198 THE FLORA OF THE ALPS 
deciduous; mountain woods; Southern Switzerland, 
Lombardy, Bavaria, Dauphiny. 
4. ABIES, DC. 
Resembling Pzzus,; but the leaves solitary; always 
evergreen. 
A. excelsa, Poir. (Pinus Abies, L.), Spruce Fir; leaves 
numerous, somewhat 4-edged, cone cylindrical, pendant, 
scales denticulate; mountain woods, frequent. A. pectz- 
nata, DC. (Pznus Picea, L.), Silver Fir; leaves pectinate, 
silvery-white beneath, cones erect, with blunt adpressed 
scales ; mountain woods, frequent. 
Order CIII.—GNETACE. 
Flowers unisexual, moncecious or dicecious; male 
flowers with a tubular membranous perianth; otherwise 
resembling Conzfere. A very small order, chiefly of 
Tropical plants ; no alpine species. 
I. EPHEDRA, L. 
Dicecious; stems slender, jointed; leaves very small, 
scale-like, in whorls at the joints. 
E. helvetica, Mey. (dtstachya, L., vulgaris, Rich.); 
stem 1-2 feet, female catkins appearing, when ripe, like 
red berries ; rocky places; Valais, Dauphiny, very local, 
but often abundant (Sion). 
