186 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERS 



The type and its varieties thrive in all except the coldest 

 parts of the British Isles, where good moist soil is found. It is 

 not a suitable tree for dry hard soils or for exposed situations. 

 Recommendations have been made to the effect that it might be 

 profitably planted for the production of pit props, but judging 

 from its growth as a decorative tree there does not appear to be 

 any reason to suppose that it can compete with pine, spruce, and 

 larch. Trees 50-60 ft. high have been recorded in several parts 

 of the country, but reaUy well developed specimens are uncommon. 



Elwes and Henry, The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland, i, p. 127 (1906), 



CUNNINGHAMIA. 



A genus of evergreen trees forming a connecting link between 

 the Araucariece and the Taxodinece. The foliage closely re- 

 sembles that of some Araucarias in shape, but differs in having 

 three seeds instead of one on each scale. 



Cunninghamia sinensis, R. Brown. 

 Chinese Fir. 



Cunninghamia lanceolata, Hooker ; Belis jaculiflora, Salisbury ; Pinus 

 lanceolata, Lambert. 



An evergreen tree up to 150 ft. high, and 18 ft. in girth. Bark 

 of old trees brown, shed in long irregular strips, showing the 

 young reddish bark beneath. Branches of young trees more or 

 less whorled, of old trees irregular. Lateral branchlets decidu- 

 ous. Young shoots without down, densely clothed with leaves. 

 Winter buds round, flattened, and covered by leafy scales, the 

 flower-buds larger than the others. Leaves spirally arranged, 

 those on the main axis standing out from all sides of the stem, 

 those on the under -side of the branches turning upwards by a 

 basal twist so that all appear to spring from the sides and surface 

 of the shoot ; persisting ahve for five or more years and remaining 

 dry and dead on the branches for several years more ; lance- 

 shaped, curving backwards, 1-2| in. long, tV—J in. wide at the 

 base, green or glaucous-green, margins finely toothed, apex a 

 long, slender point ; stomata in a broad band on each side of the 

 midrib on the under-surface. 3Iale flowers sub-terminal in short 

 catkins, about twelve of which form a dense cluster at the end 

 of the shoot. They are formed in autumn and open in April. 

 Female flowers sub -terminal, formed in autumn near the points 

 of the shoots, enclosed in leafy scales, opening in April. Cones 

 ovoid or rounded, 1^1^ in. long and wide, soHtary or several 

 together ; scales brown, stiff, margins toothed, apex narrowed 

 abruptly into a long spine. Seeds 3 to each scale, thin, about 

 fV in. long and | in. wide, surrounded by a thin membraneous 

 wing hke that of Sequoia. 



