PIXE FAMILY. 



341 



stem 30-80 feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter, sparingly branched. Leaves evergreen, 

 very small and crowded, appressed to the branches. Strobiles one third to half an inch 

 in diameter. 



Swamps and pine forests : Xew England to Georgia. Fl. April -ilay. Fr. September 



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

 stems are exceediagly numerous and 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 highly 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 for good Cedar swamp. 



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



Flowers 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 

 hesLTing 2 -D 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-spreadiug 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'ticlmm, Rich. Leaves flat, pinuately arranged on short slen- 

 der deciduous branches which resemble common petioles. 



Distichous Taxodium. Cypress. Bald Cypress. 



Fig. 239. A scale from a staminate ament of Cypress (Capressus) , with the anthers at 

 its base. 240. A scale from a pistillate ament, with numerous ovules at its base. 241. 

 A cone. 



6. TAXO'DIUM, Richard. Bald Cypress. 



