THE PINE SUE-FAMILY. 233 



this genus is the large bract, or quasi-scale, which has until 

 recently been mistaken for the true scale, the latter being 

 of very small size, in fact a mere transverse ridge inside 

 the bract, near the base of the latter, and observable just 

 above the seeds, adherent to, but overgrown by the bract. 

 This interesting and curious formation was perhaps first 

 detected by Richard, in his " Memoires sur les Coniferes," 

 who decided that what at first appeared to be the scale, 

 was in reality the bract. Siebold differed from him, 

 but has never satisfactorily proven his theory to be in- 

 correct. Murray follows Richard, and states additional 

 facts to prove his view correct. 



C. SinensiSj JR. Brown. Syn. Abies major Sinensis, 

 PluJcenet ; Pinus Abies, Loureiro ; Abies lanceolata, 

 Persoon, Desfontaines, and Wildenow Belis jaculifera, 

 Salisbury; Belis lanceolata, Sweet; Pinus lanceolata, Lam- 

 bert ; Cunninghamia lanceolata, Van Houtte. Leaves, 

 from 1|- to 2 inches long, lanceolate, sessile, acuminate, 

 alternate, flat, deflexed, rigid, coriaceous, somewhat serru- 

 late, very numerous, bright-green above, slightly glaucous 

 below. Cones, from 1 to 1|- inches long, ovate-globose, 

 erect, very persistent, mostly clustered, sessile ; scale, very 

 small and obscure, a mere transverse ridge adherent to 

 the bract; bracts, large, prominent, serrulated, in form 

 like that of a dilated leaf, triangularly hastate, concave 

 and unguiculate at the apex. Seeds, ovate-elliptical, com- 

 pressed, and surrounded by a membranaceous wing. 

 Cotyledons, 2, oblong-obtuse. 



This handsome tree is a native of the warmer portions 

 of China, rarely exceeding 30 or 40 feet in height, although 

 specimens have been met with that measured 50 feet. In 

 England, it is considered entirely hardy, and with us it 

 usually flourishes very freely, but changes to a dingy hue 

 during the winter months, which the mild days of spring 

 quickly restore to its original bright, glossy-green color. 

 We find it succeeding indifferently in many places, al- 

 though we can point to specimens around Philadelphia of 

 fine size. 



