394 GNETACE2E. [Gnetum. 



Linn. ; Kurz ii. 497 ; Roxb. PI. Ind. iii. 518, is an evergreen tree of the forests of 

 south Tenasserim, whose bark is made into strong cords, and whose leaves are eaten as 

 spinach. 



^The wood consists of a large number of distinct wedge-shaped ligneous masses 

 which are arranged in concentric circles and separated by cellular tissue. It resembles 

 the wood of Menispermacea?. (Brandis.) 



Ephedra vulgaris, Eich. ; Brandis 501. Yern. Asmdnia, budshur, chewa, Pb. ; 

 Klianda, Manna, Kunawar ; Tse, tsapatt, trano, Ladak, is a small rigid shrub 

 of the inner arid, North- West Himalaya, with a fibrous tough wood and red fruit, 

 which is sometimes^ eaten. E. Alte, C. A. Meyer ; Brandis 501. Vern. AUe, Arab. ; 

 Kuchan< nikki kiirkan, bratta, tandala, lastuk, mangarwal,\>., is a gregarious 

 shrub of the arid zone, in stony places in the Punjab and Sind. 



ORDER GIL CONIFERS. 



An Order containing many very important forest trees. It is found throughout 

 the world, but chiefly in temperate and cold regions ; and in India, with few excep- 

 tions, the species are confined to the Himalaya. The following list which is taken 

 from Parlatore's Monograph in DeCandolle's Prodrornus, gives the five tribes and the 

 most important genera, those found in India being given in italics ; the others are 

 added in consequence of their being universally planted for ornament or for timber : 



Tribe I. AraucarieaB Araucaria, Dammara. 



II. Abietinese Pinus, Cedrus, Abies, 



Larix. 

 , III. TaxodieaB ...... Cunninghamia, Sequoia, 



Cryptomeria, Taxodinm. 



IV. Cupressinea? Callitris, Thuya, Biota, 



Cupressus, Juniperus. 



V. Taxinea3 ...... Dacrydium, Taxus, Gink- 



go, Podocarpus. 



Araucaria contains about seven species, most of which have been introduced and cul- 

 tivated in gardens in India. A.imbricata, Pavon (Brandis 503) from the mountains of 

 Chili, is well known in Europe ; it is much grown in England and is hardy, though 

 sometimes liable to be injured by frost. A. excelsa, R. Br., from Norfolk Island, is 

 much planted in Calcutta, where also may be seen A- Cunninghamii, Ait., of Queens- 

 land, A. Cookii, R. Br., of New Caledonia, and A. Bidwilli, Hook., the Bunya-Bunya 

 Pine of North-East Australia. Dammara australis, Lamb, is the Kauri Pine of 

 New Zealand, which, though much cut, still forms forest occasionally and gives a 

 valuable timber. D. alba, Rumph, of the Moluccas, yields the resin called Dammar. 



Cunninghamia sinensis, R. Br. is a large tree of Southern China. Sequoia 

 contains two Californian species : S. gigantea, Torrey, the Wellingtonia or Mammoth 

 Tree, which reaches over 300 feet in height, with a girth of 80 to 100 feet ; and 

 8. sempervirens, Endl., the Redwood, which reaches to 300 feet in height, with a 

 girth of 55 feet (see Brandis 504). Taxodium distichum, Rich., is the Cypress of 

 the swamps of the Southern States of North America. 



Callitris quadrivalvis, Vent. ; Brandis 535 ; Mathieu Fl. For. 453, is a large tree 

 of the forests of Algeria. Of Thuya or Arbor Vitae trees, three species occur in 

 North America, giving a light, soft but durable, building timber. Bio I a- oriettfalii, 

 Endl. (Brandis 531) is the Arbor- Vita3 of China and Japan, occasionally cultivated in 

 India. 



Dacrydium contains several fine trees of Australia and New Zealand, and Kurx 

 gives D. elatum, Wall., i'n>ni Ti'iusserim, \vhile Ginkgo biloba, Linn., with leaves 

 lik i! those of the Maiden Hair Fern, and thence commonly known by the name of 

 Saliaburia adiantifulia, is a deciduous tree of China and Japan, now much planted 

 for ornament in Europe. 



The wood of Coniferous trees is without vessels, hence, on a horizon- 

 tal section, without pores. It consists of medullary rays uud loii wood 



