34 Report of the State Botanist. 



of the cone scales incurved in such a way as to give to each 

 scale a globular shape and to expose to view the bracts of the 

 cone. The cone itself presented an appearance which might be 

 compared to a mulberr}' or blackberry with very large drupelets. 

 Other trees standing near had cones on ihem of the usual form. 

 There was no appearance of injury to the cones by insects 

 nor by any other agencies. While this may not be a permanent 

 variety, perhaps a mere sport only, for the sake of convenience I 

 designate it as variety incurva. 



Picea alba Lk. 



The white spruce is much less frequent in the Adirondack 

 region than the black spruce. I have observed it in Essex county 

 only. It is a handsome tree though generally of small size, 

 branching nearly or quite to the base, and consequently not of 

 much value for timber. There is, however, a large tree on the 

 northern slope of Raven hill, standing near the road between 

 Elizabethtown and Wadhams Mills. It is about two feet in 

 diameter at the base but its branches extend nearly to the 

 ground. The resemblance between the white spruce and some 

 forms of the black spruce is so close that it is not always easy 

 for an unskilled person to separate them. The descriptions of 

 these trees, as given in the Manual, indicate but a part of their 

 distinctive features, and the characters there ascribed to the 

 edges of the cone scales do not in all cases hold good. Having 

 compared these trees at flowering time the following characters 

 seem to me to be the most available ones for distinguishing 

 them. 



White Spruce. 



Young branchlets glabrous. Leaves 

 six to eight lines long. Cones oblong 

 or cylindrical, deciduous before next 

 flowering time. Sterile aments pale, 

 supported on slender whitish pedicels 

 exserted from the basal cup of scales. 

 Fertile aments eight to ten lines long. 

 Young leaves visible at flowering time. 



Black Spruce. 



Young branchlets pubescent. Leaves 

 four to seven lines long. Cones ovate 

 or oblong, still on the tree at next 

 flowering time. Sterile aments tinged 

 with red, sessile in the basal cup of 

 scales. Fertile aments five to six lines 

 long. Young leaves not yet visible at 

 flowering time. 



These trees are in flower at the same time in the same locality. 

 They were in bloom the past season in the vicinity of Elizabeth- 

 town the last week in May. 



