PINACEAE. THUJOPSIS 73 



Thujopsis dolabrata Elwes & Henry, Trees Gr. Brit. & Irel. I. t. 60 (not Siebold & 



Zuccarini) (1906). 

 Thujopsis Hondai Henry in Elwes & Henry, Trees Gr. Brit. & Irel. II. 202 (1907). 



This variety (Plates L and LI), which is well distinguished by its larger and 

 globose cones, is the northern form of the species. I met with it first in the ascent of 

 Adzuma-san, on the borders of Iwashiro and Uzen provinces, between 1100 and 

 1600 m. altitude. In the same neighborhood, at 800 m. altitude and near Toge 

 station, I collected the type. This region would appear to be the dividing line, for 

 north of it I saw the variety only and south of it only the typical species. On Ad- 

 zuma the var. Hondai grows on steep, rocky slopes mixed with Thuja Standishii 

 Carr., Tsuga diversifolia Mast., Pinus parviflora S. & Z. and such broad-leaved 

 trees as Fagus Sieboldii Endl., Betula Ermanii Cham., B. corylifolia Regel and Quer- 

 ents mongolica, var. grosseserrata Rehd. & Wils., but none of the Thujopsis trees here 

 are large. On Chokai-san, in Ugo province, this tree does not appear to be very com- 

 mon, but on the lower, sheltered northern and northwesterly slopes of Hayachine- 

 san, in Rikuchu province, it is plentiful. Here in rich moist forests at 800 to 

 1000 m. altitude I saw trees 33 m. tall with trunks 4 m. in girth, growing with 

 Tsuga diversifolia Mast., Abies Mariesii Mast., Pinus parviflora S. & Z., Aesculus 

 turbinata Bl., Pterocarya rhoifolia S. & Z., Cercidiphyllum japonicum S. & Z. and 

 Betula Ermanii Cham. In Mutsu, the most northern province of Hondo, this Thu- 

 jopsis is common in several districts from sea-level to 600 m. altitude and forms a 

 magnificent and almost pure forest. This like that of Akita belongs to the state and 

 with the crown forest of Kiso constitutes the three famous forests of Japan. I 

 paid a visit to Yake-yama (Fire Mountain), a series of sandstone ridges not more 

 than 500 m. above sea-level and some nine miles north from Aomori. Here the 

 forest, which is pure Thujopsis, is very extensive and has been known for more than 

 two hundred years. The trees grow thickly together and from the near distance 

 singularly resemble those of moderately young Cryptomeria, although the crown 

 is more oval and less tapering. The trees average from 18 to 23 m. in height and 

 in girth of trunk from 1.3 m. to 2.5 m. None I saw in this forest exceeded these 

 dimensions, but a forestry officer informed me that the maximum height was about 

 30 m. and 4.5 m. in girth of trunk. The trunk is often slightly recumbent at the 

 base and occasionally forked quite low down. The bark is thin, reddish brown 

 becoming pale gray when old and on exposed trees; it splits transversely and 

 flakes upward into long, thin, narrow strips. The branches are very numerous and 

 crowded, rather short and slender, and spread horizontally or they may be curved 

 downward. The crown is oval and the branches extend well down the trunk; the 

 inner, weak branchlets are shed in the same manner as those of Cryptomeria. 

 The cone is globose, from 1.5 to 1.8 cm. high, and the umbo is reduced to a thin 

 narrow ridge, or to a short mucro. The wood is soft, fragrant, not resinous, 

 yellowish in color and the heart is frequently decayed; it is easily worked and 

 very durable, and is valued for railway-ties, in bridge and conduit building and 

 for such purposes it lasts from 12 to 15 years. It is useless for boards and thin 

 planks as it very readily cracks. 



The young trees when growing freely resemble those of Chamaecyparis obtusa 

 S. & Z., of the same age, but more usually the young Thujopsis plants have no 

 particular shape but sprawl over the forest floor and form a dense undergrowth 

 about 1 m. high. With them on Yake-yama as undergrowth Ilex rugosa Schmidt, 

 Daphniphyllum humile Maxim, and Aucuba japonica Thunb. are also found in 

 some quantity. At Shimokita, some 35 miles north of Aomori, there is said to be 



