Postelsia 197 
inate flower terminating a leafy branch, con- 
sisting of an axis bearing numerous decussate 
pairs of stamens; stamens orbicular, subpeltate, 
with two to six pollen sacs. Pistillate flower 
terminal on a short leafy branch, consisting of 
an axis bearing whorled or decussately opposite 
carpels; carpels subpeltate, the middle or upper 
ones fertile, bearing one to many ovules. Fruit 
globose, woody, the scales peltate with thick 
distal ends formed principally from the greatly 
enlarged upper side of the carpel, and bearing 
a prominent central boss, the original apex of 
the carpel. 
A genus of about eighteen species divided 
into two sections, Eu-Cupressus and Chame- 
cyparis. Only the latter is represented in north- 
western North America. Four species of Fu- 
Cupressus occur in California and Arizona. 
Section Chamecyparis. Spach. Hist. Veg. Phan. 
i220. LO42. as Cemus: 
Branchlets distichous, twigs somewhat flat- 
tened, leaves four ranked, dimorphic, those of 
the lateral ranks conduplicate, folded over the 
almost flat leaves of the dorsal and ventral ranks 
