42 THE TREES AND SHRUBS [LECT. 



days of Greece, Pliny says, by the name of Thuyon, 

 Ovov, or wood of sacrifice, under which name it 

 is mentioned by Homer in his description of the 

 Isle of Calypso. 



The finest kind was grown, Theophrastus says, 

 near the Temple of Jupiter Ammon. 



The Cupressus of Pliny, and the KvirdpLTros of 

 Theophrastus, was the common Cypress of Italy 

 and Greece, the Cupressus sempervirens of Linnaeus. 

 As in modern days, it was dedicated to mourn- 

 ing 



" JS"eque harum quas colis arbortim 

 Te prreter invisas Cupressos 

 Ulla brevem dorainum sequetur." HORACE. 



Although in reality the plant is moncecous, Pliny 

 and others describe two sexes in it, distinguishing 

 as the female that which is more pyramidal, and by 

 the male that whose branches are more horizontal. 



There are, in fact, two varieties of Cypress recog- 

 nised in modern days, viz. the pyramidal, and the 

 horizontal, the one tapering upwards in a conical 

 form, the other spreading out laterally 1 . 



Pliny regards the tree as an exotic in Italy, and 

 states that it came originally from Crete. 



Another tree allied to the Coniferous tribe, men- 

 tioned by Pliny is the Tazus, our Yew. He ex- 

 aggerates its malignant properties, and transfers 

 to the berry the noxious character which applies 

 to the leaves and young shoots. 



1 Miller's Gard. Diet. 



