Trees of the Northern United States Part 40

[Ill.u.s.tration: Var. pendulum.]

Var. _pendulum_, with horizontal branches and drooping branchlets, has the leaves but slightly spreading from the stems, especially when young.

Very beautiful; hardy as far north as Ma.s.sachusetts.

GENUS =102. SEQUoIA.=

Flowers monoecious, terminal, solitary, catkins nearly globular. Seeds winged, 3 to 5 under each scale.

[Ill.u.s.tration: S. gigantea.]

1. =Sequoia gigantea=, Torr. (BIG OR GREAT TREE OF CALIFORNIA.) Leaves on the young shoots spreading, needle-shaped, sharp-pointed, scattered spirally around the branchlets; finally scale-shaped, overlapping, mostly appressed, with generally an acute apex, light green in color.

Cones oval, 2 to 3 in. long, of about 25 scales. The largest tree known, 300 ft. high, with a trunk nearly 30 ft. through, found in California and occasionally planted east, though with no great success, as it is almost certain to die after a few years.

[Ill.u.s.tration: S. sempervirens.]

2. =Sequoia sempervirens=, Endl. (REDWOOD.) Leaves from to 1 in. long, linear, smooth, 2-ranked, flat, acute, dark s.h.i.+ning green, glaucous beneath; branches numerous, horizontal, spreading. Cones 1 in. long, roundish, solitary, terminal; scales numerous, thick, rough, furnished with an obtuse point. A magnificent tree from California, where it grows 200 to 300 ft. high. In the East it can be kept alive but a few years even at Was.h.i.+ngton.

GENUS =103. THuYA.= (ARBOR-VITae.)

Small, evergreen trees with flat, 2-ranked, fan-like spray and closely overlapping, small, appressed leaves of two shapes on different branchlets, one awl-shaped and acute, the other scale-like, usually blunt and close to the branch. Fertile catkins of few, overlapping scales fixed by the base; at maturity, dry and spreading. There are scores of named varieties of Arbor-vitae sold by the nurserymen under 3 different generic names, Thuya, Biota, and Thuyopsis. There are but slight differences in these groups, and they will in this work be placed together under Thuya. Some that in popular language might well be called Arbor-vitae (the Retinosporas) will, because of the character of the fruit, be included in the next genus.

* Scales of the cones pointless, thin, straight. (Thuya) 1, 2.

* Scales reflexed and wedge-shaped. (Thuyopsis) 3.

* Scales thick, with horn-like tips. (Biota) 4.

[Ill.u.s.tration: T. occidentalis.]

1. =Thuya occidentalis=, L. (AMERICAN ARBOR-VITae. WHITE CEDAR.) Leaves in 4 rows on the 2-edged branchlets, having a strong aromatic odor when bruised. Cones oblong, 1/3 in. long, with few (6 to 10) pointless scales. A small tree, 20 to 50 ft. high, or in cultivation 1 to 50 ft.

high, with pale, shreddy bark, and light, soft, but very durable wood.

Wild north, and extensively cultivated throughout under more than a score of named varieties. Their names--_alba_, _aurea_, _glauca_, _conica_, _globosa_, _pyramidalis_, _pendula_, etc.--will give some idea of the variations in color, form, etc.

[Ill.u.s.tration: T. gigantea.]

2. =Thuya gigantea=, Nutt. (GIANT ARBOR-VITae.) Leaves scale-shaped, somewhat 4-sided, closely overlapping, sharp-pointed, slightly tuberculate on the back; cones more or less cl.u.s.tered and nearly in.

long. A very large and graceful tree, 200 ft. high, with white, soft wood; from the Pacific coast; introduced but not very successfully grown in the Atlantic States.

[Ill.u.s.tration: T. dolabrata.]

3. =Thuya dolabrata=, L. (HATCHET-LEAVED ARBOR-VITae.) Leaves large, sometimes in. long, very blunt, in 4 rows on the flattened spray.

Cones quite small, ovate, sessile, with jagged edges; scales reflexed and wedge-form. A small conical tree with horizontal branches and drooping branchlets; which, because of its large leaves (for an Arbor-vitae) and flexible branchlets, is quite unique and interesting. In shaded and moist places it has done quite well as far north as New York.

[Ill.u.s.tration: T. orientalis.]

4. =Thuya orientalis=, L. (EASTERN OR CHINESE ARBOR-VITae.) Leaves small, in 4 opposite rows, appressed, acute, on the numerous 2-edged branchlets. Cones large, roundish, with thick leathery scales having recurving, horn-like tips. Of this species there are as many varieties sold as of number one, and nearly the same varietal names are used; but it is not so good a species for general cultivation in this country.

Var. _flagelliformis_, Jacq. (Weeping Arbor-vitae), has very slender, elongated, weeping branches, curving gracefully to the ground. It is a beautiful variety, often cultivated (a single stem is shown in the figure).

GENUS =104. CHAMaeCPARIS.= (THE CYPRESSES.)

Strong-scented, evergreen trees with very small, scale-like or somewhat awl-shaped, closely appressed (except in some cultivated varieties), overlapping leaves and 2-ranked branchlets, almost as in Thuya. Cones globular, with peltate, valvate scales, firmly closed till ripe; the scales thick and pointed at the center.

* Native trees; leaves light glaucous-green. 1.

* Cultivated trees from Western America; leaves dark green.

(=A.=)

=A.= No tubercle on the backs of the leaves. 2.

=A.= Usually a tubercle on the back 3.

* Cultivated small trees and shrubs from j.a.pan (called Retinospora) 4.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. sphaeroidea.]

1. =Chamaecparis sphaeroidea=, s.p.a.ch. (WHITE CEDAR.) Leaves very small, triangular, awl-shaped, regularly and closely appressed in 4 rows, of a light glaucous-green color, often with a small gland on the back. Cones very small, 1/3 in. in diameter, of about 6 scales, cl.u.s.tered. Tree 30 to 90 ft. high, wild in low grounds throughout; abundant in Middle States. With reddish-white wood and slender, spreading and drooping sprays; bark fibrous, shreddy; sometimes cultivated.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. Nutkaensis.]

2. =Chamaecparis Nutkaensis=, Lambert. (NOOTKA SOUND CYPRESS.) Leaves only 1/8 in. long, sharp-pointed, and closely appressed, of a very dark, rich green color; very slightly glaucous, without tubercles on the back. Cones small, globular, solitary, with a fine, whitish bloom; scales 4, rough and terminating in a sharp straight point. Tree 100 ft.

high in Alaska, and would make a fine cultivated tree for this region if it could stand our hot, dry summers.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. Lawsoniana.]

3. =Chamaecparis Lawsoniana=, Park. (LAWSON'S CYPRESS.) Leaves small, deep green, with a whitish margin when young, forming with the twigs feathery-like, flat spray of a bluish-green color; leaves usually with a gland on the back. Cones scarcely in. in diameter, of 8 to 10 scales.

A magnificent tree in California, and where it is hardy (in rather moist soil, New York and south) it forms one of our best cultivated evergreens. The leading shoot when young is pendulous.

[Ill.u.s.tration: R. obtusa.]

4. =Chamaecparis= (=Retinospora=) =obtusa=, Endl. (j.a.pANESE ARBOR-VITae.) Leaves scale-formed, obtuse, closely appressed and very persistent.

Cones of 8 or 10 hard, light brown, wedge-shaped scales. Beautiful small trees or generally shrubs (in this country), of a score of named varieties of many colors and forms of plant and foliage.

There are probably a number of species of j.a.panese and Chinese Chamaecyparis (Retinospora), but till their size, hardiness, and origin have been more fully determined, it would be impossible to make an entirely satisfactory list for such a work as this. Figures are given of the common, so-called, species cultivated in this country; under each of these, several varieties are sold by the nurserymen. The three twigs of Retinospora squarrosa were all taken from a single branch; this shows how impossible it is to determine the varieties or species; the twig at the left represents the true _squarrosa_; the others, the partial return to the original. Most of the forms shown in the figures have purple, golden, silvery, and other colored varieties.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Retinospora filifera.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Retinospora pisifera.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Retinospora squarrosa.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Retinospora Lycopoides.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Retinospora plumosa.]