BOTANICAL GAZETTE. ;J3 



smooth. Rarely a tree is cone-bcarino; upon everj' brand). The cones vary in color, 

 size and shape, but are always siuull compared with those of A. Menziesii. Almost 

 every tree bears a ditlerent variety of cone ; sometimes they are not one inch long, some- 

 times purple, sometimes light colored. They may have the tips of the scales appressed 

 or spreading, and are often oval in shape; often cigar-shaped, and forms connecting the 

 extremes of llieir variation are abundant. The scales of the cones open wider than 

 those of A. Menzieni, and the seed at the same altitude falls ;i week earlier, beginning 

 before Sept. loth. Young trees ripen their fruit first, which is true of all our species of 

 Abies. On the tree, the scales open first at the lips ol the cone, in heaps at the base. In 

 heaps they give up their seed very much more readily than A. Mcuzu'sii. The average 

 yield of seed to a tree is one-quarter of a i)ound. The difl'erence between this species 

 and A. Menziesii in the rigidity of the leaves growing with the cones is pleasantlj' no- 

 ticeable to one picking the cones. The leaves in all species of Colorado Abie.H are per- 

 sistent 12 and 18 years. Tliis species forms buds along the annual growths, so that the 

 young trees do not huve the regularity of growth of ^1. Menziesii. It is always readily 

 distinguished from the latter by its smooth scaly bark. 



Abies Menziesii, Lindl., is not i)lenty in the Saugre de Cristo. It grows along the 

 streams and in damp localities up to its liightst altitude — 10,000 feet. The brauchlets 

 are smooth and shining, but .sometimes show a decided tendenc}^ to pubescence. The 

 horizontal limbs of old trees are crowded with small drooping branches, which so well 

 mark a grove of these trees that they can be distinguished many miles distant. The 

 scales of the green cones are free at their tips; the cone is long conical-shaped. Young 



trees begin to ripen their seed Sept. 15th. The average yield of seed is one-half i)ound 

 to a tree. 



Abies subalpina, Engelm., (^4. gvandis ot the Colorado botanists, not of Douglass. 



A. lasioairpa, Hook. FlorV) This conifer comes down to below 10,000 feet altitude, but 



is most common at high elevations. The trees are small and slender, never erpialing 



tho.se of the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The cones are few, always dark 



purple in color, and fall to pieces before October 1st. There are two varieties: one 



bearing many short leaves, the other bearing fewer long spreading leaves. Growing 



with A. conrolor, it is readily distinguished by its smoother, white bark, its shorter less 



falcate leaves and more slender form of growth. The wood is soft and the heart wood 

 slightly darker. 



Abies cnn.color, Lindl., grows upon ridges, sIojjcs, rocks and along the creeks up to 

 11,000 feet altitude. Tlie main trunk of the tree often is divided and liranclied near the 

 top. Old trees have a very lough, ridged bark. At higher elevations tlie bark becomes 

 smoother, but can not be mistaken for that of A. siibalpina. It bears many cones and is 

 often cone-bearing to the middle of the tree. The cones are of two colors: about half 

 the trees bearing apple-green cones and the others cones of a dark purple coh)r. There 

 are two varieties as to leaves, but not associated with any one color of cone: one variety 

 with the leaves short, crowded, turning upward, the other with long, sjireading leaves 

 corresponding to the two varieties of J,, subdlpimi. The yield of seed is about one 

 pound to a tree. The cones begin to break up September 20th. 



A. BuiujUisii, Lindl., grows upon the ridges as higli as 11,000 feet. Out of one 

 hundred trees cliopped, ninety-eight fell toward the east. (.)ne very small one was 

 pushed westward l)y main sti'ength, and the other had such a crooked trunk that it 

 could not possibly fall eastward. The cones are nearly all borne ui)on the east side of 

 the tree. Trees that are in fruit tliis year wei'e also in fruit last year, which was not 

 generally the case with the other species of Abies. The cones begin to open September 

 25th; large trees bear about one-twelftli of a pound of seed. Half of the cones are 

 stung by insects. 



JnnijyrnH communis, L., var. alpina, L., is ])lenty at all .dtiludcs and is full of fruit. 

 — T. S. BuANDEOiOK, (Junon Ci/t/, C'ldorndo. 



