bring home perfect seeds: it was left for Mr. William Lobb, 
Messrs. Veitch’s indefatigable American collector, to succeed in 
this; and numerous living plants, and the noble specimen here 
figured, are part of the results of his mission. 
Mr. Lobb must speak for himself respecting all perhaps that 
is known of this noble tree on its native mountains. “ This beau- 
tiful and singular tree forms here” (he writes from the Californian 
forests) “the most conspicuous ornament of the arborescent vege- 
tation. On the western slopes, towards the sea, it occupies the 
deep ravines, and attains the height of 120 to 150 feet, and from 
one to two feet in diameter: the trunk is,as straight as an arrow; 
the lower branches decumbent ; the branches above are numerous, 
short, and thickly set, forming a long tapering pyramid or spire, 
which gives to the tree that peculiar appearance, which is not 
seen in any other kinds of the Pinus tribe. When standing far 
apart, and clear from the surrounding trees, the lower branches 
frequently reach the ground, and not a portion of the trunk ts 
seen from the base to the top. 
“ Along the summit of the central ridges and about the highest 
peaks, in the most exposed and coldest places imaginable, where 
no other Pine makes its appearance, it stands the severity of the 
climate without the slightest perceptible injury, growing in slaty 
rubbish, which to all appearance is incapable of supporting vege- 
tation. In such situations it becomes stunted and bushy; but 
even there the foliage maintains the same beautiful dark-green 
colour, and when seen at a distance it appears more like a hand- 
somely-grown Cedar than a Pine. No doubt it is one of the 
hardiest trees of the Californian vegetation, and is equally well 
adapted for clothing the mountain-tops as the sheltered valley. 
“The cones, too, are quite as singular as the growth of the 
tree is beautiful; when fully developed, the scales, as well as the 
long leaf-like bracts, are covered with globules of thin transparent 
resin, presenting to the eye a curious and striking object. Douglas 
was mistaken in saying that this Fir does not occur below 6000 
feet of elevation ; on the contrary, it is found as low as 3000 
feet, where it meets Zawodium sempervirens*.”—Perhaps the 1n- 
troduction of no Conifera, not even that of the Deodar, has ex- 
cited a more lively interest in horticulture and arboriculture 
than that of the present species, with its porcupine-like fruits. 
Descr. The general habit of the full-grown tree has been al- 
ready noticed. Branches spreading or decumbent. Leaves in- 
serted indeed on all sides, but more or less spreading in a disti- 
chous manner, about two inches long, rigid, linear, acute, sessile, 
often curved, dark green and with a depressed line above, white 
and silvery beneath : young leaf-buds are ovate, and clothed with 
* Extracted from ‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle,’ July 9, 1853, p. 4865027 | 
