108 DWABF AND SLOW-GEOWINQ CONIFERS 



P. excelsa, var. echinaeformis, Beiss. (i. 344). 



Buds. — Small, cyKndrical, with round apex; pale brown 

 with outer scales dark brown; non- resinous. 



Branchlets. — Annual growth 1 inch to Ij inches; 

 crowded; glabrous; pale brown; shghtly ascending. 



Leaves. — About | inch, few and radial; at right angles or 

 pointing sUghtly forward, and set far apart. Uniform, 

 round, and reed- like. Thin and stiff ; about } inch ; tapering 

 to narrow stiff point; pale yellow-green; about three 

 stomatic hues on each side. 



A very dwarf, slow- growing, absolutely distinct form; 

 it has made with me a low humped rather flat-topped 

 cushion 9 by 2 1 inches ; its shape and rather long prickly 

 leaves cause it to resemble a hedgehog. 



P. excelsa, var. hystrix. 



Syn. : var. echinceformis, Hort aUq. (not Kew or 

 Beiss.). 



Buds. — Minute, globose ; dark brown with lighter centres. 



Branchlets. — Short and rather stout, but flexible; light 

 brown; annual growth i to | inch; pulvini exceptionally 

 strongly marked. 



Leaves. — Arranged radially, and very crowded and 

 overlapping, almost completely covering the branchlets, 

 on which, owing to the open growth of the plant, they 

 are retained for several seasons. The leaves point forward, 

 their bases and lower third being almost appressed to the 

 branchlet. They then gradually curve out, their tips 

 being at an angle of about 45 degrees to the branchlet. 

 Leaves thin but stiff, sharply four-sided, their outer side 

 being marked with an unusually deep keel, tapering 

 gradually to a long and very sharp point; about two to 

 three stomatic Hues on each side. 



The above description refers to a small, slow-growing 

 plant of open and rather straggly growth, that I received 

 under the name of var. echinceformis from Germany; it is 

 extremely slow in growth, and the manner in which the 



