SKETCH OF THE CONIFERS OP JAPAN. 4:il 



a long mucro ; that of P, Fortimi is more lanceolate, or 

 apiculate. The base of the leaf in A. Jezoensis is not twisted, 

 the projecting pulvini being twisted instead, while the base of 

 the leaf in P. Fortuni is more or less twisted, according to its 

 position on the branchlet. The cone of ^. Jezoensis grows from 

 the sides of the branchlet, and a glance at the way in which the 

 nascent cone is represented as growing in Siebold's and Zucca- 

 rini's figure, shows that it could never by any possibility become an 

 erect cone, while, as we have seen, the cones of P* Fortuni grow 

 erect. Siebold's figure of the scales of A, Jezoensis shows that the 

 position of the apex of the wing of the seed, where it rests upon 

 the scale, does not reach more than two-thirds up the scale in the 

 immature state, while in the mature state of P. Fortuni the apex 

 of the wing reaches quite up to the edge of the scale ; and as the 

 development of the scale and seeds in cones goes on in pretty 

 much the same I'elative proportion in both, it may be assumed 

 that the apex of the wing in A, Jezoensis would not have 

 reached the margin of the scale, even when mature. The 

 immature cone figured by Siebold is that of a spruce, not of a 

 silver fir. The form of the wing of the seed also is different in 

 each. Any one of the differences above cited would appear fatal 

 to the idea of the two trees being the same species ; combined, 

 they are irresistible.* 



The tree found by Fortune, therefore, must be erased from 

 the list of Japanese plants, but as it may be desirable for the 

 salve of future comparison to have as complete a description as 

 our materials afford, Ave give the following specific description. 



PiCE.V FoETUxr. 



Ahies Jezoensis J Paxton's Flower Garden (May, 1850) p. 43. 



>j t) 



>j jj 



>» M 



V t9 



JI M 



Lindley, in Gardeners' Chronicle (1850), 311. 

 Flore des Serres, vol. vii., 223. 

 Flore des Serres, vol. xi.^ 7. 

 Carriere, Trait. Gen. Conif. (1855). 

 Gordon, Pinetum, 17, (1858). 



* Picea foliis apiculatis acutis Crmis nitidis et supra et subtus, 



* The reader will naturally wish to kiiow what is Dr. Lindley's own 

 opinion upon the point in question. He i^ satisfied that the diacrepancy 

 between Siebold' s different figurea of the parta oi A. Jezoensis, t^^y^ ell tis 

 between his figures and his descriptions, are irreconcileable ; but he inclines 

 to think that theae are rather due to his having mixed up two species 

 together than to his figures being incorrect. The pulvini, he says, most 

 certainly do not correspond with his A. Jezoensisy but he is of opinion that 

 the coloured figures of branchefi aad leaves (natural size) belong to it. 



VOL. ir. ^^ 



