PINE FAMILY. 



341 



stem to -80 fett high, and 1-2 foot in diameter, sparingly branche 1. Leaves evergreen, 

 very small and crowded, appressid to the branches. ^ZraliZds onj third to half an inch 

 in diameter. 



Swamps and pine forests : New Englanu to Georgia. Fl. April -May. Fr. September 



06s. This valuable tree is restricted to swamps, — where the straight 

 stems are exceedingly numerous cftid crowded — forming almost impen- 

 etrable dark groves, or clumps, of several acres. The wood is light, 

 soft, and very durable. Shingles were formerly made, to a considerable 

 extent, from the larger trees : but these are now chiefly wrought into 

 domestics wares, by the Cedar cooper. The smaller trees are used for 

 fence rails, — for which purpose they are higlily valued. There is perhaps 

 no other wood land that will yield so much valuable timber per acre, 

 — and no description of territory, in some localities, that will command 

 half the price that can be obtained ibr good Cedar swamp. 



6. TAXO'DIUM, Richard. Bald Cypress. 



[Taxus, the yew, and eidos, form ; the foliage having the habit of that plant.] 



Flcwsrs monoecious, on the same branches. Stamixate aments nume- 

 rous, arranged in a terminal pyramidal spike or raceme. Stamens few, 

 inserted towards the apex of the axis, which is naked at base ; filaments 

 short, thick, produced into a scale-like excentrically peltate connective 

 bearing 2-5 anther-cells. Fertile aments roundish-obovoid, sessile in 

 pairs at the base of the staminate spike ; scales numerous, inserted on 

 the axis, imbricated, acute, recurved-spreading at apex. Ovules 2 at the 

 base of each scale, sessile, erect, perforate at summit. Cone subglobose, 

 formed of angular subpeltate woody scales. Seeds angular ; embryo in 

 the axis of scanty albumen; cotyledons 6-9. 



1. T. dis'tichlim, Rich. Leaves flat, pinuately arranged on short slen- 

 der deciduous branches which resemble common petioles. 



Distichous Taxodiuji. Cypress. Bald Cypress. 



Fig. 239. A scale from a staminate ament of Cypress (Cupressus), with the anthers &I 

 its base. 210. A scale from a pistillate ament, with numerous ovules at its base. 241. 

 A cone. 



