220 



CUPRESSUS OBTUSA. 



Cupressus obtusa. 



A tall tree, attaining a height of 70 100 or more feet, with a straight 

 trunk 2 '5 3 feet in diameter near the ground, denuded of branches 

 for one-half or more of the height, often with a rounded top and 

 sub-pendulous branches, the trunk covered with reddish bark. In Great 

 Britain the oldest trees have a broadly pyramidal outline ; the bark 

 of the trunk thin, peeling off in longitudinal flakes exposing a cinnamon- 

 brown inner cortex. Primary branches close-set, spreading, often more 

 or less curved, the lowermost depressed at the outer extremity. Ramifi- 

 cation of branchlets distichous and repeated three times in a tri-pinnate 

 manner ; bark reddish brown, slightly verrucose, that of the younger 



Fig. 64. C&pressus obtusa. 

 (From the Gardeners' Chronicle.) 



shoots orange-brown. Leaves persistent on the axial growths four- 

 five years, ovate-oblong, sub-acute, eoncrescent, in decussate pairs, the smaller 

 dorsiventral pair flat, the larger lateral pairs keeled and often glandular; 

 both pairs greatly elongated on fast -growing shoots and free at the 

 acute tip, dark lustrous green. Staminate flowers oval or sub-cylindric, 

 pale yellow. Strobiles solitary on the ends of short lateral branchlets, 

 globose, about 0'5 inch in diameter and composed of eight, rarely ten 

 sub-ligneous brown scales each with a short umbo and bearing two 

 six seeds. 



