98 



feet, having numerous and irregularly disposed branches. It some- 

 what resembles the Araucaria Imhricata, having lanceolate, flat, 

 spreading, pungent, and glossy green foliage ; hut it is a much less 

 majestic tree, and more delicate in constitution. There are some nice 

 specimens of it extant in this country at the present time, the best of 

 which are in warm localities, but in cool and shady situations, and in 

 SAveet sandy loam, or moist sandy soils ; but it will only languish and 

 die in low-lying or wet places. As a timber tree it cannot be classed, 

 but where a soil and situation congenial to its nature can be afforded 

 to it, then would it be found a useful addition to any collection of 

 ornamental trees. There is a glauca, (glaucous-leaved variety,) which 

 is also useful enough as an ornamental plant. 



§ 4. SCIADOPITYS : The Whorl-Leaved or Umbrella Pine. 



Erom Greek GKiaq, signifying " shade," from the leaves being dis- 

 posed in umbragenous whorls on the branch stems; and ttltvqj a 

 " pine." 



Flowers, male and female, on the same plant, but separate ; male 

 catkins terminal, females solitary, amid the scaly buds. 



Leaves, from two to four inches long, smooth, persistent, linear, 

 flat, and obtuse-pointed ; in regular whorls of from twenty-five to fifty 

 in number at the branch knots, the nodes formed by each season's 

 growth; their upper face is smooth and minus stomata or breathing- 

 p les, while their under surface is channelled and thickly dotted with 

 epidermous pores : at first yellowish-greeu, and as they arrive at 

 maturity they become of a sombre green colour. 



Cones, from two to three inches long, and about half as broad as 

 long ; scales wedge-shaped, persistent, thin, leathery, and imbricated ; 

 seeds elliptic in form, with a membranaceous brown wing ; and 

 from five to nine seeds under each scale ; the cones are of a dingy 

 brown colour ; require two years' growth to mature and ripen the 

 seeds. 



Branches, alternate and verticillate, horizontal and spreading, 

 having cylindrical branchlets, with a whorl of leaves at their tips ; 

 and the laterals have two, three, or four of these whorls of leaves at the 

 terminations or junctions of the last two, three, or four years' growth : 

 and when in the fifth year's growth of the branch the four-year-old 

 umbrella, parasol, or whorl of leaves generally falls ofi" : the buds are 

 terminal, and covered with imbricated scales, Avhich, after the buds 

 expand and form the season's whorl of leaves, fall off. 



