VARIABILITY OF CONIFEROUS TREES 287 



foliage is separated into awl -shaped or linear 

 leaves; Thuya ellwangeriana, a form of T. occi- 

 dentalis bearing both adult and juvenile foliage ; 

 Retinispora leptoclada, R. sqiiarrosa ; and some 

 little - known forms of Cupresstis tomlosa and 

 Juniper us virginiana. 



Generally speaking, the origin of these forms 

 may be accounted for by the fact that amongst 

 the cypresses, junipers, and arborvitaes, the 

 foliage of seedling plants is long and needle-like, 

 and in many instances, but at indefinite periods, 

 succeeded by scale-like leaves. At what period 

 of their growth this change of foliage may take 

 place is very uncertain, and that, too, I have 

 frequently noticed with different conifers from 

 the same batch of seedlings, some assuming the 

 adult foliage at an early date, while others remain 

 in the primordial condition for an almost in- 

 definite period. Cryptomeria japonica elegans is 

 an example of the latter kind, the primordial or 

 juvenile character having been retained for thirty 

 years, at present no signs of breaking away from 

 the seedling stage being visible in a specimen of 

 that age. Retinispora ericoides (properly Thuya 

 orientalis ericoides) is simply an undeveloped form 

 of the Chinese Arborvitae, the fruit, as I have 

 seen, differing in no way from that of the 

 species. 



By continual propagation from the juvenile 

 stage a fixed character may therefore be estab- 

 lished, and many forms so obtained are highly 

 ornamental and of great value for ornamental 

 purposes ; so that this practice amongst conifers 

 is certainly to be recommended. Of Cupressus 



