38 CHINESE ECONOMIC TREES 



Cupressus funebris End lie her. 

 (Pe Hsa.) Funeral Cypress. 



A tree up to 25 m. tall with smooth, reddish bark. When young, 

 more or less compact in habit, in age with drooping branches and 

 branchlets, and long, pendulous, flat sprays. The leaves are imbricated 

 in 4 rows, ovate-deltoid, gray-green with pointed, free and slightly 

 spreading apex. Staminate flowers yellow; stamens usually 8. Cones 

 stalked, globose, 8-12 mm. long, brown, covered by a purple bloom; 

 scales 8, with a pointed or knob-like process on the slightly depressed 

 apex. Seeds usually 3 to each scale, slightly winged. 



Chekiang, Anhwei, Szechuan, and Hupeh. 



This tree is unique among conifers on account of its graceful droop- 

 ing habit, and its decorative value has long been effectively utilized for 

 ornamenting courtyards, tombs and shrines. The landscape effect 

 produced by the weeping willow may also be achieved by the funeral 

 cypress, and, in fact, some authorities maintain that the so-called willow 

 pattern dishes, copied from Chinese design, portray the cypress rather 

 than the willow. It is cultivated throughout Central China arid it was 

 early introduced into India by the Buddhist monks, where fine speci- 

 mens are now growing in the vicinity of temples and monasteries. The 

 wood is white, fairly hard, close and fine grained, tough and durable, 

 one of the most valuable of Chinese timbers, used for general carpentry, 

 coffins, furniture, agricultural implements, house construction and boat 

 building. The cypress is a fairly rapid growing tree and often forms 

 pure stands. 



Cupressus toru'osa Don. 

 (KanPeSba.) 



Pyramidal tree about 45 in. tall with reddish-brown bark. Branches 

 numerous, horizontal, spreading and ascending at the tips. Branchlets 

 somewhat drooping, slender, quadrangular. Leaves dark green or some- 

 times bluish green, somewhat acute, keeled; the apex not thickened, 

 appressed or very little spreading. Cones 1.2-2 cm. long, nearly sessile, 

 with 8-10 scales armed with a blunt or inconspicuous horn or knob. 



This species extends from the Himalayas to W. China. It once 

 existed in extensive forests, but is now only met with as scattered 

 specimens. The tree produces a high grade timber.' Cupressus torulosa 

 is a good tree to plant in the woodlot. It is also suitable for windbreaks 

 and for planting in the garden as a single specimen. 



