The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution; . are for the most part too great. When trees ofprimeval forests are said to be a thousand years old, the estimates are based uponconjecture, and only in rare cases on actual measurements. The celebrated Baobab{Adansonia digitata) was reckoned by Adanson on the ground of the thicknessof the annual growth to be about 5000 years old, but whether a miscalculationhas not crept in must remain uncertain. The age of the celebrated Dragon Treeof Orotava, already mentioned once before, has even been estimated at 6000 ye
The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution; . are for the most part too great. When trees ofprimeval forests are said to be a thousand years old, the estimates are based uponconjecture, and only in rare cases on actual measurements. The celebrated Baobab{Adansonia digitata) was reckoned by Adanson on the ground of the thicknessof the annual growth to be about 5000 years old, but whether a miscalculationhas not crept in must remain uncertain. The age of the celebrated Dragon Treeof Orotava, already mentioned once before, has even been estimated at 6000 years;the Plane of Bujukdere, on the Bosphorus, at 4000; and the so-called MexicanCedar (Taxodium Mexicanum) was estimated by Humboldt at 4000 years. Iwould not like to stand security for these numbers either. On the other hand,the following extreme limits of age are calculated with fair accuracy:—For theCypress (Cupressus fastigiata), 8000 years; the Yew (Taxus baccata), 3000; theChestnut (Castanea vulgaris), 2000, the Oak (Quercus pedunculata), 2000; the ERECT FOLIAGE STEMS. 721. 722 ERECT FOLIAGE STEMS. Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus Libani), 2000; the Spruce Fir (Abies excelsa), 1200;the Broad-leaved Lime (Tilia grandifolia), 1000; the Arolla Pine (Pinus Cembra),500-700; the Larch (Larix Europcea), 600; the Scotch Pine {Pinus sylvestris),570; the Abele (Populus alba), 500; the Beech (Fagus sylvatica), 300; the Ash(Fraxinus excelsior), 200-300; the Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus), 150 years. The certified estimates of the heights of trees are of such general interestthat they are included below in the following table:— ^^ame. Height inmetres. Name. Height inmetres. Peppermint Tree {Eucalyptus amyg- Mexican Cedar {Taxodium Mexicanum) 38-7. 35. 30. 30. 23-1. 22-7. 22. 20. 20. 15. Mamnioth Tree {Seqitoia gigantea) Baobab (.L-lrf(z?iso?i 1(2 dioitatct) Arolla Pine (Piyius Cembra) Cypress (Citpvessus fasticticitci) Tree of Heaven {Ailanthus gland
Size: 1290px × 1938px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1902
