I. Ultimate branchlets on mature trees tetragonal, bearing leaves all alike and uniform in size.
- 1. Libocedrus tetragona, Endlicher. Chile, Patagonia.
- Leaves spreading.
- 2. Libocedrus Bidwith, Hooker. New Zealand.
- Leaves closely appressed.
II. Ultimate branchlets flattened, with leaves of two kinds ; lateral boat-shaped, median flat and appressed.
A. Median and lateral leaves equal in length.
- 3. Libocedrus decurrens, Torrey. Oregon, California, W. Nevada.
- Leaves green on both surfaces.
- 4. Libocedrus macrolepis, Bentham et Hooker. China, Formosa.
- Leaves glaucous on the lower surface, with white stomatic bands.
B. Lateral leaves much longer than the median leaves.
- 5. Libocedrus chilensis, Endlicher. Chile.
- Median leaves minute, rounded at the’apex, with a conspicuous gland.
- 6. Libocedrus Doniana, Endlicher. New Zealand.
- Median leaves ovate, acute, mucronate, scarcely glandular.
The two following species, imperfectly known and not introduced, will only be mentioned here. They belong to the last section :—
- 7. Lebocedrus papuana, F.v. Mueller.” New Guinea.
- 8. Libocedrus austro-caledonica, Brongniart et Gris.2 New Caledonia.
LIBOCEDRUS TETRAGONA
- Libocedrus tetragona, Endlichler, Syx. Contf. 44 (1847); Lindley and Paxton, Flower Garden, i. 47, f. 32 (1850); Kent, Veitch’s Man. Coniferæ, 256 (1900).
- Libocedrus cupressoides, Sargent, Silva N. Amer. x. 134 (1896).
- Thuya tetragona, Hooker, London Journ. Bot. iii. 148, t. 4 (1844).
- Pinus cupressoides, Molina, Saggio Sulla Storia Naturale del Chile, 168 (1782).
A tree® attaining in South America, though rarely, a height of 160 feet. Branchlets tetragonal. Leaves equal in size and uniform in shape in the four ranks ; those on the ultimate branchlets about 1⁄12 inch long, adnate only at the base, the remaining part free and spreading ; ovate, acute, or rounded at the apex, keeled on the back, concave and glaucescent above; those on primary axes larger, adnate for the most of their length, the apices only being free and spreading.
Cones on long branchlets, less than 1⁄2 inch long, brown. Scales four, minutely
1 Trans. Roy. Soc. Victoria, i, 32 (1889).
2 Bull. Soc. Bot. France, xviii. 140 (1871).
3 This tree has been confused by travellers with Fitzroya patagonica, which has very similar foliage when old. In the former, the leaves gradually taper to a rounded or acute apex; in the latter they are broadest in their upper third, close to the rounded apex. The cones are entirely different.
