OCR Text |
Show ANNOTATIONS AND ADDITIONS. 339 America and to the Rocky Mountains (lat. 40°-52°); and in. the Southern Hemisphere to New Zealand, Tasmania or Van Diemen Island, the south of Chili and Patagonia (between 43° and 50° latitude). The most gigantic forms belong to the genera of Pinus, Sequoia (Endl. ), Araucaria, .and Dacrydium. I propose to name only those species which not only attain but often exceed 200 French feet (213 Eng.). In order to afford a standard of comparison, it should be remarked that in Europe the tallest Red and White Pines, the latter especially, attain about 150 or 160 (160- 170 Eng.) feet; that, for example, in Silesia the Pine of the Lam.persdorf Forest near Frankenstein enjoys great celebrity, although, with a circumference of 17 English feet, its height is only 153 Prussian, or 148 French, or 158 English feet. (Compare Ratzeburg, Forstreisen, 1844, s. 287.) Pinus grandis (Douglas), in New California, attains 224 English feet. Pinus fremontiana (Endl. ), also in New California, probably attains the same stature as the preceding. (Torrey and Fremont, Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, in 1844, p. 319.) - Dacrydium cupressinum (Bolander), from New Zealand, 213 English feet. Pinus lambertiana (Dougl. ), in North-west America, 224-235 English feet. Araucaria excelsa (R. Brown), the Cupressus columnaris of Forster, in Norfolk Island, and the surrounding rocky islets, 181- 224 English feet. The six species of Araucaria which have become known to us hitherto, fall, according to Endlicher, into two groups:- a. The American group (Brazil and Chili): A. brasiliensis (Rich.), between 15° and 25° S. lat.; and A. imbricata (Pavon), between 35° and 50° S. lat., the latter growing to 234-260 English feet. b. The Australian group: A. bidwilli (Hook.) and A. cunninghami ( Ait.) on the east side of New Holland; A. excelsa on Norfolk Island, and A. cookii (R. Brown) in New Caledonia. Corda, Presl. |