PINE FAMILY. 341 



Stem 30-80 feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter, sparingly branched. Leaves evergreen, 

 very small and crowded, appressed to the branches. Strobiles one third to half an inch 

 in diameter. 



Swamps and pine forests : New England to Georgia. Fl. April -May. Fr. September 



Obs. This valuable tree is restricted to swamps, where the straight 

 stems are exceedingly numerous and crowded forming almost impen- 

 etrable dark groves, or clumps, of several acres. The wood is light, 

 soft, and very durable. Shingles were formerly made, to a considerable 

 extent, from the larger trees : but these are now chiefly wrought into 

 domestics wares, by the Cedar cooper. The smaller trees are used for 

 fence rails, for which purpose they are highly valued. There is perhaps 

 no other wood land that will yield so much valuable timber per acre, 

 and no description of territory, in some localities, that will command 

 half the price that can be obtained for good Cedar swamp. 



6. TAXO'DIUM, Richard. BALD CYPKESS. 



[Jkxus, the yew, and eidos, form ; the foliage having the habit of that plant.] 



Flowers monoecious, on the same branches. STAMINATE AMENTS nume- 

 rous, arranged in a terminal pyramidal spike or raceme. Stamens few, 

 inserted towards the apex of the axis, which is naked at base ; filaments 

 short, thick, produced into a scale-like excentrically peltate connective 

 bearing 2-5 anther-cells. FERTILE AMENTS roundish-obovoid, sessile in 

 pairs at the base of the staminate spike ; scales numerous, inserted on 

 the axis, imbricated, acute, recurved-spreading at apex. Ovules 2 at the 

 base of each scale, sessile, erect, perforate at summit. Cone subglobose, 

 formed of angular subpeltate woody scales. Seeds angular ; embryo in 

 the axis of scanty albumen ; cotyledons 6-9. 



1, T. dis'tichum, Rich. Leaves flat, pinnately arranged on short slen- 

 der deciduous branches which resemble common petioles. 



DISTICHOUS TAXODIUM. Cypress. Bald Cypress. 



FIG. 239. A scale from a staminate ament of Cypress (Cupressus), with the anthers at 

 its base. 240. A scale from a pistillate ament, with numerous ovules at its base. 241. 

 A cone. 



