348 



SKETCH OF THE CONIFERS OF JAPAN". 



A fine tree, growing from 120 to 140 feet liigh. The branchlets 

 rougli (fig. 53), with the scars (phylhilse) of the fallen leaves round 

 and concave (fig. 54) ; the bases of the scars (pulvini) rhomboidal 

 and decurreut, the upper sides of the rhomboid not meeting, but 

 falling within the lower sides of the rhomboid, the scars standing 

 nearly in the middle of the bases; the bark of the youngest 

 branchlets reddish, of the older ones greyish. The buds short, sub- 

 globose, obtuse, slightly covered with resin, surrounded by scales, 

 which are few, reddish-brown, rounded, with the edges thin and 

 fringed or lacerated, sub torn entose, and with a midrib which pro- 

 jects as a tooth beyond the margin, at least in the basal or external 

 scales (fig. 55) ; in those less developed the tooth does not yet pro- 

 ject ; two lateral marginal ribs run along each side of the base. 

 The leaves (fig, 56) are closely approximated, sessile, firm in 

 texture, varying in length from 6 to 13 lines, and about three- 



Fig. 55 



Fig. ,^0. 



Fig. 57. 



quarters of a line broad, spirally arranged on the branchlets, 

 flat linear, with a groove in the middle of the upper face^ 

 and a thickened mid-rib and thickened lateral margins on the 

 under side, particularly towards the top, which is obtuse. 

 The upper side is smooth, glaucous, and without stomata. The 

 lower side is silvery, with about seven rows of stomata (occasionally 

 interrupted) on each side of the midrib (fig. 57); the side leaves are 

 twisted at their base. The inflorescence has not been observed. 

 The cones (fig. 59) are blackish-brown, rather narrow, straight, sub- 

 cylindrical, from 21 to 9| inches in length, nearly rectangular at 

 the base, and obtusely rounded at the apex, and nearly an inch in 

 diameter. They grow erect near the axillae of the branchlets, on 

 a very short stalk. The scales are disposed horizontally, so much 

 so that the usual spiral arrangement is somewhat difficult to trace. 

 They are dull and downy, like all the Piceas, broader than long] 

 semilunate, with a stalk about half its length, with bracts of the 

 same length as the scale, and only observable peeping out here 



