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Longevity of Plants

Many species of plants live only one or two years, i. e., are annuals or bien- Many species indicate their age-the spruce producing a new set of branches every year; several kinds of palm making rings exhibited externally on the rind, each ring denoting one year; the oak when cut horizontally presenting a series of concentric circles, each marking one year's growth. Certain Brazilian cocoa-nut palms live 600 to 700 years. The date palm is said by the Arabs to live 200 to 300 years.

Wallan's Oak, at Ellersley, near Paisley, Scotland, is more than 700 years old. Eight olive trees on Mount Olives, Jerusalem, are known to have existed in 1099, nearly 800 years ago.

At Ankerwkye Ho, near Staines, is a yew dating from before 1215, i. e., more than 678 years ago.

The yews at Fountain Abbey, Yorkshire, were old trees when the Abbey was built in 1132.

The Sequoia Gigantea, in the Mariposa Grove of California, 90 ft. in circumference and more than 300 ft. high, is certainly of greater age than are the yews at Fountain Abbey.

Adanson computes the age of certain Baobab trees in Africa at more than 5000 years.

De Candolle reckons the deciduous Cypress, at Chapultepec, to be of still greater age.

Humboldt sets down the Dracæna Draco, at Orotava, in Teneriffe, as one of the oldest inhabitants of the earth.