CHAP. CXIII. 



coni'fer.^, THU^JA. 



24.59 



§ ii. Biota. 

 f 4. T. ORiENTA^Lis L. The Oriental, or Chinese, Arbor Vitse. 



Identification. Lin. Sp., 1422. ; Willd. Sp. PI., p. 509. ; Baum., p .TOj. ; Du Roi Harbk., 2. p. 458. ; 



Thiinb. Jap., p. 266 ; Hort ClifF.,449. ; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 11. ; Rich. Coiiif., p. 40. 

 JEngramnt;x. Dend. Brit., t 149. ; Rich. Conif., t. 7. f. 2. ; and Gmel. Fl. Sib., i. p. 182.; Smith in 



Rees's Cyc. ; and our fig. 2315. 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Branchlets 2-edged. Leaves imbricated in 4 rows, ovate- 

 rhomboid, adpressed, furrowed along the middle. Cones elliptic ; interior 

 scales blunt, mucronate beneath the apex. ( Willd.) A low tree, or fastigiate 



shrub ; a native of rocky situations in China and Siberia ; and also, according 

 to Thunberg, on the mountains of Japan. - {Fl. Jap., 266.) Introduced in 

 1752, and flowering in Maj'. 

 Varieties. 



i T. 0. 2 stricfa Hort.; T. pyramidalis Bauh. Cat, ed. 1837; and the 

 plate of this tree in oin- last Volume, from tiie specimen in the Hor- 

 ticultural Society's Garden ; is more fastigiate than the species in its 

 habit of growth, and forms a tall narrow shrub, or low tree. 

 m T. u. 3 tafdrica, T. tatarica Lodd. Cat., ed. 18.36, has the ieaves, and 

 the entire plant, rather smaller than the species. There is a plant in 

 the Horticultural Society's Garden, 6 ft. high. 



Description. A low tree or large shrub, distinguishable at first sight from the 

 American arbor vitae, by its more dense habit of growth, by its branches bein-T 

 chiefly turned upwards, and by its leaves or scales being smaller, closer to- 

 gether, and of a lighter green. The common height of full-grown trees of this 

 species is from 18 ft. to 20 ft. The trunk is straight, with a brownish and 

 somewhat rough bark ; the branches are numerous, pointing outwards, so as 

 to form almost a right angle with the stem ; but soon afterwards they are 

 turned upwards, in a direction almost parallel to the trunk. The leaves are 

 flattened, and of a darker green in winter than in summer: they are imbri- 

 cated, opposite, small, obtusely pointed, adpressed against the petioles, con- 

 vex, furrowed at the back, and furnished with a clear green, smooth, sliiuing 

 gland. The male catkins are somewhat elongated, about 2 lines in length, 

 composed of pointed scales disposed in 4 ranks. The female catkins "are 

 roundish, somewhat elongated, and composed of scales pointed at their summit. 



