182 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFER^E 



attaining a height of 120-150 or more ft., and a girth of 15-25 ft., 

 with a clean, tapering trunk rising above well-defined buttresses. 

 Barh reddish-brown, fibrous, becoming detached in long shreds. 

 Branches usually in whorls, horizontal or drooping. Branchlets 

 spreading or drooping, eventually deciduous. Young shoots 

 green, without down. Winter buds smaU, hidden by small awl- 

 shaped, immature leaves. Leaves spirally arranged, persisting 

 4-5 years, awl-shaped, ^| in. long, the first leaves of the year 

 shorter than later ones, curving inwards, sometimes slightly 

 twisted, pointing forwards, keeled on both surfaces, margins 

 entire, apex tapering to a blunt point, base spreading and clasping 

 the shoot, stomata on each surface. Male and female flowers 

 on different parts of the same branch. Male catkins sub -terminal, 

 in clusters of 20 or more from the leaf-axils, ^l in. long, produced 

 in autumn, expanding and shedding their pollen in March ; 

 orange or reddish when opening. Female flowers formed in 

 autumn at the points of short branchlets, appearing in winter 

 as small green rosettes of leaves. Cones brownish, globular, 

 solitary, |-| in. long and wide, ripening the first year and remain- 

 ing on the trees for many months after shedding the seeds ; scales 

 20-30, centrally attached to the axis ; stalked, with 2-3 straight 

 or curved, spine-like processes at the apex ; the bract combined 

 with the scale for the greater part of its length and showing as a 

 recurved point on its outer surface. Seeds dark brown, irregularly 

 triangular, up to ^ in. long and | in. wide, each edge narrowed 

 into a rudimentary wing. A peculiarity of the species is that the 

 growing shoot is sometimes prolonged from the apex of the cone. 

 Numerous forms have been given varietal names. Some of 

 them are geographically distinct, others are of garden origin. 

 The following are geographical forms : — 



Var. Fortunei, Otto and Dietrich. 



C. japonica, var. sinen.«is, Siebold. 



A variety with more slender and more drooping branchlets 

 than the last two, with fewer scales to the cone, rarely more than 

 20, and usually two seeds to each scale. Native of China. 



Var. Lobbii, Hort. 



C. Lobbiana, Billain, 



A Japanese tree of denser and more compact habit than the 

 var. typica, with longer leaves which are light green in colour. 

 Cones with the processes and tips of the bracts longer and more 

 slender than in the typical form. It is regarded as the hardiest 

 form and was originally introduced from the Botanic Garden, 

 Buitenzorg, Java, about 1853, by Thomas Lobb. 



