56 BIOTA. 



and towards the ends of the branchlets than along the inter- 

 mediate parts, where they are more distant, pointed, longer, and 

 spreading out at the points. Branches spreading, slender, very 

 long, and recurved; branchlets long, numerous, collected in 

 clusters at irregular distances along the branches, slender, 

 thread-like, sometimes forked, loosely drooping, and distantly 

 covered with small scale-like sharp-pointed leaves. Cones 

 globose or ovate-oblong ; half an inch long, erect, and produced 

 in clusters of from three to five in number, near the ends of 

 the branches, and composed of from four to six scales. Scales 

 externally convex, smooth, and terminating near the apex in a 

 stout recurved blunt point. Seeds ovate, slightly angular, and 

 wingless. 



A bush or small tree, with a straight stem and very long 

 slender drooping branches, and branchlets growing 10 or 15 

 feet high and perfectly hardy, but subject to vary in the ap- 

 pearance and size of its branchlets according to soil and situa- 

 tion. It is found growing spontaneous on the Hakone Moun- 

 tains in Japan, but is cultivated universally a21 over Japan 

 and the northern parts of China, on account of its graceful 

 appearance. It is also said to be found in Tartary and Nepal, 

 but on very doubtful authority. It was also siated, some years 

 ago, to be a hybrid raised by the Loddiges, between a Red 

 Cedar and a Chinese Arbor- Vitas, in their nursery at Hackney ; 

 and, singular as it may appear, the same was said by some 

 person in France, only that in this case the hybrid was raised 

 between the common Cypress and Chinese Arbor- Vitas. Dr. 

 Siebold, however, having discovered the plant in a wild state 

 in Japan, soon dispelled such statements. 



The Japanese names for this kind are " Ito-suga" (the cord- 

 branched evergreen), and "Fi-moro Hiba" (the slender or 

 drooping tree of life). The Chinese call it "Hi-no-ki" (the 

 cord-branched or slender-formed shrub), and "Sisan" (common). 



