48 Illustrations of Conifers. 



CUPRESSU8 FORMOSENSIS (Henry). 

 Giant Cypress ok Formosa. 



Trees of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. V. p. 1149 (1910). 

 Gardeners' Chronicle, Vol. LI. p. 182 (1912). 



This cypress occurs in Formosa where it attains enormous dimen- 

 sions. It has the flattened branchlet-systems characteristic of the 

 section Chamcecyparis, and is closely allied to Cnpressits puifera of 

 Japan, having the front and back leaves of the branchlet equal in 

 length to the lateral leaves. Ultimate branchlets flattened, -, 1 ,. inch 

 wide. Leaves appressed but free at the incurved and shortly mu- 

 cvonate apex ; lateral leaves conduplicate, as long as the facial leaves ; 

 facial leaves ovate, T \., inch long, flattened, either keeled (as to- 

 wards the apex of the branchlet), or depressed in the centre, with 

 a longitudinal obscure gland. Foliage dull green on both sur- 

 faces, or covered more or less on the lower surface with an ir- 

 regularly diffused whitish bloom. 



Cones ripening in the first year, ellipsoid, .'. inch in diameter ; 

 scales 10 or 11, with the outer surface wrinkled, brownish, depressed 

 in the centre, bearing a conspicuous quadrangular bract. Seeds, 

 two on each scale, brown, oval, with narrow wings, and conspicuous 

 resin -vesicles. 



Cupreous pisifera differs in having the foliage bright green on 

 the upper surface, and is marked on the lower surface with well- 

 defined white patches in hollows, the leaves being more distinctly 

 acuminate, with longer mucros. It has also a globose cone with 

 broader seed wings. 



Cupremm formosensi* is peculiar to the island of Formosa, where 

 it forms almost pure forests with Cupressus obtitsa, forma formosana 

 at an altitude of 6,000 to 8,600 feet. Some idea of the size of this 

 giant cypress may be gained from the frontispiece, which represents 

 a tree 125 feet in height with a girth of 67 feet, growing on Mount 

 Morrison. This illustration is from a photograph kindly taken by 

 Mr. A. R. Firth, H.M.B. Consul at Tamsui. A tree, 195 feet in 



