﻿Trees of New York State 



PINACEAE 



Picca niariaiia (]\[ill.) B. S. and V. [Picca iiigra (Ait.) Link.] 



Black Spruce 



Habit — I'sually a small tree 10-30 feet in height with a trunk 'lianietor of 

 4-12 inches, occasionally at its optimum range reaching a height of 100 

 feet. An extremely yariable forni. Cro\vn narrowly pyramidal, irregular 

 and open, in exposed trees often extending to the ground. Branches short, 

 declined but curving upward at the ends, the basal ones frequently taking 

 root and sending up shoots (layering). 



Leaves — -Borne on sterigmata. in close spirals, standing out from all sides 

 of the branches, awl-shaped, 4-sided, blunt at the apt=A, straight or slightly 

 curved, bluish green, ^/4-% of an inch long, falling gradually after 7-10 

 years. 



Flowers — Appearing in May and early June, monoecious, borne in cones. 

 Staminate cones terminal or subtenninal, almost sessile, about Vs of 

 an inch long, cylindrical to subglobose, dark red at maturity. Ovulate 

 cones terminal or subterminal, on different branches, oblong-cylindrical 

 about Vis of an inch long, purple at pollination. 



Fruit — ^ An ovate, purplish brovni cone, %-lV2 inches in length, borne on 

 short incurved peduncles, strongly reflexed, attaining full size early in 

 the sunmier, turning grayisli brown and opening gradually in the autumn 

 but remaining on the trees many years. Cone-scales rounded, dull giay- 

 ish brown, with erose margins. Seeds dark brown, winged, about % of 

 an inidi long. 



Winter characters — Branchlets at first light or yellowdsh brown and cov- 

 ered wath short rusty hairs, during the second year becoming dark brown 

 glabrous, and scaly. Buds Vs-\i of an inch long, ovate, acute, puberu- 

 leut, light reddish brow^l, mth closely appressed scales. Mature bark 

 grayish brown, thin, flaky, with appressed scales. 



Habitat — Tyjiically found in sx)hagiium bogs and cold, springy swamps, more 

 rarely on drier, better-drained uplands and rocky slopes. In company 

 Avith Tamarack, extending northward to the limit of tree growth wliere 

 specimens two or three feet in height arc found bearing cones. 



Range — A transcontinental species extending from Labrador to Alaska, 

 south through. XoAv England and New York to Pennsylvania, northern 

 Virginia, Micdiigan, Wisconsin and central Minnesota. Zones C, D, and K. 



Uses — Earely sawed into timber in the state because of its small stature. 

 Wood light, soft, weak, pale yelloAvish white vn.t\i thin sapwood. Used 

 largely in the manufacture of chemical pulp. Varieties of the Black 

 Spruce (as tlie Hudson Bay form) arc used oiiiamentally. Often cut for 

 Christmas trees. 



