100 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERS 



ditions are on the moist side. When planted in loamy soil that 

 never becomes water-logged, it grows freely and retains its 

 branches from the ground line for fifty or more years. On dry, 

 thin soils, however, and in a smoke-laden atmosphere, it loses 

 its lower branches early in life and becomes ragged and unkempt. 

 If branches are sawn off about half an inch from the base before 

 they are quite dead, young shoots are sometimes formed from 

 the stumps. Although it is usual to propagate the tree from 

 seeds, cuttings of erect shoots from headed- back trees can be 

 rooted. Cultivated plants vary a good deal in habit, the lateral 

 branches of some being very stiff and ridged, whereas those of 

 others are slender, pendulous, and bear much smaller leaves. 

 This difference in habit has been suggested as a guide to sex, 

 but the suggestion is without foundation. A. imhricata is used 

 as an isolated specimen, in groups and for avenues. Good crops 

 of seed are frequently ripened in England. It is probable that it 

 would succeed as a timber tree in the S. of England. 



The common name of Monkey Puzzle is said to have originated 

 in Cornwall and not to be of S. American origin. On one occa- 

 sion when the owner of a plant was exhibiting it to friends a 

 remark was passed to the effect that " it would puzzle a monkey 

 to climb that tree," and the owner forthwith adopted the name, 

 " monkey puzzle," which still remains. 



Elwes and Henry, Trees of Great Britain and Ireland, i, 44 (1906). 



Araucaria Mueller i, Brongniart and Oris. 

 Mueller's Araucaria. 



A rare tree, which appears to form a connecting link between 

 the two groups, for it has some of the characters of each. Leaves 

 thick, leathery, 1-1 1 in. long, |-f in. wide, ovate, closely over- 

 lapping as in ^. imhricata, sharp -pointed, with stomata on each 

 surface. Male catkins terminal, up to 10 in. long and 1| in. wide. 

 Cone ovoid, 4|-6 in. long and 3|— 4 in. wide, resembling a small 

 cone of A. imhricata, the base closely clasped with leaves. Seeds 

 about 1 in. long and \ in. wide, with narrow, flimsy wings. 



A. Muelleri appears to be most closely related to A. Rulei, 

 from which it may be distinguished by larger and coarser leaves. 

 From A. iynhricata it is separated by shorter leaves and longer 

 male catkins. 



It is a native of New Caledonia and has no economic import- 

 ance. 



L' Illustration Horticole, xxix, 449. 



Araucaria Rulei, Ferdinand von Mueller. 



A. Niepratschki, Hort. ; A. Van Gaertii, Hort. 

 A tree 50 ft. high, clothed with branches spreading on aU 

 sides of the trunk to a distance of 15 ft. Branchlets pendulous, 



