PICEA 99 



Mr. Dunbar informs me that it is very irregular in growth, 

 some of its branches protruding from the sides of the bush. 

 It is a curious form upon which I cannot at present give a 

 decided opinion. It is probable that these four forms 

 were propagated from four different " mother plants." 



P. excelsa, var. humilis, Beiss. (i, 364). 



Buds. — Minute, globose, flattened apex, Hght brown, 

 surrounded by a ring of darker brown outer scales. 

 Terminal buds in ones or twos. 



Branches. — Crowded and spreading. 



Branchlets. — Minute, densely crowded and ascending; 

 shining white; very fine; annual growth i to J inch. 



Leaves. — Radial, very small — J to | inch; dark glaucous 

 bright green, some slightly twisted, others sHghtly 

 recurved; aU pointing forward and out, uniform, round 

 rather than flat, barely tapering from lower third to apex; 

 two to three stomatic lines on each side. 



Not unhke var. Gregoriana, only still smaller; and leaves 

 dark green, forming a thick cushion, very slow- growing. 

 An old plant at Kew has formed a round close cushion 

 2 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 6 inches. 



P. excelsa, var. pygmaea, Carr. (" Conif .," 1st ed., 250, 

 1855). 



Syn.: Abies excelsa pygyncea, Loud. 

 A. parvula, Knight. 

 A. miniata, Hort. 

 A. nana in Hort. Soc.'s Gardens. 

 A. elegans of Smith's Nursery ex Loud. 

 (2295; 1837). 

 Buds. — Very small, conical, obtuse, dark brown. 

 Terminal buds borne singly or in crowded groups. 



Branches and Branchlets . — Mostly very small, dense and 

 irregular. Occasional larger branches and branchlets 

 protrude bearing proportionately larger buds and leaves. 

 Branchlets, annual growth J to J inch, glabrous shining 

 white, mostly ascending. 



