GENUS CUNNINGHAMIA. 35 



very well, and forms a handsome specimen, which, for distinct 

 appearance and beauty of foliage, has few equals amongst 

 coniferous trees. In no other conifer with which I am ac- 

 quainted is there so diverse an appearance of foliage, the 

 pleasant pale green of the younger foliage affording a striking 

 contrast to the deep, almost yew-green of the older leaves. 



As an ornamental tree of very unusual appearance, the 

 Cunninghamia should find a well-chosen spot in every collec- 

 tion, for although somewhat tender in unfavourable districts, 

 yet in many places it has stood perfectly unharmed through 

 our most severe winters, when other so-called hardy conifers 

 were badly injured by the frost. The branches are horizon- 

 tally arranged, rather tortuous, and covered with smooth, dark 

 brown bark, as in a young Sequoia. 



The leaves are various in colour, the oldest being brownish- 

 green, while those produced during the past five years are of 

 all shades, from dark green to the lightest and freshest of pea- 

 green, with two distinct silvery lines above, and two rather 

 indistinct lighter coloured bands on each side of the prominent 

 midrib beneath. They are lance-shaped, i| inches long 

 and slightly serrated on the edges. The cones are terminal, 

 sub-erect, ij to il inches long, and usually borne singly, and 

 about three on each branchlet. They are formed of about 

 thirty-six imbricated, persistent scales, with three seeds 

 beneath each, the whole cone thus containing about one 

 hundred seeds. A peculiarity of the cones of this tree, and 

 which, Sir Joseph Hooker tells me, sometimes occurs in 

 spruces, is that after being fully formed, the axis continues 

 to elongate, and produces leaves which are in no way different 

 from the ordinary foliage. Stranger still, but this has not 

 been noticed in any other conifer, the elongated portion 

 throws out buds and produces twigs in the usual manner, the 

 cone gradually disappearing when, after the third year, no 

 trace of it can be detected, and the branch has elongated to 

 6 or perhaps 8 inches. This conifer throws up suckers from 

 the base of the stem. The finest specimen I have seen, and 

 from which these notes were compiled, is growing in the 



