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CUPRESSUS, OR 



Gen. CUPEESSUS. Tournefort. The true Cypresses. 



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

 but separate ; male catkins cylindrical and numerous, female 

 ones roundish, and either in clusters or solitary. 



Cones, somewhat globular, and composed of angular, irregu- 

 larly-shaped, woody scales, externally shield-shaped. 



Scales, from six to ten in number, irregularly four or five- 

 sided, raised in the centre, and terminating in a more or less 

 curved point. 



Seeds, numerous, inserted on the upper interior surface of 

 the scales, angularly compressed or ovate, with a bony cover- 

 ing, extending into a membranaceous wing at the margins. 



Seed-leaves, in twos or threes, rarely in fours, but mostly in 

 twos. 



In the true Cupressus the leaves along the branchlets are 

 mere scales, closely imbricated, or tiled over each other, and 

 generally in four rows, with the branches always scattered 

 along the stem, and the buds not scaly. Cones, more or less 

 rounded, and composed of from six to ten peltate woody scales, 

 furnished with a projecting point or boss in the centre, and 

 which scales, when the seeds are ripe, become dry and separate. 

 All the species exude resin, but afford no turpentine. 



The name Cupressus, according to some writers, is derived 

 from the first species having been found plentiful on the Isle 

 of Cyprus ; but as the Cypress appears to have been known to 

 the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Phoenicians, it is much more 

 probable that the converse is the true statement, and that the 

 island was named from the tree being found plentiful upon 

 it; while according to other writers the name is derived from 

 " Cyparissus," a beautiful youth of the Island of Ceos, who, 

 according to tradition, was changed into a Cypress. 



All large bushes or trees, found in the south of Europe, 

 China, California, Mexico, Guatemala, North America, and the 

 East Indies. 



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