224 



A MANUAL OF THE CONIPEEiB. 



only in most of the kinds, giving the branch a flat or Pern- 

 like form ; in a few others they are produced on all sides of 

 the primary. 



The foliage is dimorphous ; the leaves of the young seedlings 

 and of the sterile branches are linear, or needle-shaped; on 

 fertile branches they are imbricated scale-like, closely appressed 

 to the stem, and arranged in opposite pairs. 



The flowers are monoecious in most of the species ; the 

 cones are small spherical bodies, rarely exceeding an inch in 

 diameter, but frequently much less, and consist of hard, lig- 

 neous, peltate scales, occasionally with angular or spiny pro- 

 jections, arranged in opposite pairs (decussate), each scale 

 bearing numerous seeds. 



A deviation from some 



of these general characters 



is seen in the cones of 



Thuia and Libocedras, 



which are ovate-ohlong, 



with the scales not peltate ; 



and in the Junipers, in 



which the acicular leaves 



RJl are arranged in threes, and 



5 ; ™ in many species of which 



the leaves never or only 



,, partially assume the scale- 

 Fig. 53. — Strobile, or cone, * J 



of Mioce&rus ckcurrms. Na- like form. In the Juni- 

 pers, also, the flowers are 

 generally dioecious, and the scales of the fruit fleshy, and of a deep 

 purple colour, giving it a berry or drupe-like form. 



With the exception of the Junipers, which are spread over the 

 eastern and western Continents from the Tropic of Cancer to the 

 Arctic Circle, the geographical distribution of the Cupressineee 

 may be stated roughly as being confined to two comparatively 

 narrow zones, nearly equi-distant from the equator. In the eastern 

 Continent the northern zone lies between the 30th and 45th 

 parallels; in America between the 25th and 50th. The southern 

 zone includes portions of South America, Africa, and Australia, 

 also the islands of Tasmania and New Zealand, all lying between 

 the 30th and 45th parallels. The trees belonging to the Cypress 



%jjf 



Fig. 52.— Strobile, or cone, 

 of Cupi'esms macroearpa. 

 Natural size. 



