IP s t e I s i a 169 



lock and white cedar are also sometimes 

 similarly dwarfed, but less frequently and less 

 perfectly than the spruce. 



This spruce is readily distinguished from the 

 other forest trees of the region by its bark, its 

 foliage and its cones. The moderately thin bark 

 varies from grey-brown to bright red-brown in 

 color. That of young trees is moderately 

 smooth, reddish-brown, and sometimes shows 

 resin vesicles like those of balsam firs. The sur- 

 face of the bark becomes cracked in older trees 

 and drops ofT in the form of scales which leave 

 shallow, concave scars. The bark does not be- 

 come deeply furrowed nor shredded. The lead- 

 ing shoot of a young tideland spruce is very 

 stiffly erect and fast growing. The twigs of the 

 lateral branches are usually somewhat drooping. 

 The leaves may be somewhat two-ranked, or 

 may project ecjually in all directions about the 

 stem. They are generally slightly twisted so as 

 to bring the dark green lower side upwards to- 

 wards the light. The leaves differ greatly in 

 form and size even on the same tree, being some- 

 times narrow and sharply acuminate and some- 



