ORIENTAL ARBOR- VIT^E. 49 



Seeds in threes, but more frequently in twos (one being 

 abortive), under each scale, with hardly any wings, the wing 

 being constituted in a great part by the epidermis of the seed ; 

 shell thin and crusty. 



A bush from 10 to 20 feet high, with spreading ever -green 

 branches and branchlets, tridently divided, or sometimes only 

 forked at irregular distances ; the adult stems are covered with 

 a corky bark, and the branches with leaves united along the 

 whole surface, and persistent, lateral ones short and completely 

 covered with leaves drawn close together, and appearing as if 

 jointed. It is found growing at the cataracts on the Meander, 

 in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land). 



It is tolerably hardy. 



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Gen. BIOTA. Don. The Chinese Arbor- Vitse. 



Flowers, monoecious, or male and female on the same plant, 

 but separate ; male catkins oval or conical, female ones solitary 

 and globular. 



Cones, roundish, squarrose, and composed of from six to eight 

 leathery valves or scales. 



Scales, in opposite cross pairs, peltate, and furnished with a 

 spiny point just below the apex, and containing each two seeds 

 at the base. 



Seeds, in twos under each scale, bellying, crustaceous, and 

 wingless, or only furnished with rudimentary ones. 



Seed-leaves in twos. 



Leaves, scale-formed, very small, in opposite cross pairs, 

 adpressed and tiled, or imbricated in four rows. 



Name, derived from " bi," two, and "otis," an ear; the common 

 (English one, Arbor- Vitse (tree of life), is deduced from its China 

 land Japan appellations. In Japan it is called " Hiba" (tree of 

 life), and in China, " Hak" (everlasting life), on account of the 

 plants being evergreen and of a beautiful bright green at all 

 [seasons of the year. 



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