316 THE BOOK OF EVERGREENS. 



Nuttall says of this species : " This is one of the most 

 majestic trees Avest of the Rocky Mountains, attaining 

 the height of 60 to 170 feet, or even 200 feet, and being 20 

 to 40 feet in the circumference of the trunk. On the 

 shores of the Pacific, where this species is frequent, it no- 

 where attains the enormous dimensions attributed to it in 

 the fertile valleys of the Rocky Mountains, towards the 

 sources of the Oregon. We seldom saw it along the coast 



O O 



more than 70 to 100 feet in height, still, however, much 

 larger than the common species (T. occidentalis.}" 



The true species is rare in cultivation, owing to the care- 

 lessness of some collectors, who have substituted the Libo- 

 eedrus decwrens for it, and whose blunders have been ac- 

 quiesced in by writers who have not made themselves 

 properly acquainted with the characteristics of the two 

 species. Gordon in his " Pinetum," and Carriere in his 

 "Traite General des Coniferes," prove conclusively by 

 their descriptions that they are totally unacquainted with 

 the true species. 



One of the most reliable characters to be governed by 

 in distinguishing the Thuja gigantea from the Liboeedrus 

 decurrens, is the absence of glands on the foliage of the 

 former, whilst that of the latter is plainly dotted over 

 with small, silvery specks. Then again, the leaves of the 

 Liboeedrus decurrens are generally long, awl-shaped, very 

 acute, resembling a sharp prickle, with quite long inter- 

 nodes on the branchlets. The leaves of the T. gigantea 

 are short, very closely imbricated and adpressed, scale- 

 like, with short internodes. The seed is perhaps the best 

 distinguishing feature between them, and is in the Liboee- 

 drus, 2-winged, largest at the apex, and slightly decurrent 

 at the base; whilst that of the Thuja is winged all around 

 the margin, as in our common T. occidentals. 



Young plants of this species appear to stand our winters 

 with variable success, and we are afraid it will not prove 



