i68 CYPRESSES AND JUNIPERS 



pendulous habit, and is spoken of as the most orna- 

 mental of all Asiatic Conifers. 



The LusiTANiCA, in Group A, by reason of its 

 striking colour and its vivid-hued cones, does not 

 constitute such a puzzle to the identifier as many 

 others. Its herbaceous branchlets are less crowded 

 and farther apart than most of the Cypresses. It 

 is, somewhat on the lucus a non lucendo principle, 

 familiarly called the Cedar of Goa. As a matter of 

 historic and endemic fact, it is not a Cedar and it 

 did not come from Goa. It must have been named 

 thus in the same spirit of perversity that described 

 a Crab as a little red fish that walked backwards, in 

 spite of the natural history incontrovertible fact 

 that it happened to be a little blue crustacean that 

 moved sideways. It would be nearing stricter truth 

 to allege that the Portuguese had it from Mexico, 

 and that the people of Goa (India) were indebted to 

 the Portuguese for plentifully planting it among them. 



The Arizonica, its more northern representative, 

 can be recognised by its display of little white specks 

 on the leaves, and which are explained as exudations 

 of resin from the circular pits. The Lusitanica does 

 not manifest these displays, and so one can be known 

 from the other. 



There is another more compact shaped, recently 

 discovered, Arizonica Cypress, called the Smooth 

 Cypress (C. Glabra). It is described as a tree from 

 25 to 30 ft. high, with thin, smooth, dark-purple, or 

 red bark, bright blue-green glaucous foliage, and 

 small spherical cones (vide U.S.A. Dep. of Agriculture 

 Bulletin, No. 207, July 191 5). Seeds are being tried 

 here, and possibly many other places in England. 

 Perhaps some day hence, when Father Time has taken 

 extended toll, and more waters have flowed under 



