112 ESSA YS. 



the average rate of our White Pine for the same period, the 

 estimate would be reduced to 1100 years ; which is probably 

 much beneath the truth. 



But the most stately tree in North America — apparently 

 an evergreen species of Taxodium or American Cypress — 

 was subsequently observed by Douglas in Upper California. 

 " This tree," he says, "gives the mountains a most peculiar, I 

 was almost going to say, awful appearance — something which 

 plainly tells that we are not in Europe. I have repeatedly 

 measured specimens of this tree, two hundred and seventy 

 feet long, and thirty-two feet round at three feet above the 

 ground. Some few I saw upwards of three hundred feet 

 high." 1 Truly these are trees, 



" to equal which the tallest pine, 

 Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast 

 Of some great ammiral, were but a wand." 



This naturally brings us to the proper North American Cy- 

 press (Taxodium distichuni) ; one of the largest and most 

 remarkable trees of our southern States, but which appears 

 to attain its most ample development in the tierras templadas 

 of Mexico. Bartram gives a characteristic description of the 

 tree. 



" It generally grows in the water, or in low flat lands, near 

 the banks of great rivers and lakes, that are covered a great 

 part of the year with two or three feet depth of water ; and 

 that part of the trunk which is subject to be under water, 

 and four or five feet higher up, is greatly enlarged by prodi- 

 gious buttresses, or pilasters, which in full grown trees pro- 

 ject out on every side to such a distance that several men 

 might easily hide themselves in the hollows between. Each 

 pilaster terminates under ground in a very large, strong, 

 serpentine root, which strikes off and branches every way 

 just under the surface of the earth ; and from these roots 

 grow woody cones, called Cypress-knees, four, five, and six 

 feet high, and from six to eighteen inches and two feet in 

 diameter at their bases. The larger ones are hollow, and 



1 Journal of Douglas's second visit to the Columbia, etc., in Hooker, 

 " Compan. to Bot. Mag.," ii. p. 150. 



