330 DIVERSIONS OF A NATURALIST 



whilst no living specimen of the S. gigantea has been 

 definitely measured of more than 325 feet in height. 

 There are several other large exotic, pine-like trees, which 

 are placed in the Taxodinae. The extraordinary and 

 interesting tree called the Japanese umbrella pine 

 (Sciadopitys vertiqillata) is associated with the Sequoias 

 by some botanists ; but it is in important respects unlike 

 any other conifer. It has a very peculiar foliage, namely, 

 rod-like leaflets, twenty to thirty in number, arranged 

 in circlets or whorls like the spokes or ribs of an umbrella. 

 The curious thing is that these are not " leaves," but, 

 according to botanists, are leaf-like shoots or branchlets ! 

 It may be seen growing in Kew Gardens, where it was 

 introduced thirty years ago. 



The last family of the Coniferae is the Cupressins, so 

 named after the great and beautiful cypress tree, which 

 is said to have given its name to the island of Cyprus, 

 which in turn gives its name to cupreous metal, or copper. 

 The cypress tree similarly gives its name to " coffers " 

 and " coffins " made of its wood, as the Buxus or box-tree 

 has given its name to a " box." The cypress is the 

 Gopher tree of the Hebrews. The family includes many 

 species of junipers (Juniperus) and the American and Jap- 

 anese Arbor vitae (Thuya) and its allies. In the common 

 cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) the leaves are singular, 

 small, scale-like growths, which are flattened on to the 

 delicate branchlets which bear them. In other trees of the 

 family both such leaves and also upstanding lancet-like 

 leaves are present. The main character is the small size 

 and globular shape of the cones and the very few swollen 

 scales, more like solid wedges adherent to one another, 

 which build them up. These wedge-like scales are not 

 arranged in whorls, but are opposite to one another on the 

 short axis or stem of the cone. The common juniper 



