332 WIDDRINGTONIA ; OR 



Gen. WIDDRINGTONIA. Endlicher. The African 

 Cypress. 



Flowers, dioecious, or male and female on separate plants, 

 and terminal; the male catkins oblong or cylindrical; the 

 female ones globular, and without footstalks. 



Cones, globular, either solitary or two or three together, and 

 composed of four valves or scales. 



Scales, or valves, four in number, oval, raucronate, somewhat 

 in whorls round a depressed axis, with the edges converging. 



Seeds, frequently few from abortion, but with from five to 

 ten ovules at the base of each scale, in one or two series, and 

 covered with a somewhat crustaceous tegument, spreading on 

 each side into a membranaceous wing. 



Seed-leaves, in twos. 



Leaves, thickly set, alternately or in whorls, linear or needle- 

 shaped, spreading, but sometimes very small, scale-formed, and 

 approaching imbricate, with a gland on the back. 



Named in compliment to Captain Widdrington (formerly 

 Cook), who travelled in Spain. 



All evergreen bushes or small trees, found at the Cape of 

 Good Hope and Madagascar. 



No. 1. WiDDRiNGTONiA CoMMERSONii, JEndHcher. 

 Syn. Thuja quadrangularis, Ventenat. 

 ,, Pachylepis Commersonii, Brongniart. 



Leaves, very short, acute and distant on the branches, obtuse, 

 closely set together, and disposed in four rows on the branch- 

 lets. Branches, numerous, spread out and close together along 

 the stem ; branchlets, slender, numerous, and rather pendant. 

 Cones, globular, almost the size of a walnut, and quite smooth. 

 Valves, very thick, without any points, but rounded in the 

 centre, slightly swelling towards the summit on the outer side, 

 keeled on the inner one, and huddled together at the points. 



