflF, acute, from three to four 

 inches long, slightly scahrous or serrulate on the edges, otherwise 

 smooth, subglaucous, convex on the back, concave on the other 

 side, and on both sides marked distiuclly with numerous rows 

 of stomata, consisting of about 8 or 10 rows on the back, rather 



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