Trees of the Northern United States Part 41

GENUS =105. CRYPTOMeRIA.=

A genus of evergreens containing only the following species:

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. j.a.ponica.]

=Cryptomeria j.a.ponica=, Don. (j.a.pAN CEDAR.) Leaves about in. long, not flattened, but about equally 4-sided, curved and tapering quite gradually from the tip to the large, sessile base; branches spreading, mostly horizontal, with numerous branchlets. Cones to in. in diameter, globular, terminal, sessile, very persistent, with numerous, loose, not overlapping scales. A beautiful tree from j.a.pan, 50 to 100 ft. high. Not very successfully grown in our climate. North of Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C., it needs a sheltered position, and should have a deep, but not very rich soil.

GENUS =106. JUNiPERUS.=

Leaves evergreen, awl-shaped or scale-like, rigid, often of two shapes on the same plant. Spray not 2-ranked. Flowers usually dioecious.

Fertile catkins rounded, of 3 to 6 fleshy, coalescent scales, forming in fruit a bluish-black berry with a whitish bloom, but found on only a portion of the plants.

* Leaves rather long, in., in whorls of threes 1.

* Leaves smaller; on the old branches mostly opposite 2.

[Ill.u.s.tration: J. communis.]

1. =Juniperus communis=, L. (COMMON JUNIPER.) Leaves rather long, in., linear, awl-shaped, in whorls of threes, p.r.i.c.kly-pointed, upper surface glaucous-white, under surface bright green. Fruit globular, in. or more in diameter, dark purple when ripe, covered with light-colored bloom. A shrub or small tree with spreading or pendulous branches; common in dry, sterile soils. There are a great many varieties of this species in cultivation, but few of them grow tall enough to be considered trees.

Var. _Hibernica_ (Irish Juniper) grows erect like a column. Var.

_Alpina_ is a low creeping plant. Var. _hemispherica_ is almost like a half-sphere lying on the ground.

[Ill.u.s.tration: J. Virginiana.]

2. =Juniperus Virginiana=, L. (RED CEDAR.) Leaves very small and numerous, scale-like on the older branches, but awl-shaped and somewhat spreading on the young shoots; dark green. Fruit small, 1/5 in., abundant on the pistillate plants, dark purple and covered with fine, glaucous bloom. Trees from 20 to 80 ft. high (sometimes only shrubs), with mostly horizontal branches, thin, scaling bark, dense habit of growth, and dark foliage. Wood light, fine-grained, durable; the heart-wood of a handsome dark red color. Wild throughout; several varieties are found in cultivation. Many other species from China, j.a.pan, California, etc., are occasionally cultivated, but few are large enough to be called trees, and those that are large enough are not of sufficient importance to need specific notice.

GENUS =107. TaXUS.=

Leaves evergreen, flat, linear, mucronate, rigid, scattered, appearing more or less 2-ranked. Fertile flowers and the fruit solitary; the fruit, a nut-like seed in a cup-shaped, fleshy portion formed from a disk; red.

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

=Taxus baccata=, L. (COMMON EUROPEAN YEW.) Leaves evergreen, 2-ranked, crowded, linear, flat, curved, acute. Fruit a nut-like seed within a cup 1/3 in. in diameter; red when ripe in the autumn. As this species is somewhat dioecious, a portion of the plants will be without fruit. A widely spreading shrub rather than a tree, extensively cultivated under nearly a score of named varieties. We have a closely related wild species, =Taxus Canadensis= (THE GROUND-HEMLOCK), which is merely a low straggling bush.

GENUS =1O7a. TORReYA.=

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

The Torreyas are much like the Yews, but their leaves have two longitudinal lines, and a remarkably disagreeable odor when burned or bruised. =Torreya taxiflia=, Arn., from Florida, and =Torreya Califrnica=, Torr., from California, have been often planted. They form small trees, but probably cannot be grown successfully in the region.

The figure shows a twig of T. taxifolia.

GENUS =1O7b. CEPHALOTaXUS.=

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

=Cephalotaxus Fortunii=, Hook., does not form a tree in this section, but a wide-spreading bush growing sometimes to the height of 10 ft., and spreading over a spot 15 ft. wide. Leaves flat, with the midrib forming a distinct ridge on both sides, linear, sometimes over 2 in. long, glossy green on the upper side, slightly whitened beneath. Fruit very large, 1 in. or more long, elliptical, with a single, thin-sh.e.l.led nut-like seed covered with purplish, pulpy, thin flesh. Branches spreading, drooping, long, slender; buds small, covered with many sharp-pointed, overlapping scales; twigs green, somewhat grooved. From j.a.pan; about hardy in New Jersey.

GENUS =108. PODOCaRPUS.=

Leaves one-nerved, opposite, alternate, or scattered, linear or oblong.

Flowers axillary and mostly dioecious; fruit drupe-like, with a bony-coated stone.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. j.a.ponica.]

=Podocarpus j.a.ponica=, Sieb. (j.a.pAN PODOCARPUS.) Leaves alternate, crowded, flat, linear-lanceolate, elongated, quite sharp-pointed, narrowed to a short though distinct petiole, and continued down the stem by two ridges; leaves not 2-ranked, large, 4 to 8 in. long and in.

wide when growing in perfection; in specimens grown in this region, 2 to 5 in. long and in. wide; midrib forms a ridge on both sides; upper side dark glossy green; lower side with two broad whitish lines. A beautiful, erect-growing, small tree; from j.a.pan; about hardy in central New Jersey; needs some protection in Ma.s.sachusetts.

GENUS =109. SALISBuRIA.=

Leaves broad, simple, alternate, stipulate, deciduous, deeply cut or lobed at the apex, alike on both surfaces, with long petioles. Flowers dioecious; staminate ones in catkins, pistillate ones either solitary or in cl.u.s.ters of a few each. Fruit a nut with a drupaceous covering.

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

=Salisburia adiantiflia=, Sm. (GINKGO TREE.) Leaves parallel-veined, fan-shaped, with irregular lobes at the end, thick, leathery, with no midrib. Fruit globular or ovate, 1 in. long, on long, slender stems. A very peculiar and beautiful large tree, 50 to 100 ft. high; from j.a.pan.

Hardy throughout, and should be more extensively cultivated than it is.