THE COXIFER.i: OF JAPAK. 



31 



March some were broken off at a few feet from the ground ; at 

 Pencarrow and Menabilly they are more upright ; but in all the 

 cases observed the larger trees had formed a colony around the 

 parent stem, the lower branches sweeping the ground, often 

 rooting, and the ends of the branches ascending like ihe leaders 

 of the parent. 



Six or seven species of the Cypress tribe are peculiar to 

 Japan, and three or four others are common to that country and 

 China. Four of the endemic species are brought under Thuya 

 in the Genera Plantarum, but for the convenience of horti- 

 culturists I will use the names by which they are best known ; 

 the others are Junipers. One of the former, a true Thuya — 

 T. jcqjonica, or Standishii, as it is sometimes called — is a hand- 

 some species worthy of a place in any garden, and saying thus 

 much of its merits, time forbids further mention of it. Un- 

 doubtedly the first place in the Thuya group must be assigned to 

 Tliuyopsis dolabrata. Comparatively slow-growing in the early 

 years of its hfe, whether raised from seed or from cuttings, the 

 older plants are now developing into stately trees that at once 

 arrest attention by their distinct habit and foliage. Almost 

 everywhere the finest specimens present the aspect of a conical 

 outline with a very broad base in proportion to the height. The 

 largest specimen known to me is at Killerton, near Exeter, 

 which is now 25 feet high, and the spread of its branches at the 

 base covers a circular area fully 18 feet in diameter. This tree 

 has a history of its own, for it or its parent seems to have been 

 introduced prior to the multitude of plants now distributed over 

 the country. A plant was brought, presumably from Japan, by 

 Captain Fortescue and presented by him to the late Earl Fortescue 

 at Castle Hill ; from this three were propagated, and one of them, 

 which has developed into the specimen in question, was presented 

 to Sir T. Dyke Acland. It would be highly interesting to know 

 the exact date of the introduction of the parent plant. 



The Eetinosporas now constitute a group of great interest; 

 but before noticing the most conspicuous members of it, it will 

 be right — nay more, it will be rendering a service to horticulture 

 ■ — to emphasise the fact here that the name Eetinospora can 

 have no place in scientific nomenclature ; even its orthography 

 is faulty, and horticulturists will show a wise discrimination 

 in grasping this fact. The changing of names, especially of 



