LXXVII. CONI'FERJE : :THU\JA. 



1069 



Variety. 



1 T. o. 2 variegdta Marsh, p. 243. T. o. foliis variegatis Lodd. Cat. 

 1836. Leaves variegated. 



The frondose-like foliage is numerously ramified, and flattened, or spread 

 out laterally. The leaves are small, opposite, imbricated scales : when bruised, 

 they diffuse a strong aromatic odour. The sexes are separate upon the same 

 tree. The male catkins are in the form of small cones, which, when ripe, are 

 yellowish, about 4 lines in length, and composed of oblong scales, which open 

 throughout their whole length for the escape of several minute seeds, each of 



macf 



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/T 



1991. r. occidentals. 



which is surmounted by a short wing. Compared with the Oriental, or Chinese, 

 arbor vitae, the American species is a loose irregular-headed tree, with the 

 branches much more horizontal than in that species. The rate of growth, in 

 the climate of London, is from 6 in. to 1 ft. in a year. In ten years, in fa- 

 vourable soils, it will attain the height of 10 or 12 feet ; and in 30 or 40 years, 

 in moist sheltered situations, drawn up by other trees, it will attain the height 

 of 30 or 40 feet. The most common use of this tree in America is for rural 

 fences, for which it is highly esteemed. The posts last 35 or 40 years, and 

 the rails 60 years ; or three or four times as long as those of any other species. 

 The posts remain undecayed twice as long in argillaceous as in sandy soils. 

 In Britain, the American arbor vitas can only be considered as an ornamental 

 shrub or low tree ; thriving well in any soil, even in the most exposed situa- 

 tions, but attaining its largest size in low, sheltered, and moist places. It 

 grows much faster than the oriental arbor vitae, bears the knife and the shears, 

 and is frequently employed to form hedges for shelter in gardens and nursery 

 grounds. Readily propagated by seeds, which are procured in abundance from 

 America or gathered from British trees, or by cuttings. 



1 * 2. T. (o.) PLICA'TA Bonn. The plicate, or Nee's, Arbor Vitae. 



Identification. Donn Hort. Cantab., 6. p. 249. ; Lamb. Pin., ed. 2., 2. No. 61. 

 Engraving. Our Jig. 2108. in p. Ilia 



Sj:ec. Char.y Sfc. Branchlets compressed, spreading. Leaves rhomboid-ovate, 

 acute, adpressed, imbricated in 4 rows, naked, tubercled in the middle. 

 Cones oblong, nodding. Seeds obcordate. (Lamb. Pin.) A tree resembling 

 the preceding species, but smaller. Mexico, and the western shores of 



