250 CONIFERS. [CLASS IT. 



(Cupressus sempervirens) is almost imperishable ; the gates 

 of Constantinople made of this wood lasted 1,100 years. 

 The wood of Juniperus uirginiana is commonly used for 

 " lead pencils," under the name of Red Cedar. That of 

 .the true Cedar (Cedrus Libani)^ comparatively worthless. 

 The wood of the Yew is said never to be attacked by 

 insects. Bows were formerly made of it in Britain, and 

 by an Act of Edward IV. every Englishman was obliged 

 to possess a bow of his own length, made either of this 

 wood or of Wych-Hazel, Ash, or Auburn (? Laburnum). 

 Yew attains a very great age, some English trees being 

 estimated at about 2,000 years. 



Sequoia gigantea of California, known as the Welling- 

 tonia, is the mammoth amongst trees ; one specimen has 

 been described 450 ft. high, and 116 ft. in circumference. 



Of resinous products, the most important are Tar and 

 Turpentine. Tar is distilled from faggots of Pine, chiefly 

 Scotch Fir, in the North of Europe. The residuum left 

 after the distillation of the liquid part from Tar is Pitch. 

 Turpentine is afforded by several species of Pine, especi- 

 ally Pinus palustris, an American species, and, during 

 the late American war, by P. Pinaster of the South of 

 France. The Turpentine exudes from wounds made in 

 the trunk near the ground. Common Resin or Rosin is 

 the residuum after distillation of Oil of Turpentine. The 

 Cowdi or Kauri resin of New Zealand, used in making 

 varnishes, is exuded by the Cowdi Pine. The largest 

 masses of it are said to be found buried in the soil far 

 from places where the tree now grows. 



The seeds of a few species are edible, those of the Stone 

 Pine (P. Pinea) being brought to market in the South of 

 Europe, strung together like beads on a string. The large 

 seeds of the Bunya-bunya Pine (Araucaria Bidivilli) are 

 eaten by the aborigines of East Australia. Juniper berries 

 are used to flavour gin. 



Cycadeas is a singular exotic Natural Order associated 

 with Coniferae under Gymnosperms. They differ from 

 Coniferae in their usually stout unbranched stem and large 

 pinnatisect leaves. They are now chiefly restricted to 

 Mexico, the Cape of Good Hope, Australia, and Eastern 

 Asia, though their remains are abundant in the fossil 

 state. 



