PICEA 103 



P. excelsa, var. conica, Carr. (" Conif.," 2nd ed., 332). 

 Syn.: var. stricta, Gord. (" Pinetum," Sup. 5) 

 (not Hort). 



Buds. — J to J inch; light brown. 



Branches and Branchlets. — Ascending at a narrow 

 angle. Branchlets thin and very crowded; annual growth 

 1 J to 2 J inches; white-brown to darker. 



Leaves. — Radial, thickly and evenly set all around the 

 branchlets and set almost at right angles; small, J to 

 J inch. Soft, thin, slightly curved, widest at lower third, 

 tapering to abrupt point; Ught bright green. 



A compact conical shrub, of fairly vigorous growth. 

 There are fine specimens of this and the following variety 

 in the Rock Garden at Curragh Grange, Co. Kildare. The 

 specimen of this variety is now 5 feet high and about the 

 same in diameter. 



P. excelsa, var. elegans, Hort. 



Syn. : var. conica elegans. 

 Very similar to var. conica, but rather stronger- growing ; 

 branches not ascending at quite so narrow an angle, and 

 their tips inclined to " dip " ; foliage slightly stouter, 

 but probably not quite so radially arranged, but the whole 

 effect is lighter — a more graceful and elegant shrub than 

 var. conica, and lacking somewhat of its severity of out- 

 line. The specimen at Curragh Grange is 3 feet 6 inches 

 by 2 feet in diameter. 



P. excelsa, var. Maxwelli of Maxwell (not Beiss. or Hort). 



Buds. — Stout, ovoid, but rather stumpy, dark brown 

 with lighter centres; bud scales appressed; tips rounded. 



Branches. — Short and stiff. 



Branchlets. — Annual growth | to 1 inch; mostly ascend- 

 ing; short and thick; white or yellow-brown. 



Leaves. — i to J inch. On upright branchlets — radial and 

 pointing out and slightly forward; set rather far apart. 



