THE SILVER FIRS. 157 



cylindrical, tapering towards an obtuse end, three inches and a 

 quarter long, and an inch and three quarters broad at the 

 widest part, a little below the middle. Scales, obovate wedge- 

 shaped, largest and broadest near the base, rounded and entire 

 at the margin, and quite smooth. Bracteas hidden by the scales, 

 quite short, round, irregularly toothed, and convex externally 

 at the edge, with a large point or tail in the middle. Seeds, 

 small, angular, soft, and with a membranaceous wing nearly as 

 large as the scale. 



A middle-sized tree, with rather a dense head, growing from 

 thirty to fifty feet high, at an elevation of from 2,000 to 5,000 

 feet, on the mountains of Siberia and the Altai, forming entire 

 forests. There is a variety, viz. : — 



PiCEA PiCHTA LONGIFOLIA, Hort. 



Syn. Picea Sibirica alba, Hort. 

 „ Abies Sibirica alba, Fischer. 



This is a variety with longer leaves, more silvery on the 

 under side, and said to be found on the upper parts of the Altai 

 mountains. 



No. 14. Picea Pindrow, Loudon, the Upright Indian Silver 



Fir. 

 Syn. Picea Herbertiana, Madden. , 

 „ ,, Naptha, Knight. 

 „ Abies Pindrow, Spack. 

 „ Pinus Pindrow, Royle. 

 „ Taxus Lambertiana, Wallich. 

 „ Abies Webbiana affinis, Hort. 



Leaves, solitary, flat and at first all round the shoots, but finally 

 disposed into two rows on the branchlets horizontally, with the 

 upper surface of the deepest green, almost black when fully 

 matured, and the under one having two faint, white, silvery 

 lines, from one and a half to two inches and a half long, and 

 rather more than one line broad,, with acutely two-toothed ends. 

 Branches, in whorls, horizontal, and spreading ; branchlets op- 



