140 CONIFEROUS TREES 



green tint. Contrasting markedly with the glauc- 

 ous green foHage are the reddish brown cones, 

 each about 2^ inches long, with stout, thick scales, 

 and large wingless seeds. The seeds are dehcately 

 flavoured, and supply the Indian tribes of the 

 Sierra Nevada with an important article of food. 

 In this country, where the tree is quite hardy, the 

 finest specimens are growing on gravelly soil. 



In the Cheshunt Nurseries a specimen of P. 

 monophylla has attained to a height of 18 feet 

 in twenty-five years. 



P. MONTANA, Miller, (Synonyms : P. Pumiho, 

 Hcenke ; P. Mughus, Scopoli ; P. uncinata, 

 Ramond.) Sub -Alpine districts of Central and 

 Southern Europe. 1779. — In gardens, under the 

 above synonyms, the mountain pine is freely dis- 

 tributed, but as the so-called species and varieties 

 are much alike, they are here classed under the 

 present collective title of P. montana. The habit 

 in this country is that of a wide-spreading and 

 much-branched bush of rarely more than 16 feet 

 in height, many of the branches shooting out from 

 the main stem at only a short distance from ground 

 level, but with an upward inclination. 



A distinctive feature of the tree is the very 

 prominent ruddy buds, as also the rich tint of the 

 ample foliage, which is of a very dark and pro- 

 nounced shade of green. Each leaf is fully 2 

 inches long, very stiff and stout, and closely 

 arranged. Cones are only sparsely produced in 

 this countr}^ even by old and well-established 

 specimens, they being i| inches long, and greatly 

 resembling those of the common Scotch Pine. 

 Being quite hardy and very accommodating, this 



