236 THE BOOK OF EVERGREENS. 



were at least 80 feet in height, and perfectly straight. 

 There -was a richness, too, in the appearance of its foliage, 

 which I had never seen before ; sometimes it was of a 

 deep green color, while at others it was of a bluish tint. 

 There are do.ubtless many varieties of this tree among 

 these hills." 



Var. glauca, Sort. Gordon says : " This variety dif- 

 fers from the species in having its leaves on the branchlets 

 of a glaucous color." 



5. SCIADOPITYS, Siebold & Zufcarint. 



Flowers, monoecious; male aments, sessile, terminal, 

 ovato-globose, and surrounded with scales at the base, 

 with numerous, closely imbricated, alternate stamens, hav- 

 ing smooth, short filaments ; female aments, when young, 

 sessile, but at maturity, with a short peduncle and numer- 

 ous persistent, coriaceous, glabrous, entire, semi-orbicular 

 scales, and from 7 to 9 ovules. Cones, elliptic or cylindri- 

 cal, large, obtuse ; with coriaceous, persistent, wedge- 

 shaped scales, and short, broad bracts, adhering thereunto. 

 Seeds, from 7 to 9 under each scale, imbricated, elliptical, 

 compressed into a niembranaceous wing. 



This new and rare genus has lately been discovered in 

 the mountains of Japan, and is very distinct in appearance 

 from all others of the Coniferae. But one species is as yet 

 known to botanists, and that forms a tall tree with very 

 curious, whorled branches, and verticilled leaves. 



As the few plants in this country are as yet compara- 

 tively untested in the open air, we cannot determine its 

 powers of endurance, but we confidently believe that it 

 will grow here with at least tolerable success. 



The name is derived from two Greek words, signifying 

 umbel and pine-tree. 



