52 



PINACEiE. 



to have been black witli shade ; — " I am black but comely as the tents 

 of Kedar : " (Song of Solomon i, 5.) 



riowers male and female, generally on the same plant but sepa- 

 rate ; rarely indeed upon separate plants : male catkins more or less 

 numerous, solitary disposed, cylindrical in form, erect and terminal; 

 female ones generally solitary, oval-obtuse in form, erect, and some- 

 times in twin pairs. 



Leaves, needle-shaped, or four-sided, from one-half to two inches 

 long ; stiff, persistent, evergreen or perennial ; on the twigs or young 

 shoots they are singly and thinly scattered round the stems j on the 

 adult branches or old trees they are in gregarious clusters or bundles, of 

 from five to fifty in number to each bud-like leaf sprig, acute-pointed, 

 pungent, and of a rich glaucous or shining green colour : seed-leaves 

 generally nine, sometimes seven, sometimes five. 



Cones, comparatively large, being from two-and-a-half to five inches 

 long, and from one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half inches broad ; oval — 

 obtuse in form, growing erect upon the upper side of the branches; 

 smooth and leathery on their surface, and at first greenish-yellow, chang- 

 ing to yellowish-brown, and when matured assuming a rusty-brown color : 

 scales very closely imbricated, very persistent when young, growing, 

 and ripe ; but after remaining upon the tree for a time, or sometimes 

 after being collected, they become more or less deciduous and easily 

 opened : seeds angular in form, soft and surcharged with resinous 

 juice ; with the wing appendage large, obovate in form, persistent, and 

 membranaceous. 



This genus is composed of the prototype Deodar, and the two quasi- 

 species, Atlantica and Lihani, and their varieties and sub-varieties. 



CedRUS Atlantica: The Mount Atlas Cedar. 



This form of the cedar is of comparatively recent introduction, 

 (about 1843 ;) yet, from what I have seen of it, I incline to the belief 

 that it will prove a useful tree in this country, inasmuch as it is 

 thoroughly hardy, free growing, not particular as to soil or situation ; 

 and its timber, though vastly inferior to that of Deodara, is greatly 

 superior to that of Lihani. In all its distinguishing characteristics it is 

 half the one and half the other, possessing half the good qualities of 

 the Deodar, and half the bad qualities^f the Lebanon ; both as an orna- 

 mental and timber tree it well deserves to be more extensively planted in 

 this country. The remarks made upon the soil, situation, and cultivation 

 of the Deodara are equally appropriate for Atlantica. It is as yet not 

 much encumbered with varieties, but has often been re-christened. 



