NAT. ORDER. 



ConifercE. 



PINUS BALSAMEA. BALM OF GILEAD FIR. 



Class XXI. MoNCECiA. Order VIII. Monadelphia. 



Gen. Char. Male flower in a catkin. Calyx, none. Corolla, none. 



Starnens numerous, on a small stalk. 

 Female flower in a catkin, or cone of close, rigid, two-lipped, two- 

 flowered scales. Seeds, two to each scale, ringed. 

 Sjje. Cluir. Leaves solitary, flat, imperfectly two-ranked. Cones 

 cylindrical, erect, with sharp-pointed scales. Crest of the an- 

 thers pointless. 



This species of pine forms a very beautiful tree, varying in 

 height from thirty to fifty feet ; the trunk, which measures from 

 twelve to fifteen inches in diameter, is straight, and covered with a 

 smooth, whitish gray bark ; the leaves are very fragrant, disposed 

 on either side of the branches, like the teeth of a comb ; they are 

 solitary, flat, linear, short, not exceeding eight lines in length, and 

 pointed ; of a bright green on their upper surface, paler beneath, 

 and marked with whitish lines ; the male catkins are ovate ; the 

 crest of the anthers kidney-shaped, pointless, or furnished with 

 short spines, V:)ut never bifid ; the females \vith numerous ovate, 

 notched, pointed bracteas ; the cones, which stand erect ujion the 

 branches, are large, nearly cylindrical, and when full grown, of a 

 beautiful, deep, glossy, purple color, inclining to black, and exu- 

 ding a great quantity of transparent resin, which gives them a 

 very beautiful appearance. Figure a represents a female catkin ; 

 h a male caBvin ; c scales of a catkin ; d its bracteolas ; e the an- 

 thers ; f scale of a cone. 



Vol. ii.— 39 



