SUGI TREE STANDS IN ANCIENT ITALY

Wood remains belonging to softwood have been found during excavations performed near Todi, Monte Santo (central Italy) in Pliocene layers and in a quarry deposit near S.Maria di Ciciliano. Both sites proved to be rich in plant remains. While in the latter just wood remains were poorly preserved in the former there were stumps, still in growth position, showing a residual height of about 3 m and 1 m in diameter. Ancient forest records preserved as open air museums give evidence of previous natural stands of most impressive forest growing in the area. Records of Japanese tree, Cryptomeria, have been preserved. At present Cryptomeria grows on rich well-drained soils and summer rainfall. It attains to 25-35 m in height and some samples of well grown trees have a remarkable diameter of the stump. Its timber is reddish, scented and light, in very lasting, rot resistant and easily worked. It is usually employed in building, utensils, furniture. Cryptomeria D.Don has two variety sinensis and japonica: var. sinensis is native to China, var.japonica is native to Japan where it is called Sugi. Investigations on Japanese trees that occur as stands or together with broadleaf trees in the rainy inland mountain region of western Japan have pointed out that there are correlation between tree growth and environmental factors making this taxon useful for dendroclimatology. In 1993 Yakushima island (southern Japan) was inscribed on the World Heritage List: in this heavy-rainy mountain island native Sugi trees attain remarkable sizes and live more than a thousand years.