ON THE SYNONYMY OF VARIOUS CONIFERS. 143 
achievements to be doubted, a spirited polemic took place between 
Athens and Munich, the result of which was that the opinion prevalent 
amongst Greek botanists was thought to be correct, and as the materials 
for framing good specific characters for this new Fir were insufficient, 
the Greek Government dispatched two expeditions to Arcadia, the last 
of which returned in June 1860; bringing numerous specimens and 
several photographs of the tree. 
“ The first notice of this Fir was obtained in 1856, by M. Schmidt, 
curator of the Royal Gardens at Athens, who received соһез from 
Arcadia, which he thought different from those of the common Grecian 
Apollo Fir (Abies Apollinis——Link) Не forwarded sothe of the seed 
to M. Haage, at Erfurt, in whose Catalogue they were mentioned ав 
Pinus Peloponnesiaeu, a name since changed by Heldreich for that of 
Abies Regine Атай, a compliment to the Queen of Greece, who is inde- 
fatigable in causing parks, gardens, and plantations to be established, 
not only in her capital, but in all parts of the Hellenic kingdom. 
Sehmidt had never seen the tree, nor was he aware of its peculiarities 
until Messrs. Balsamaki and Origoni, inspectors of the royal forests, 
reached Khrysovitsi, a village one and a half league from Tripolitza, in 
Central Arcadia, where, about 1500 feet above the sea, a whole forest 
was encountered, extending from Khrysovitsi, in а horth-westerly diret: 
tion, towards Alonistena and Magouliana, covering Mount Rhondia and 
the adjacent valleys, and thus having an extent of about three leagues 
long, and one to one and a-half league broad. Опе of the reasons why 
a forest of such dimensions remained unknown is said to be owing to 
the eireumstance that the very loeality it oceupies was, until recently, a 
nest of notorious robbers, and carefully avoided, not only by isolated 
botanical travellers, but also the Great French Expedition, during the 
years 1828, 1829, and 1830. One of the spots in this forest is to this 
day known аз Isaltü Elato une н Isaltà having been а bold 
robber chief, the Fra Diavolo of the district. 075 : 
“ It appears that the country people are in the habit of cutting aet 
the Pine for various economie purposes, when the stump immediately 
throws out several new stems. nr Г 
“ This is not the case with the Abies Apollinis, a fact, according to 
M. Bayer, well known to the country people, who, on that account, 
term Abies Regine Amalie * Hemeron Elaton ' (i. e., tame Pine), in 
contradistinction to the Pinus Apollinis, which they call ‘ Agrion 
Elaton ’ (wild Pine). When left undisturbed, and when growing in 
favourable localities, Abies Regine Amalia attains fifty-five feet in 
height, and two to three feet in diameter. They are of very m 
Size, some assuming greater dimensions at the expense of ae 0 i 
There are usually three or four stems on old stumps originally aroun: 
its summit." ' dE 
“We are still,” says Dr. Seeman, “ without a send, Log ait 
description of this Abies ; but it is said to differ chiefly from a 2 
linis, independent of its peculiarity of habit, in having yah хай Mr 
eaves, less crowded together, and much — E de 
eones, scarcely ever measuring more than five to six age 
