Cupressus 1163 



brown terete slender branchlets. Branchlet systems alternate, distichous, bipinnate, 

 with the pinnae more or less in one plane. Ultimate branchlets compressed, ^^j^ in. 

 wide, ^ in. thick. Leaves of two kinds ; lateral pairs conduplicate ; facial pairs 

 flattened, ovate, keeled or with a median furrow ; all appressed, but with the 

 mucronate apex free and slightly spreading, greyish green, not marked by whitish 

 lines or streaks, about -^ in. long. 



Staminate flowers yellow, ^ in. long ; stamens about 8. Cones globose, ^ to 

 ^ in. in diameter, on long slender often curved stalks, ripening in the second year 

 and falling soon afterwards, dark brown covered with a plum-coloured bloom ; 

 scales eight, scarcely depressed in the centre from which arises a minute ovate 

 usually appressed process. Seeds three to five on each scale, ^ in., shining 

 reddish brown, with scattered resin -vesicles and narrow wings. Cotyledons 

 two. 



This species is a native of central China, occurring in mountainous districts, at 

 elevations usually below 3000 ft., in the provinces of Szechwan, Hupeh, Anhui, and 

 Chekiang. It was discovered by Sir George Staunton, who was Secretary to Lord 

 Macartney's embassy to China in 1793, in the Vale of Tombs,^ near Lake Sihoo, in 

 the Hangchow prefecture of Chekiang, where it was planted in quantity around the 

 graves. Fortune^ in 1848 found it common in the green tea district of Huichou in 

 Anhui, growing in clumps on the sides of the hills, generally near villages or 

 amongst graves. He afterwards saw it in great abundance in the mountains south- 

 west of Ningpo, and at Nanche and Yenchou in the Chekiang province. Fortune 

 also noticed it in cultivation at Shanghai. 



It is common in the neighbourhood of Ichang, close to the Yangtze, in the 

 centre of China, where I found it in 1884. Here it grows in valleys, often forming 

 pure woods of considerable extent, which are the home of the Reeves' pheasant in 

 this district. 



According to Wilson,* it is common from Ichang westward both in the immedi- 

 ate vicinity of the great river, and in the mountains north and south of it up to 3000 

 ft. altitude. He noticed it particularly in the Yangtze gorges between the Hsinlung 

 rapid and Wanhsien. Here the temperature sometimes falls in winter below freez- 

 ing point, and there are occasional heavy falls of snow, but the climate is excessively 

 hot in summer, and wherever this cypress grows wild the orange can be cultivated 

 to perfection. In Szechwan it was collected by Pere Farges* at 4000 ft. elevation 

 in the Chengkou district, and by von Rosthorn in the Nanchwan district. Wilson 

 describes its great utility for boat-building at Wanhsien. With the exception of a few 

 cross-beams of oak, the river boats are built entirely of the timber of C. funebris. 

 The wood is close-grained, and is much used in central and western China for house- 

 building and general carpentry. 



1 This locality is erroneously stated by Lindley in Gard. Chron. 1849, p. 243, and by Kent, to be in northern China, 

 where the tree is unknown, as the climate in winter is much too severe. The distribution as given by Masters injoum. Linn. 

 Soc. (Bot.) xxxviii. 202 (1908), also erroneously includes northern China and is much too extensive. 



' Fortune, in Gard. Chron. 1850, p. 228, gives an account of his discovery of this tree. Cf. also his Tea Countries, 16, 

 61, 64, 107, 314, and fig. on p. 63 (1852), and Residence amongthe Chinese, 145, 177 (1857). 



* In Gard. Chron. xxxviii. 94 (1905). 



* Franchet, vajoum. de Bot. xiii. 263 (1899). 



