300 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFER.E 



inferior to those made of the most deUcate chamois, while they 

 are stronger, cooler, and more pleasant to wear in the summer." 



LIBOGEDRUS, EndHcher. 



Evergreen trees with an aromatic odour, belonging to the 

 tribe Cupressinece, aUied to Thuya. Widely distributed in 

 W.N. America, S. America, China, Formosa, New Guinea, 

 New Zealand, and New Caledonia, about 9 species being 

 known. Bark thin, shed in long strips. Branchlets flat- 

 tened, divided into fine spray. Winter buds hidden by leaves, 

 as in Thuya and Cupressus. Leaves small and scale-like, those 

 of the main branches larger and more distant than those on the 

 lateral branchlets, closely pressed and overlapping. Juvenile 

 leaves longer and more spreading than the mature leaves. Male 

 and female flowers, usually on different branches of the same tree. 

 Male flowers terminal, oblong with 6-20 stamens. Female 

 flowers oblong, with 4 or 6 bracts with several pairs of persistent 

 triangular scales at the base. Cones erect or pendulous, pointed ; 

 scales 4-6, oblong, woody, the upper pair or middle scales bearing 

 1 or 2 seeds each. Seeds with 2 wings, one broad and obUque, 

 the other narrow or rudimentary. 



Libocedrus chiefly differs from Thuya in its fewer cone-scales 

 and unequally winged seeds. 



Wood reddish brown or brown, with small but fairly numerous 

 resin cells, fragrant with a spicy odour, durable, easily worked, 

 finishes with a good surface. Suitable for building purposes 

 where great strength is unnecessary, the indoor finish of houses, 

 and other work. 



These trees are unsuitable for forestry work in this country, 

 though two species are often grown in gardens. 



Key to Libocedrus. 



I. Ultimate branchlets on mature trees tetragonal, bearing 



leaves all alike and uniform in size. 

 Leaves spreading. — L. tetragona. 

 Leaves closely pressed. ^ — L. Bidwillii. 



II. Ultimate branchlets of mature trees flattened and spreading. 



A. Median and lateral leaves equal in length. 

 Leaves green on both surfaces. — L. decurrens. 



Leaves glaucous on the under-surface, with white 

 stomatic bands. — L. macrolepis. 



B. Median and lateral leaves equal in length on mature trees ; 



lateral leaves much longer than median leaves on young 

 plants. Branchlets articulate. — L. arfakensis. 



C. Lateral leaves slightly longer than the median leaves. — 



L. papuana. 



