T
A R A U C A R I A I M B R I C A T A . ,
III the "Travels" here referred to, the followino; further notice of it occurs:—
" Wliun we arrived at tlie first Anucarias, the stin liaU jast set; still some light remained for their examination. What first strticlc our
attention were the thick roots of these trees, which lie spread over the stony and nearly naked soil, like gigantic serpents, j feet or 3 feet in ihickncss
they are dothtxl with a rough hark similar to that which invests tUe lofty pillar-liko tnmks from 50 feet to 100 feet in height. The crown of foliage
occupies only about the upper quarter of the stem, aiid re=.emblgs a large depressed cone. The lower branches, eight or twelve in number, form a
circle round the tnmk 1 they diminish till they are but four or six in a ring, and aro of most regular formation, all spreading out horizonully, and
bcnduig upwards only at their tij«. They are tliickly invested with leaves thai cover them like scales, and are sharp pointed, above an intih brad,
and of such hard and woody texture that ic requires a sharp knife to sever them fr,>m the parent branch. The genera] aspect of the Amticar.a is
most striking and pecaliar, though it undeniably bears a distant family likeness to the Pines of our country, Tlie fruit, placed at the end of the
boughs, are of regidar globular form, as large as a m.ins head, and each consists of beautifully imbricated scales that cover the seeds, which arc the
most importajit part of this truly noble tree," (See Tr.mslation in " Conip. But, Mag,," i, p, 367,)
Loudon says that the male tree has its leaves somewliat differently shaped from those of the feinale
tree, and very- much resembling those of Brasiliensis in shape, though of a different texture and colour.
So far as we can ju<lge from the growth of the tree in this countiy, this dilTerence docs not appear—at least,
in the early state of the tree, Mr Barnes, who has had ample means of forming a judgment from the many
fine specimens grown at Bicton, writes thus:—
•• There is an erroneous idea prevalent, consequent upon wh.it I conceive to be erroneous descriptions, as to the difference of shai«, and habit,
and hue of tlie male an,l female plant, I am perfectly satisfied that nobody can point out to mc, in any w.iy, the difference between the male and
fcnuk Araucaria before they have seen them shew their cones. We h^ve a loi.jj avenue of la^-e Araucarias here, as man) of your readers m.iy
know, an,l many fine specimens in various parts of the grounds, I have .^een three females producing concs, and have had fifteen males in full
catkin during Che early months of tiw spring se.-ison, I cannot understand how it is that travellers slate there is such a difference to seen
between males and females in their native country ; here I can perceive no tracc of a variation of habit, thoiigii, perhaps, it may be developed at a
maturcr age. However, I cannot find a trace of dilTerence, though I have had such a number of trees daily imder observation for such a lenjjch of
time. Resides, it appears unnatural ihaf Uie female should be higher, producing iu cones quite erect on the summit of its brandies, as they describe
it The oldest Amncaria here is only about 30 feet high, its coning for so many years having prevented il from obtaining a nobler growth, the
he.-id being about 25 feet in diameter, with a clean stem of 13 feet to the first branch, and a bole 4 feet in circumfercnce. As it grows on, the lower
branches liang down, and eventually get e.>;hansted, wtiile it is growing freely and producing cones as large as a child's hrail above. This specimen
seems falling into the way of the long, straight, and bare-stemmed trees doscribed by travellers," {Gardencn ChronicU, June 1, 1867,)
Barnes further mentions that the catkins are not only produced in spring, but in every month of
the year, from the extreme points of the shoots, in bunches of from two to ten, growing in the course of the
season to about 4 or 6 inches in length, about the size of a Spruce cone, and so freely pro<luced that, when
ripe, the pollen flies about on a fine sunny day in clouds of a yellowish-ljrown colour.
It has been thought that the tree grows more in the winter time than other trees, for all trees make
some growth then, though it may generally be imperceptible. Mr Fowler, forester at Castle Kenned}',
found, by a comparison of measurement taken on six plants, in .May, November, and February, that the
average increase of height, from 3d May to i ith November, was nearly 10 inches, ami from iith November
to 22d Fcbruaiy \]/i inch {Scottish Gardener, v. 117),
The tree docs not always make fresh shoots eveiy year, but it often, apparently, stands still for one year,
or sometimes two years, and then starts and makes a shoot in the following year. On this point Mr
M'Nab, of the Kdinburgh Botanic Garden, gives some information derived from the trees cut down after
being killed by the frosts of 1860-61 and 1862-63. He says; " I'or many years past a good deal of speculation
has been going on with reference to the tiers of brandies as com[)ared with the probable age of the
trees. The cutting down of different sized trees in the garden has given us an opportunity of setting this
matter, so far, ;it rest The largest plant cut down was 24 feet 6 inches high, and 4 feet in circumfercnce
at the base. This plant has thirty perfect annual rings, and twenty perfect whorls of branches—proving that
eighteen months are necessary to complete one internode and whorl. Two others cut down, both about
16 feet in height, had fifteen perfect tiers of branches, besides an unbranched terminal shoot, and twentythree
annual rings. Many others, averaging 8 feet in height, have eight perfect whorls with unbranched
terminal shoots, and about thirteen annual rings. To tell the age of a growing plant of Araucaria, count
the tiers of branches and add one half the number, making allowance for the unbranched terminal shoot if
any; this will give nearly the age of each tree" {Edin. Phil. Journ., 1862, p. 313). Mr M'Nab righdy
adds that it is not to be c.xpected that plants ill treated, or growing in ver}- exposed situations or bad
[ 32 ] c undrained
E i l