6 CONIFERS AND TAXADS OF JAPAN 



I did not see wild trees of this species in my travels in Japan, but Shirasawa 

 and Matsumura both state that it is indigenous in Shikoku and in Kyushu. The 

 first tree I saw was at Kagoshima, where it grows in the famous garden of Prince 

 Shimazu and is about 16 m. tall, with a trunk 1.3 m. in girth. The tree is rather 

 crowded and the branches somewhat sparse. At Nara, the old eighth-century 

 capital, there are several groves and many scattered trees in the park and in the 

 woods about Kasuga-yama. In all probability these or their parents were planted 

 in early times, but from the many seedling and young trees it is evident that they 

 have long perpetuated themselves. As seen at Nara the Nagi, as the Japanese 

 call it, is one of the most strikingly beautiful of all evergreen trees. It is of medium 

 size, growing from -16 to 23 m. tall and from 1.3 to 2.5 m. in girth of trunk, which 

 is straight, and if tapped with the knuckle sounds hollow. The bark is nearly 

 smooth, brownish purple and on old trees scales off in thin gray flakes. The 

 branches are numerous, ascending-spreading and spreading, moderately long and 

 not very thick and the crown is more or less oval. The leaves are lance- or elliptic- 

 lance-shaped, lustrous dark green and are often slightly glaucous, more especially 

 on the under side. The fruit is globose and plum-like, from 1.3 to 1.6 cm. wide, 

 bluish black and pruinose and the foot-stalk is not thickened. The wood is pale 

 yellowish brown, soft and compact, with a wavy grain. 



Matsumura reports this tree from the Liukiu Islands and Henry says that in 

 Formosa it is known as the Sha-shan or Shan-sha, and that it is a valuable timber 

 tree. Probably it is indigenous there. In gardens in the warmer parts of Japan 

 the Nagi is cultivated and varieties with narrow, broad, and variegated leaves are 

 recognized. 



Like P. macrophyllus D. Don, this species was first made known to us by 

 Kaempfer {Amoen. fasc. V. 773, 874 [1712]), who describes it as Laurus Julifera, 

 folio specioso enervi and gives an excellent figure of it under its vernacular name 

 of Nagi. According to Siebold (Jaarb. Nederl. Maatsch. Aanmoed. Tuinb. 1844, 

 35 [Naaml.]) it was introduced by him to Ghent in 1830. It is less hardy than 

 P. macrophyllus D. Don, but grows very well in California. 



Subfam. TAXEAE Reichb. 



CEPHALOTAXUS S. & Z. 



A small genus of low trees or shrubs consisting of seven species all indigenous 

 in the Orient; two grow on the Khasia and Mishmi Hills in northern Assam, 

 one in Formosa and four with two varieties are found in China. One of these 

 species is also indigenous in Japan. 



CEPHALOTAXUS DRUPACEA S. & Z. 



Cephalotaxus drupacea Siebold & Zuccarini in Abh. Akad. Munch. IV. pt. 3, 

 232 (Fl. Jap. Fam. Nat. II. 108) (1846). Endlicher, Syn. Conif. 239 (1847). 

 Miquel in Ann. Mus. Lugd.-Bat. III. 169 (1867); Prol. Fl. Jap. 333 (1867); in Sie- 

 bold & Zuccarini, Fl. Jap. II. 66, t. 130, 131 (1870). Franchet & Savatier, Enum. 

 PI. Jap. I. 473 (1875). Masters in Jour. Linn. Soc. XVIII. 499 (1881); in Gard. 

 Chron. ser. 3, XXXIII. 228, fig. 94 (1903). Sargent, Forest Fl. Jap. 75 (1894). 

 Shirasawa, Icon. Ess. For. Jap. I. 31, t. 14 (1900). Kent in Veitch, Man. Conif. 



