444 Contfere—Thiga. 
species usually called Thijya Lobbit in gardens. But there is 
no doubt that the plant bearing the name of Thija gigantea 
in many collections is the true Libocédrus dectrrens. The 
only matter for surprise is that these two wholly dissimilar 
shrubs should have been mistaken the one for the other. 
2. Th. occidéntalis. American Arbor Vite.—In the low 
swampy districts of the Northern States of the Union and in 
Canada this forms a compact tree from 20 to 50 feet high, but 
with us it rarely exceeds the dimensions of a large shrub. The 
branchlets are crowded, compressed, and rather massive, and 
the small leaves quadrifariously imbricated. The leaves of the 
lateral ranks are destitute of tubercles, whilst those in the 
centre on the upper and lower surfaces of the branchlets are 
mostly furnished with a conspicuous tubercle immediately 
below the acute apex. The foliage of this is of a bright light 
green in Summer, but like nearly all of the Arbor Vites it 
changes to a rusty hue in Winter, hence it should be avoided 
where bright cheerful verdure is desirable at that season of the 
year. The fruit is small, with about six slightly coriaceous 
persistent bracts. This is one of those trees whose seeds 
produce an infinity of more or less distinct individuals, but 
these differences are so slight as to be unworthy of perpetuation. 
There are, however, several very distinct varieties or races which 
come true from seed, whilst others can only be preserved by non- 
sexual propagation. Amongst the most interesting we may 
enumerate the variety Sibirica, syn. Wuredna. Tartarica, ete. 
This is commonly called the Siberian Arbor Vite, though its 
native country is unknown. In fact, it is said to have been 
raised from seed in the nursery of a Mr. Weire at Coventry, but 
whence the seeds came is not stated. It forms a compact, 
conical, very densely branched bush, with rather smaller closer 
rather obtuse leaves in which the tubercles are less prominent. 
Besides the dwarfer, more bushy habit of this variety, we must 
not omit to mention that the foliage is of a darker green. In 
addition to the above names it has received about a dozen 
others, but it usually bears one of the three quoted. Th. o. 
plicdta is another well-known form remarkable for the twisted 
branchlets being in pairs, giving it a plaited appearance. 
There is a variety of this variegated with yellow and green. 
The variety péndula has drooping branches with tufts of 
branchlets at their extremities; cristata is a similar form; 
pumila, minima, and compact are dwarf bushes ; ericovdes is 
