96 ABIES, OR SILVER FIRS 



While the Webbiana has perhaps the most brilliant 

 silver-white colouring on the under-surface of its 

 leaves of all Silver Firs, the A. Pindrow only shows 

 grey inconspicuous stomata bands. Again, while 

 the shoots of the Webbiana have prominent Pulvini 

 and deep grooves with reddish pubescence, those of 

 the Pindrow are grey and glabrous in the first stage 

 of their existence. 



Keteleeria 



The Keteleeria is so far no declared habitu^ of 

 English soils. Experts do not deny it a future in 

 such specially favoured climatic conditions as Cornwall 

 or South Ireland afford. It hails from Central China 

 and Formosa. 



The leaves bear a prima facie likeness to the 

 Cephalotaxus, but whereas the latter is a member of 

 the Taxacese family, and like them has its foliage 

 mounted on little projections, the Keteleeria takes 

 after the Abies tribe, and displays the circular disc 

 when the leaf is pulled away from its smooth 

 stem. 



It has a prominent midrib on both surfaces and is 

 accredited with two stomatic bands on lower surface 

 which are very faint and inconspicuous, to judge by 

 some leaves sent from the Temperate House at 

 Kew. 



In cone character they break away from Abies 

 dehiscent tradition and show persistent characteris- 

 tics. The difference of the male flowers is alluded 

 to in the table. The resin canals are as in Abies 

 Pectinata, marginal and two in number. With the 

 Keteleeria we should, we feel, like to become better 

 acquainted, but its life-history reads as if there is but 

 a faint likelihood of any fulfilment of the wish. 



