1 192 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



long, subulate, ending in a sharp cartilaginous point, slightly spreading, concave from 

 side to side, and whitened on the inner surface. 



This variety is known in Japan as Shinobu-hiba, and was introduced from there 

 by J. Gould Veitch in 1861. It produces fruit 1 similar to that of the type, but 

 smaller, as at Osborne, where it is 25 ft. high. 



Syme 2 observed on this variety branches with the foliage of C. pisifera ; and 

 Beissner mentions a tree at Wilhelmshohe, Cassel, the lower half of which is bushy 

 and covered with foliage of var. plumosa, the upper half having the loose branches 

 and foliage of C. pisifera? 



This variety is very hardy, and as a small plant is suitable for window boxes 

 out-of-doors in winter. 4 During the severe frost of February 1882, the golden 

 Retinisporas at Kew 5 lost many small branches; while those with green, glaucous, 

 or silvery foliage remained uninjured. 



Several coloured sub-varieties are known : 



Var. plumosa albo-picta. Tips of many of the branchlets pure white. 



Var. plumosa argentea. Young branchlets creamy white, becoming green in the 

 following spring. 



Var. plumosa aurea. Young branchlets golden yellow, gradually changing to 

 green as the season advances. 



3. Var. filifera, Masters, in Journ. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) xxxi. 356 (1896). 



Retinispora filifera, Standish, ex Gordon, Pinetum, 364 (1875); Syme, in Gard. Chron. v. 235, fig. 



43 (1876). 

 Thuya pisifera, Masters, var. filifera, Masters, in Journ. Linn. Soc. {Bot.) xviii. 491, fig. 3 (1881). 

 Chamacyparis pisifera, Siebold et Zuccarini, var. filifera, Beissner, Nadelh. 90 (1891). 



A low tree, with spreading branches, and long pendulous branchlets, undivided 

 for the greater part of their length, and terminating towards the end in bi-pinnate 

 divisions. Leaves in decussate pairs, subulate, sharp-pointed, about \ in. long, 

 decurrent in their basal half, concave and whitened on their inner surface. 



This is known in Japan as Hiyoku-hiba, and was apparently introduced by 

 Fortune into the Bagshot Nursery in 1861. There is a good specimen of this at 

 Tortworth, bearing fruit exactly like that of the type. Planted at Osborne in 1873, 

 it is now 15 ft. high and covered with small cones. Both Syme and Beissner 

 mention cases in which branches reverted to the ordinary foliage of C. pisifera. 



Sargent 6 says this is one of the most remarkable of pendulous conifers, but in 

 New England it is very capricious, sometimes flourishing with great luxuriance, as 

 in Mr. Hunnewell's pinetum at Wellesley, Massachusetts, but more often perishing 

 from the cold of severe winters. 



4. Var. aurea. Normal branching and foliage, the latter in the first year bright 

 yellow, changing to green in the following year. This originated in Barron's 

 nursery at Borrowash. (A. H.) 



1 Masters, in Gard. Chron. iv. 671 (1888), mentions a tree at Canterbury of this variety, laden with cones of C. pisifera. 

 8 In Gard. Chron. xviii. 395 (1882). 



8 Mr. Bartlett sent from Pencarrow to Dr. Masters a branch of var. plumosa, which was produced on a tree of C. pisifera, 

 about eighteen years old. Cf. Gard. Chron. xxvii. 9 (1900). Elwes saw the same thing at Woodstock. 



4 Gard. Chron. xvi. 410 (1881). & Kew Bull. 1896, p. 8. a Garden and Forest, x. 431 (1897). 



