118 



THE CONIFEROUS PLANTS OF ITALY. 



is very common on the Carpathians, where it forms a region 

 above that of the Spruce Fir between 4100 and 5600 feet (Wah- 

 lenberg) ; it is also found on the Riesengebirge (Wimmer). 



3. PiNUS Maqellensis. Provisionally. 



In the highest region of Mount Amaro (the loftiest part of 

 the Majella) there is found a shrubby Pine that appears as if it 

 were different from the Alpine Purailio, Like the latter, it has 

 its branches bent down, and lying flat upon the ground, with 

 stiff, slightly curved, serrated leaves ; its cone is spherical, and 

 still smaller than that of Pnmilio; three leaves are moreover 

 often found in the sheath ; and lastly, it differs from the Pu- 

 milio in having the integuments of its leaf-buds very large, 

 membranous, black at the base, and remaining some time after 

 the leaves are developed. I should be inclined to regard it 

 as an Alpine form of Pinus Laricio, or rather as a species that 

 bears the same relation to P. Laricio as P. Pumilio to P. sylves- 

 tris ; for a specimen of Laricio from the region of the Beech on the 

 same mountain (Valle dell' Orfenta), given me by Gussone, has 

 cones smaller than usual and short, stiff, slightly curved leaves, 

 to which we must add that three leaves are occasionally found 

 in the sheath of Laricio ; but as the leaf-bud of the Pine from 

 Mount Amaro is not pencil-shaped, as is that of P. Laricio, but 

 is, on the contrary, very obtuse, we can scarcely refer it to the 

 latter species. I leave it then to further examinations by the 

 botanists of the country to decide if this shrubby Pine is a sepa- 

 rate species, and also if the shrubby Pine from the top of Mount 

 Pollino in Calabria, which I found without cones, belongs to P. 

 Pumilio or to P. Magellensis. Geographical relations would 

 seem in favour of the latter supposition, but the specimens that 

 I collected myself had not long persistent integuments to their 

 buds. The Magellensis is no doubt the tree mentioned as P. 

 Pumilio by Tenore, and as P. Mughus by Gussone. 



P. Magellensis begins to appear on Mount Amaro at the upper 

 limit of the Beech, 5600 feet, and is found nearly as high as the 

 top of the mountain, 8300 feet; it there essentially contributes 

 to form a region of shrubs. The dwarf Pine from Mount Pol- 

 lino extends over a less area between the Serra di Dolcedorme 

 and Mount Pollino, properly so called, at the height of about 

 6200 feet. 



4. Pinus Laricio. Nouveau Duhamcl. 



This species (the Corsican Pine) is very common on Mount 

 Etna, where it forms woods at a height of from 4000 to 6000 

 feet. It also forms forests, according to Tenore, on the moun- 

 tain of Sila in Calabria. Gussone found it on the Majella in the 



