302 SCIADOPITYS. 



SciADOPiTYS VERTiciLLATAj Siebold, the Whorl-leaved 

 Sciadopitys. 

 Syn. Pinus verticillata, Siebold. 

 „ Taxus verticillata, Thunherg. 



Leaves, long, linear, or somewhat falcate, smooth, entire, 

 alternate, persistent, without any footstalks, and tapering to an 

 obtuse point, concave and ribbed on the under side, in close 

 tufts of from thirty to forty in number on the ends of the shoots, 

 in a sort of whorl in the form of an extended parasol, and re- 

 maining on the branches for three or four years. Branches^ 

 alternate, or in whorls, with the young shoots cylindrical, and 

 without leaves, except towards the top, but covered with persis- 

 tent scales, which when old fall off, and leave the adult branches 

 marked by their scars ; buds, terminal, vertically numerous, 

 and scaly, at first imbricated, but afterwards scattered. Male 

 and female flowers on the same plant ; the male catkins terminal, 

 somewhat globular ; female, solitary, growing from among the 

 scaly buds. Cones, elliptic, cylindrical, obtuse at the ends, 

 solitary, two inches and a half long, and one inch and a half in 

 diameter, and somewhat resembling those of the Pinus cembra. 

 Scales, regularly imbricated, wedge-shaped, half-rounded on the 

 outer part, leathery, ii-regularly reflexed round the edges, rather 

 thin, persistent, and of a greyish brown colour, bracteas adher- 

 ing to the scale, and shorter. Seeds, elliptic, compressed, seven 

 in number under each scale near the upper parts, with a coria- 

 ceous covering, tapering into a membranaceous wing, attenuating 

 to the base and summit. 



A handsome and very singular evergreen shrub or small tree, 

 with a straight stem and horizontal spreading branches, growing 

 from twelve to fifteen feet high, flowering in the spring. 



It is found in the eastern part of the Island of Niphon, upon the 

 mountains of ' Koja-San,' in the province of ' Kii,' and probably 

 on other of the Japan Islands. The Chinese call it * Kin-Sung,' 

 and the Japanese ' Koja-Maki,' and plant it in their gardens 

 and around their Sacred Temples ; but it is by no means plenti- 

 ful or abundant in Japan, where, according to Dr. Siebold, there 

 are several varieties. 



