GINKGO 



CONIFEBS 



DACKYDIUM 987 



T. californica (T. Myristica). — Oali- 

 fornian Nutmeg. — A handsome Oalifor- 

 nian tree 20-40 ft. high, with linear lance- 

 shaped spiny-pointed pale yellow-green 

 leaves 2-3 in. long, and Plum-like green 

 leathery fruits about 2 in. long when 

 fuUy ripe. 



Culture dc. as above. 



T. grandis {Cephalotaxus umbracu- 

 lifera). — A noble Conifer, native of N. 

 China, where it grows 60-80 ft. high. It 

 is remarkable for having its branches in 

 whorls radiating from the main stem 

 like the wires of an umbrella, and having 

 branchlets in 2 rows, covered with very 

 stiff linear lanoe-shaped or somewhat 

 sickle-shaped pointed leaves l-lj in. long, 

 light glossy green above, the under surface 

 being much paler and having 2 narrow 

 greyish lines or furrows. Fruit green, 

 about the size of a small Walnut and 

 having 2 narrow greyish lines or furrows. 

 This species does not smell so strongly as 

 the others when bruised or burned. 



Culture etc. as above. 



T. nucifera (Podocarpios coriacea). — ■ 

 A pretty Japanese tree 20-30 ft. high, 

 closely related to T. grandis, having 

 branches in whorls, and straight flat 

 linear spiny-pointed leaves 1-lf in. long, 

 deep glossy green above, glaucous-white 

 beneath. Fruits ovoid or oblong, about 

 J-1 in. long, glossy green. 



Culture dc. as above. 



T. taxifolia (Stvnkvng Cedar). — A 

 strong- smeUing Conifer, native of Florida, 

 where it grows 40-50 ft . high, having spread- 

 ing branches mostly in whorls, and stif&sh 

 linear somewhat sickle-shaped leaves 1 to 

 2 in. long, twisted and decurrent at the 

 base, glossy green above, pale glaucous- 

 blue beneath, with 2 narrow reddish fur- 

 rows on each side of the midrib. Fruit 

 ovoid pointed, about the size of a small 

 Walnut. 



Culture dc. as above. 



GINKGO (Maidenhair Teeb).— This 

 genus contains only one species : — 



G. biloba (SaUshuria adiantifolia). 

 A very ornamental Chinese and Japanese 

 tree 60-80 feet high, having branches 

 in whorls, and fan-shaped irregularly 

 notched deciduous leaves, greatly re- 

 sembling the pinnules of the Maidenhair 

 Fern in shape and veiaing, only of course 

 being much larger, and very leathery in 



texture. The flowers are dicecious, the 

 male ones being in umbellate drooping 

 spikes or catkins, the female ones in ter- 

 minal clusters on long stalks. Fruit 

 drupe-like, with an edible fleshy pulp en- 

 closing a single ALmond-like seed with a 

 hard bony shell. Cotyledons 2. There 

 are several forms of the Maidenhair Tree, 

 the most noteworthy being lacvniata (or 

 macrophylla), which differs from the type 

 in having larger leaves, some of them 

 being 10 in. in circumference, and divided 

 into 2, 3 or 5 lobes, the principal ones 

 being again divided, wavy, and irregularly 

 toothed or laciniated ; fastigiata has an 

 erect Lombardy Poplar-like habit; pen- 

 dula has a drooping habit ; variegata 

 with variegated foUage, and aurea with 

 more or less golden-yellow leaves. 



Culture a/nd Propagation. — The 

 Maidenhair Tree, as it is popularly known, 

 is a quick-growing Conifer, and is practi- 

 cally hardy in most parts of the British 

 Islands when grown in warm sheltered 

 situations and in light loamy soil. There 

 is a magnificent example in Kew Gardens 

 near the Ferneries. It does not fruit in 

 this country, but in S. Europe produces 

 seeds freely. Plants are easily raised 

 from imported seeds sown in spring, but 

 when these cannot be obtained, cuttings 

 of the ripened or partially ripened shoots 

 will readily root in sandy soil under hand- 

 lights or in cold frames during the sum- 

 mer and autumn months. Where the 

 branches admit, layers may also be made. 

 The rarer varieties may also be Increased 

 by grafting on stocks of the ordinary 

 variety under glass in winter. The mode 

 of germination from seeds will be found 

 ill^istrated in the ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' 

 March 2, 1889, p. 269. 



DACRYDIUM.— A genus of much- 

 branched evergreen trees and shrubs with 

 small spirally clustered leaves and dioe- 

 cious flowers. Male flowers in ovoid 

 catkins. Seed with a hard bony sheU, rest- 

 ing in a shallow cup-shaped fleshy aril. 



Culture and Propagation. — Dacry- 

 diums are beautiful Spruce-like trees with 

 drooping branches, but unfortunately they 

 attain only small dimensions in favour- 

 able parts of the British Islands, sheltered 

 from bleak north and east winds. A 

 light loamy soil with a little peat and 

 leaf soil suits them very well. They may 

 be increased by cuttings of the partially 

 or wholly ripened shoots in summer and 



