304 The Conifers. 



Africa, Australia, and South America, but may be cultivated to ad- 

 vautage in some parts of the United States. 



II. THE BALD-CYPRESS AND ALLIED FAMILY ( Taxodiece) , includ- 

 ing the Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria) , bald cypress (Taxodiuni) , red- 

 wood and giant tree (Sequoia), and two other Australian and East- 

 ern Asiatic genera. 



III. THE YEW FAMILY (Taxece), including the yew (Taxus), Cal- 

 ifornia nutmeg (Torrega), ginkgo (Salisburia) , and three other Aus- 

 tralian and South American genera. 



IV. The Podocarpece, of which three genera occur in Asia, Africa, 

 Australia, and South America. 



V. NORFOLK-ISLAND PINE FAMILY (Araucariece) , three species 

 of which are found in Eastern Asia, China, Australia, South Pa- 

 cific Islands, and South America. 



VI. THE PINE AND FIR FAMILY (Abietinece) , embracing the pines 

 (Pinus), cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus), spruce (Picca), Hemlock 

 (TsugO), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuya) , fir (Abies), ajid larch (Larix). 



1246. In the cypress family we have 14 species of the Cattitris or 

 Atlas cedar, the stump and roots of which afford the costly ' ' thuja " 

 of cabinet-makers, and one of the finest of woods. The_gum-senegal 

 of commerce comes from trees of this genus. None of them are 

 found in North America, but are natives of Africa, Madagascar, 

 Australia, and New Caledonia. Two other genera, Actinostrobus 

 and Fitzroya, are also exotic. 



1247. THE CALIFORNIA WHITE CEDAR (Libocedrus decurrens). 

 This is sometimes called " incense cedar," and occurs widely distrib- 

 uted in California and Oregon, chiefly upon the mountains of the 

 interior, where it sometimes grows to six or seven feet in diameter, 

 at a yard from the ground, and to a height of 100 to 150 feet. 

 There are about 8 species known, but this is the only one within our 

 limits. In general habit and quality of wood, it much resembles the 

 common white cedar of the Atlantic States (Thuja occidentalis) , and 

 it thrives very well in the east, where it forms a fine ornamental 

 evergreen. 



THE ARBOR-VIT^S OR WHITE CEDARS (Genus Thuja). 



1248. These as now arranged by the authors above cited, embrace 

 under this genus a dozen species, of which five occur within the United 

 States. The cones consist of scales, from eight to twelve in number, 

 which have a pair of ovules at the base of each. The seeds ripen 



