Jan. 1899.] BOTAXICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 151 



but for practical purposes the pines might be divided into 

 three sections — Pinaster, Ta^da, and Cembra, according as 

 they have two, three, or five needles on one branch of 

 limited growth. In this classification Finns Laricio might 

 belong to the sections Pinaster or Ta^da equally well, since 

 it is a common thing to find two or three needles in one 

 sheath on the same individual. Beissner's classification, 

 however, obviates this difficulty, and owing to the structure 

 of the cone, which has no strong protruding spur such as 

 is found in the section Tivda, the black pine takes its place 

 in section Pinaster. 



Like other pines, this species occurs in several different 

 forms, distinguished by the leaves or habit of growth, 

 such as — (1) Piiius Laricio Austriaca, the black Austrian 

 pine, whose needles are long and coarse with yellow tips ; 

 (2) Finns Laricio Foirctiana, the Corsican black pine, with 

 needles like the former, but twisted in young plants ; (3) 

 Finns Laricio Fallasiana, needles long, coarse, and stiff; 

 the periderm of young shoots is yellowish, while it is 

 grey-brown in Austriaca, and light brown in Foirctiana ; 

 (4) Finns Laricio Monsveliensis, of Southern France, 

 has softer and more delicate needles of a lighter 

 green, with very distinctly serrulate margins, and the 

 periderm of young shoots is reddish yellow. In all these 

 we may get growth forms, as — the drooping form, Fendula; 

 the dwarf forms, Fygmea, Monstrosa, and Bvjoti ; and 

 lastly, the serpent form, Virgata. In a young mixed 

 plantation, consisting of larch, spruce, and pine, I found a 

 black pine, the age of which I estimated to be twelve years. 

 It had a diameter of three and a half inches, and a height 

 of eleven feet. For the last two years it had produced no 

 whorl branches, and the apex was occupied by an unusually 

 large single bud, which was fully an inch long and half an 

 inch broad. About three inches below this bud was a ring 

 of undeveloped buds, five in number, alternating with four 

 side shoots averaging about six inches in length. Farther 

 down, about eighteen inches below the apex, was one side 

 shoot eight inches long. This shoot was undoubtedly 

 developed from a branch of limited growth, since the 

 needles were still adhering to its base. The origin of the 

 ring of buds farther up is more obscure. 



