A. VEITCHII AND AMABILIS 91 



A. Veitchii. — A high-altitude variety, and the 

 smallest of Japanese Silver Firs. Among Conifer 

 collectors this tree seems to have attracted a good deal 

 of attention of late. Its iridescent vivid white beneath 

 the leaves, which at Kew seems to have been dulled 

 by town atmosphere, makes it a general favourite. 

 Unlike the A. Mariesii it has not escaped the attention 

 of many patrons, and it takes its life among us with 

 vitalised zest. Its characteristics are its smooth 

 bark and twigs, with scattered pubescence. On the 

 branchlets, with the pubescence upon them, the 

 colour of the shoots appears to be of perhaps a darker 

 tint than they reall}^ are, and the little white dots on 

 the twigs when the leaf is pulled off show out in great 

 contrast to the dark-looking background, like ivory 

 specks inset on ebony. Its soft leaves, pointing 

 forward but more upright than those of the A. 

 Nordmanniana, end in a square-shaped truncate 

 apex. 



A. Amabilis. — We have kept our reference to the 

 Amabilis to the last mentioned of Group III, since, 

 and quite wrongly, it always seems to have been 

 sailing in company with, and under the same flag 

 as, the two representatives of Group IV, A. Nobilis 

 and A. Magnifica. 



Sometimes the Amabilis has been sent out under 

 false names and the trees have turned out to be 

 Nobilis or Magnifica, to which perhaps it may bear 

 a superficial similitude. Any doubt can soon be put 

 to rest by an examination of the position of the 

 median leaves. 



In the Amabilis the leaves rise up direct from the 

 stem. 



In the A. Nobilis and Magnifica they appear to 

 lean along the stem for the first part of their length, 

 or, to describe it more correctly, they are appressed 



