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128 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland
CRYPTOMERIA JAPONICA
Cryptomeria japonica, Don, Trans. Linn. Soc. (Bot.\ xviii. 167, tab. xiii. i (1839); Hooker, Icon.
Plant, vii. 668 (1844); Siebold, Flora Japotiica, i i. 43, tab. 124, 124^ (1870); Kent in VeitcKs
Man. Coniferce, 2 63 (1900) ; Shirasawa, Iconographie des Essences Forestieres du Japan, text 24,
tab. ix. 25-42 (1900); Mayr, Fremdlandische Wald- und Parkbaiime, 2 78 (1906).
A tall tree, attaining in Japan a height of 150 feet or more, and a girth of 20 to 25
feet, the trunk tapering from a broad base. Bark reddish brown, and peeling off in
long, ribbon-like shreds. Leaves persistent for 4 or 5 years, arranged spirally on the
shoots in five ranks, curving inwards and directed forwards, awl-shaped, tapering to
a point, compressed laterally, keeled on front and back, bearing stomata on both
sides, with the base decurrent on the branchlet to the insertion of the next leaf. The
buds are minute, and composed of three minute leaves, which are free at the base,
and not decurrent.
The male flowers are clustered at the ends of the branchlets in false racemes, the
leaves in the axils of which they arise being reduced in size, and fulfilling the function
of bracts. They appear on the tree in autumn and shed their pollen in early spring,
remaining for some time afterwards in a withered state.
The buds of the female flowers are also to be seen in autumn terminating some
of the branchlets, and covered externally with small, awl-shaped leaves.
The shoot' is frequently continued in the leafy state throughout the cone
("proliferation"), and the extended portion often grows to several inches in length
beyond the cone, and even in some cases bears male catkins.
Woody excrescences 2 of a conical shape often develop on the stem, to which they
are loosely connected. They correspond to the " wood-balls " which are found on
beeches and cedars, and like these are due to abnormal development of dormant
buds.
Seedling: the cotyledons, which are generally 3 in number, the occurrence of 2
only being rare, are carried above ground by an erect caulicle, about ^ inch long,
ending below in a primary root, which is reddish, flexuous, and about 3 inches long,
giving off a few lateral fibres. The cotyledons are linear, flattened, obtuse, and about
£ inch long; two, narrowed at the base, are prolonged on the caulicle as ribs; the
other, sessile on a broad base, is not decurrent; all bear stomata on their upper surface.
The first leaves on the stem are in a whorl of 3, similar in shape to the cotyledons,
but longer and with slightly decurrent bases. The leaves following are inserted
spirally on the stem, and are longer, sharper-pointed, and more decurrent. All are
spreading, with stomata and a prominent median nerve on their lower surface. The
stem, roughened by the leaf-bases, terminates above in a cluster of 5 to 6 leaves,
crowded at their insertion and directed upwards.
1 Remarkable instances of proliferous cones and other abnormalities are described and figured in Rev. Horticole, 1 887, 39 Z -
2 Figured in Card. Chron., May 30, 1903, p. 352.
Cryptomeria
VARIETIES
129
There are at least two well-marked geographical forms, var. japonica and
var. Fortunei, which will perhaps be ranked as distinct species, when the trees are
studied in the wild state. Other varieties, which have probably arisen in cultivation,
are distinguished by peculiarities of the foliage.
1. Vrar. japonica, the type described by Don from Japanese specimens collected
by Thunberg. This is the form which occurs wild in Japan. The tree is
pyramidal in habit, with straight, spreading branches and short, stout, dark green
leaves. The cones are composed of numerous scales, bearing long acuminate
processes, and showing long points to the bracts, making the outer surface of the
cone very spiny, especially towards the summit. There are generally 5 seeds to
each scale.
2. Var. Lobbii?—Tree narrow, pyramidal in habit, with short branches densely
ramified. The leaves are long and light green in colour. The cones are like those
of the preceding variety, but with the processes and tips of the "bracts even longer
and more slender. This is perhaps a geographical form, occurring in Japan, where it
was collected by Wright. It has certainly proved hardier than the Chinese variety
both in this country and on the Continent.
3. Var. Forhtnei* or sinensis? A tree diffuse in habit, with deflexed branches
and long, slender branchlets. Leaves long and slender. Cones with fewer scales
(about 20), which end in short processes, the tips of the bracts being of no great
length, so that the whole cone looks much less spiny than that of the Japanese forms.
Seeds fewer, often only 2 on a scale, but apparently indistinguishable from those of
the Japanese trees. This is the form which occurs wild in China, and which was
first introduced into this country. It was described by Sir W. J. Hooker 4 from
specimens gathered by Sir Everard Home in Chusan. The Chinese form ripens its
seeds three weeks sooner at Dropmore than the var. Lobbii.
4. Var. araucarioides?—Branches deflexed, with the branchlets long, pendulous,
and very distantly placed. Leaves small, stout, stiff, and curving inwards at the top,
dark green in colour. Cones as in var. japonica, of which this is only a slight variety.
It is described as a shrub or low tree ; but this may arise from its being propagated
from cuttings. Large trees occur, of a similar habit, which seem, however, to be
sports from var. Fortunei.
5. Var. pzmgens*—Leaves straight, stiff, spreading, darker green, and more
sharply pointed than in common forms. I have not seen cones ; and the origin of
this variety is not clearly known.
1 Gordon, Pinetum ( 1858), p. 54.
2 Cryptomeria Fortunei, Hooibrenk, Wien. Jour, fiir Pflcnzenkunde, 1 853, p. 22.
3 Cryptomeria japonica, var. sincnsis, Siebold, I.e. 49.
4 Hooker, Inc. cit. He points out the difference in the cones of the Chinese and Japanese trees, but says that they are
undoubtedly one species. Hunbury, Arboretum Notes, 172, remarks that the cones of the Barton tree, from Chinese seed,
are very different from Don's figure of Japanese cones.
6 Carriere, Traiti Gin. Conif. ( 1867), p. 193.
6 Hort. A sub-variety of this, pungens rtibiginosa, is mentioned in Garden, iii. 1873, p. 322. The leaves are said to
assume a coppery or tawny red colour from August until April.
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