82 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



brown surface. The leaves are dark green, two or three fifths 

 of an inch long, and obtusely four-sided, with rows of minute 

 silvery, resinous dots in the grooves, above and below ; they end 

 in an abrupt point, and are supported by a minute brown foot- 

 stalk, which runs down along the bark of the stem. They are 

 very closely arranged in spiral lines,* and continue on the tree 

 until, by the growth of the branch, they are one-fourth or one- 

 half an inch asunder, their footstalks dividing the surface into 

 irregular, lozenge-shaped spaces, gradually roughening, until, 

 when the stem or branch is a few inches in diameter, it is cov- 

 ered with small, loose, thin scales. 



The male flowers are in catkins, situated at the base or to- 

 wards the end of the branchlets near the terminal buds. They 

 are half an inch to an inch long, and are formed of a central 

 axis or rachis, from which branch stamens on short footstalks, 

 opening on two sides, and ending in a violet or purple, shield- 

 like, lobed or nearly round disk. 



The fertile flowers are in ovoid, erect catkins made up of 

 scales which are of a pale purple, bordered with rose color. 

 They open in May. 



The mature cones are egg-shaped, pointing downwards, an 

 inch or more in length, with obovate scales, not closely set, 

 waved, notched or toothed, and sometimes divided on the edge. 

 They are of a fine dark brown or purple, until mature, when 

 they become pale brown. They ripen in November, but do 

 not open until the following spring. The buds are short, leafy 

 branches, surrounded by delicate, membranaceous scales. 



The roots penetrate just below the surface and then run hori- 

 zontally in curved lines to eight or ten feet distance. They are 

 covered with a dark red bark, which is scaly on the smaller 

 roots. 



There is a superior variety of the double spruce with red 

 wood, often considered a distinct species, and called red spruce. 

 The color is doubtless owing to some peculiarity produced by 

 soil or exposure, as was confidently stated by Michaux. 



* These are eight, if counted one way, and eleven, if counted another ; the 

 leaves and scales of all the pines being so disposed as to form spirals in two di- 

 rections. 



