VARIETIES OF THUIA DOLABRATA. 237 



Thnia dolabrata, Linnaeus, Suppl. Syst. 420 (1781, Thuja). Thunberg, Fl. 

 Jap. 266 (1784). Don in Lambert's Genus Pinus, ed. I. vol. II. App. 2, 

 fig. 1 (1828). Masters in Gard. Chron XVIII. (1882), p. 556, with fig. Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. XVIII. 486 ; and Journ. R Hort. Soc. XIV. 251 (Thuya). 



Thujopsis dolabrata, Siebold and Zuccarini, Fl. Jap. II. 34. tt. 119, 120 (1842). 

 Endlicher, Synops. Conif. 53 (Thuiopsis). Carriere, Traite Conif. ed. II. 118 

 (Tlmiopsis). Parlatore, D. C. Prodr. XVI. 460 (Thuyopsis) Gordon, Pinet. 

 ed. II. 398 (Thuiopsis). Beissner. Nadelholzk. 51, with figs. (Thuyopsis). 



Eng. Japanese Thuia. Fr. Thuia du Japoii. Germ. Beilblatriger Lebensbaum. 

 Ital. Thuia giapponese. Jap. Asu-Naro. 



var. laetevirens. 



A dwarf spreading shrub with more slender and more divided 

 branchlets, the leaves smaller and of a brighter green. 



T. dolabrata laetevirens, Masters in Journ. Linn. Soc. XVIII. 486. Thuiopsis 

 Ifetevirens, Lindley in Gard. Chron. 1862. p. 428. T. dolobrata nana, Gordon, 

 Pinet. ed. II. 399. 



var. variegata. 



A picturesque variety resembling the specieo in habit, but differing 

 from it in having the tips of many of the branchlets pale yellow or 

 cream colour. 



Thuia dolabrata first became known to Europeans through the 

 Swedish botanist, Thunberg, who gathered specimens during his brief 

 sojourn in Japan in 1776, which he communicated to Linnaeus, by 

 whom this conifer was first authoritatively named. These specimens 

 subsequently became the property of the Linnean Society of London, 

 and were described by David Don in Lambert's " Genus Pinus " loc. cit. 

 supra, published in 1828. The first living plant received in England 

 was sent to the Veitchiaii nursery at Exeter by Thomas Lobb in 1853 

 from the Botanic Garden at Buitenzorg, in Java ; the plant arrived 

 in an exhausted condition, and all attempts to save it proved fruitless. 

 Shortly afterwards a plant was brought from Japan by Captain 

 Fortescue, which was planted in the garden at Castle Hill, in 

 Devonshire, the seat of his relative, Earl Fortescue, and is still living. 

 From this plant a few others were propagated and presented to 

 prominent amateurs of Conif erae, but it was not till after 1861, in 

 which year the late Mr. John Gould Veitch and Mr. Robert Fortune 

 sent from Japan a supply of seeds to the Chelsea and Ascot nurseries 

 respectively, that this beautiful Thuia became generally distributed 

 over Great Britain. In its native country the habit and dimensions 

 of T. dolabrata vary considerably ; on the mountain slopes in central 

 Japan at 5,000 to 7,000 feet elevation it is a straggling shrub seven to 

 ten feet high forming an undergrowth in the " shade of dense forests 

 of Tsuga diversifolia and other coniferous trees, and not infrequently 

 mixed with Rhododendrons and dwarf Maples ; lower down and in 

 the plains it takes an arborescent form with stouter branchlets and 

 larger leaves. The wood is said to be very durable and is used in 

 boat and bridge-building. 



