The Cypresses 



or Thuya. These evergreens have in youth different foHage from 

 that of the adult trees — a sufficient reason for confusion, especially 

 before the trees bear cones. Whatever botanical affinities are 

 eventually established, the trade name will probably remain 

 Retinospora, and people will plant these handsome evergreens in 

 increasing numbers. In his Manual, 1905, Professor Sargent 

 includes two Japanese Retinosporas in the genus Chamsecyparis. 



3. Genus TAXODIUM, Rich. 



The bald cypress has two sister species in the genus Taxodium. 

 One, a shrub, is native to China; the other, a large tree, to Mexico. 

 Forests of bald cypresses covered large areas of Europe and central 

 North America during the Tertiary Period, but they perished in 

 the Glacial Era. The rocks tell the story. 



Bald cypresses rank among the oldest and largest trees in the 

 world. The Mexican species, T. mucronaium, is estimated to live 

 4,000 years. The far-famed "Cypress of Montezuma," in Che- 

 pultepec, is nearly 200 feet high and its trunk has a diameter of 1 5 

 feet. It is believed to be less than 800 years old — a tree still in 

 the vigour of youth. The largest trunk known in this species is 

 40 feet in diameter at base. Beside this giant our own bald 

 cypress seems small and short lived, but among our native trees 

 it ranks high in size and age. 



Bald Cypress (Taxodium disticlmm, Rich.) — A tall pyra- 

 midal tree, 75 to 1 50 feet high, with pendulous branches, becoming 

 broad and round headed when old. Trunk Icbed above, strongly 

 buttressed and usually hollow at the base. Roots long, horizontal, 

 with vertical anchor roots. Bark pale reddish grey, scaly, divided 

 by shallow fissures. IVood soft, light, brown, easily worked, 

 durable. Buds minute, globular, scaly, silvery. Leaves decid- 

 uous with the branchlets linear, \ to f inch long, 2-ranked, 

 spreading or scale-like, closely appressed. Flowers: monoecious, 

 small; staminate in loose, drooping panicles, 4 to 6 inches long; 

 pistillate globose, scaly, scattered near ends of twigs. Fruit 

 annual, globular, woody cones, in pairs or solitary, i inch in 

 diameter; seeds winged, 2 under each scale. Preferred habitat, 

 swamps of coast or river bottoms. Distribution, Delaware to 

 Florida; west into Texas; north along Mississippi to Missouri, 

 Indiana and Illinois. Uses: Lumber for buildings, doors, shingles, 



