18 FOUNDATIONS OF BOTANY 



son color. Fruit a small cone, with tMn scales. Leaves none 

 of them scaly, but all needle-shaped, soft, deciduous, very 

 numerous, in little brush-like bundles. 



1. L. americana, Miclix. Am-ekican Larch, Tamarack, Hack- 

 matack (wrongly, but quite generally, called Cypress and Juniper). 

 A tall, slender tree, 30-100 ft. high. Leaves slender and less than 

 1 in. long, very pale bluish-green. Cones J-| in. long, few-scaled. 

 ■ Wood hard, tough, and heavy, of considerable use for ship-building. 



2. L. europeea, DC. European Larch. Leaves bright green 

 and longer ; cones longer than in the preceding species and many- 

 scaled. Cultivated from Europe. 



VI. TAXODIUM, Richard. 



Trees ; leaves spreading so as to appear 2-ranked, decidu- 

 ous ; flowers monoecious, appearing before the leaves ; stami- 

 nate ones numerous, globose ; forming long, terminal, drooping, 

 panicled spikes ; anthers 2-i5-celled ; pistillate flowers single 

 or in pairs, bractless, the peltate scales 2-ovuled ; cone globose ; 

 the very thick woody scales angular, separating at maturity; 

 seeds 3-angled, pyramidal.* 



1. T. distichum, Richard. Bald Cypress. A very large tree; 

 bark dark brown, rough, fibrous ; many of the twigs deciduous with 

 the leaves. Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled, 2-ranked, flat, 

 linear, |^-| in. long. Cones terminal, globose, about 1 in. in diameter ; 

 ends of the scales much thickened, wrinkled, and with a distinct 

 triangular marking. Common in swamps and on the borders of 

 streams ; wood reddish, soft, light ; specially valuable for shingles 

 and fence posts, and for boat-building.* 



Vn. THUYA, Toum. 



Flowers small, terminal, monoecious, on different branches. 

 Stamens each consisting of a scale-like portion bearing 4 anther- 

 cells. Pistillate flowers consisting of a few overlapping scales 

 which ripen into a small, loose cone. Leaves evergreen, oppo- 

 site, and closely overlapping on the stem, of two kinds, those 

 on the more rapidly growing twigs awl-shaped, the others mere 

 scales. 



1. T. occidentalis, L. Arbor ViTiE, Cedar. A small tree, 20-50 

 ft. high, with soft fibrous bark. Leaves mostly awl-shaped and blunt. 



