2348 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICKTUM. 



PART III. 



i 10. P. bracteaVa D. Don. The leafy-hracted Silver Fir. 



Syjwnymes. Plnus bracteata Lin. Trans., 17. p. 41.S , Lamb. Pin., 3. ; P. veiiusta Dougl. in Comp. 



to Dot. Mag., 2. p. 152. 

 Engravings. Lamb. Pin., 3. t. 91.: and our Jig. 2256. from Lambert. 

 Spec. Char., S;c. Leaves 2-rowed, linear, mucronate, flat, silvery beneath. Cones ovate. Bracteoles 



3-lobed ; the middle division very long, leaf-like, recurved. {D. Don.) Cones 4 in. long. Bractea 



nearly 2 in. long. Leaves 2 in. long. A large tree, a native of California, discovered by Douglas in 



1832, and about the same period by Dr. Coulter, but not yet introduced. 



Description, SfC. An elongated pyramidal tree. Trunk verystraight and slender, 120 ft. high; scarcely 

 1 ft. in diameter at base ; only the upper third covered with branches. Bark chestnut-brown. Branches 

 verticillate, spreading ; lower ones slightly decumbent Leaves crowded, scattered in insertion ; but 

 2-rowed, linear, mucronate, flat, coriaceous, rigid ; 2 in. to 3 in. long, 1 line broad ; light green, and 

 shining above, marked with a depressed line; silvery beneath, slightly revolute on the margin; 

 midrib and apex callous. Cones on adult branches only, solitary, lateral, almost sessile, erect, ovate 

 turgid ; 4 in. long, and 2 in. in diameter ; with numerous, ovate-oblong, acute, scarious, torn, bright 

 brown, revolute, persistent scales, at the base ; scales kidney-shaped, roundish, concave, stalked, 

 thick, indurated ; pale broivn, incurved on the margin, crenulate, glaucous externally ; stalk sharply 

 keeled above, shorter than the disk. Bracteas wedge-shaped, adpressed, coriaceous, rigid; of the 



225G 



same colour as the scales, but shorter ; adnatc and callous below, 3-lobed at the apex : lobes lateral, 

 very short, roundish, irregularly dentate; middle one recurved, IJ in. long, resembling true leaves 

 in every respect, but only half the breadth. Seeds wedge-shaped, oblong, tetragonal; exterior 

 testa (priminc) greyish brown, disjoined, and open at the interior angle, where the nucleus is 

 exposed, with the apex extended into the unecjually sided, obovatc, ()uite entire, thinly mcmbrana- 

 ccoUK, flat, reticulato<l wing Nucleus includeci in a crustacenus, dark brown, proper testa (secun- 

 dine), crowned at the apex by a very short, membranaceous ragged wing. {Don in Lin. Trans.) 

 This curious and interesting species of fir was discovered by Douglas, in March, 1832, on the high 

 mountains of Colombia. Dr. Coulter found it on the sea side range of Santa Lucia, about 10(K) ft. 

 lower down than /'. Codlteri. The trunk rises to the height of 120 ft. ; is very slender, not exceed, 

 ing 2 ft. in circumference , and as straight as an arrow. The upper third of the tree is clothed with 

 branches, giving it the appearance of aji elongated pyramid. 'J"he branches are spreading : the lower 



