42 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 



I 



This is the common Silver Fir of western and especially of south-western Sze- 

 ch'uan and has a greater altitudinal and latitudinal range than any other Chinese 

 Fir-tree. One of the handsomest of the family, it grows to a large size and the old 

 trees have massive branches. It is characterized by its red-brown, usually glabrous 

 and shining shoots, its dark violet-black, oblong-ovoid to oblong-cylindric cones 

 which are larger than in any other Chinese species, and by its rather slender leaves 

 revolute on the margins with lateral sub-epidermal resin-ducts. In cross-section 

 the leaves are acute at the margins, where is found several layers of sclerotic cells; 

 the hypoderm consists of a single uniform layer of cells. In ripe cones the apex 

 of the bract is usually slightly exserted, and the caudate cuspis varies from 3 to 6 

 mm. in length and may be erect or recurved. 



The cone is scarcely if at all resinous, very symmetrical, always slightly widest 

 at the base and but very little narrowed upwards, from 7 to H cm. long, and from 

 3.5 to 5.5 cm. wide, the average being 8 or 9 cm. long and 4 cm. wide. 



Our specimens agree very well with Franchet's description except that the 

 cones on the average are larger and the cuspis to the bract rather shorter. In 

 No. 4082, the weak lateral shoots are sparsely villose; in No. 4049 the cones are 

 relatively small (7 cm. long, 3.5 cm. wide) and the weak lateral shoots sparsely 

 villose. In all the leaves we have examined the resin-ducts are lateral and sub- 

 epidermal and occasionally we find that they are wanting. 



The cones figured by Masters under the names of A. Delavayi and A. 

 Fargesii are drawn as if they were widest above the middle, which is never the 

 case. The other slight difference shown in these figures can usually be found in 

 any one cone or branch. 



Through the courtesy of the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, we are in 

 possession of a fragment of the type specimen of Keteleeria Fabri Masters, and 

 are able to identify it as Ahies Delavayi. The channelled upper surface of the leaf 

 at once removes it from the genus Keteleeria in which the leaves of all the species 

 have the midrib slightly raised on the upper surface, never depressed. The revolute 

 margins and other details of the leaf, and Master^s original description of young 

 cones agree exactly with A. Delavayi. 



This Silver Fir is abundant on Mount Omei, the type locality of Keteleeria 

 Fabri Masters. We have searched this mountain in vain for a species of Kete- 

 leeria other than K. Davidiana Beissner, which occurs sparingly in one or two 

 places on the lower slopes and the fragment of the type shows that we were justi- 

 fied in doubting that any other Keteleeria existed in that region. 



Abies Delavayi forms very extensive forests in the more inaccessible parts of 

 south-western Szech*uan. Colloquially it is known as the Lien-sha, this name 

 meaning Cold Fir, in allusion to the fact that the tree grows in cold regions. 

 The timber though soft and not very durable is valued on account of the large 

 size of the logs which it yields. These logs are rafted down the Ya River to 

 Kiating Fu in quantity every year. The wood is white and is used as planking 

 and for beams, etc., in house-building and general indoor work. 



Pictures of this tree and of the cones will be found under Nos. 206, 207, 328, 

 329, 331, 333, 334, 0346, of the collection of Wilson's photographs and also in his 

 Vegetation of Western China, Nos, 94^100. 



Abies Faxoniana Rehder & Wilson, n. sp. 



Arbor 20-40-metralis, trunco 0.6-1.5 m. diam.; cortex arborum 

 vetustionim obscure griseus, subtus fuscus, fissus; rami horizontales; 



plerumque satis dense et breviter ferrugineo- 



terminales 



