96 DWARF AND SLOW-GBOWING CONIFERS 



upper third; apex is blunt and abrupt. Leaves slightly 

 incurved, almost spatulate; about three stomatic lines 

 on two sides, and five to six on others; rather glaucous 

 yellow- green. 



This remarkable form I found growing as a " witches'- 

 broom," on a common spruce in this county. It was 

 a flattish pie-crust-hke growth on the side of an old 

 branch, and evidently of considerable age. As it has only 

 recently been propagated, it is too early to note whether 

 its absolutely divergent habit will be maintained. On 

 the original growth the whole surface is dotted with the 

 curious secondary branchlets described above. 



P. excelsa, var. Gregoriana. 



Syn. : Abies excelsa Gregoriana, Gord. ("Pinetum"), 

 ii. 9. 



Buds. — Minute, globose or ovoid; outer scales dark 

 brown, those on top much Ughter; terminal buds usually 

 surrounded by a ring of dark brown scales with very long 

 points. 



Branches. — Short, crowded, and spreading. 



Branchlets. — Very crowded, mostly pointing forward 

 at a narrow angle; very thin and fine; annual growth 

 J to J inch ; white or grey- brown, with shght erect scattered 

 pubescence mostly in the grooves between the pulvini; 

 branchlets shghtly drooping. 



Leaves. — Narrow, round, needle-shaped, J to J inch, 

 uniform in width, abruptly tapering, arranged radially on 

 ALL the branchlets, irregular in direction, mostly pointing 

 shghtly forward, but some at right angles. On some very 

 small branchlets the leaves are borne in tufts similar to 

 those of a larch. Colour, pale grey- green, two to three 

 stomatic fines on each side. 



A very dwarf form, rarely exceeding 2 feet in height, 

 making usually a low humped or conical bush. Raised in 

 the Cirencester Nurseries, England, about 1860. 



Possibly no other variety of P. excelsa is more often 



