CONIFERS. (pine family.) 441 
coming 2 -ranked, silvery-whitcned underneath, obtuse or notched at 
the apex. (Abies, Pliny, fyc. Plcea, L., Don, Loudon, not of Link.) 
1. A. balsamea, Marsh. (Balsam Fir.) Leaves narrowly 
linear; cones cylindrical, large, violet-colored; the bracts obovate, ser¬ 
rulate, tipped with an abrupt slender point, slightly projecting, ap. 
pressed. — Cold damp woods and swamps, New England to Wiscon¬ 
sin northward. —A slender tree, of little value as timber, when 
young very handsome in cultivation, but short-lived. Leaves 1' or 
less in length, narrower and lighter green' above than those of the 
European Silver Fir; the cones 3'-4' long, V broad, the scales very 
broad and rounded. Also called Canada Balsam, or Balm-of-Gilead 
*,"■ V e Well ‘ kno ' vn balsam is drawn from blisters in the bark of 
tins and the next species. 
2. A. Fraseri, Pureb. (Small-fruited, or Double Bai.sam 
ir.) Leaves narrowly linear; cones small, oblong-ovate; the bracts 
oblong-wedge-shaped, short-pointed, the upper part much projecting 
and reflexed. (A. balsamifera, Mickx. FI.) — Mountains of Penn., and 
common southward on the highest Alleghanies. Also on the moun- 
tains of W. New England—Foliage, &c., not distinguishably differ- 
entfrom the last, except that the leaves are perhaps rather shorter, 
and do not spread so early on the young branches; but the cones 
are very different and scarcely half as large. 
§ 2. Cones hanging, terminal; the bracts evanescent; the scales per- 
sistent on the axis: sterile catkins scattered: anther-cells opening 
lengthwise. (Picea, Link, and of the ancients.) 
* Leaves 2-ranked, flat, whitened underneath . 
3. A. Canadensis, Michx. (Hemlock Spruce.) Leaves 
linear, flat, obtuse (£' long); cones oval, of few scales, little longer 
than the leaves «' long). - Hilly or rocky woods, very common 
northward-A large tree, the most graceful of Spruces, with a light 
spreading spray, and delicate foliage, bright green above, silvery un- 
derneath. Timber very coarse-grained. 
* * Leaves needle-shaped , 4 -angular, equally distributed all around the 
branch. 
4. A. <tll>a, Michx. (White or Single Spruce.) Leaves slen¬ 
der, spreading, of a glaucous or light bluish-green hue ; scales of the 
oblong cones entire. — Cold swamps and moist woods, New England, 
New York, and northward. — Tree 40°-60° high, slender, with 
light-colored bark, slender and often drooping branchlets, and the 
pale leaves slenderer than in the next, rather spreading than erect; 
t f w hole aspect of the tree much lighter than any other Spruce of 
t is group. Cones P—1 long, pale brown. Wood valuable. 
° A. ffligTa, Poir. (Black or Double Spruce.) Leaves short, 
erect, rigid, very dark green ; scales of the ovate cones wavy and tooth- 
