84 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERS 



Leaves mostly standing erect on the upper side of the shoot, 

 about 1 in. long, conspicuously white below, notched at 

 the apex. Shoots smooth, silvery-grey, with scattered 

 hairs. Buds sub-globose resinous, — A. koreana. 



Abies amabilis, Forbes. (Fig. 11.) 

 Red Silver Fir. 



Abies grandis, A. Murray [not LincUey] ; A. grandis, var. densiflora, 

 Engelmann ; Picea amabilis, Loudon ; Pinus amabilis, Douglas ; Pinus 

 grandis, Lambert [not Douglas]. Amabilis Fir ; Lovely Fir ; Lovely 

 Red Fir ; Red Fir. 



A tree attaining in America a maximum height of 250 ft. 

 and a girth of 18 ft.. Bark thin, pale or silvery- white, becoming 

 thick and fissured at the base of old trunks. Young shoots greyish- 

 brown, smooth, with dense, short, pale-brownish hairs, with a 

 tangerine orange odour when cut or bruised. Winter buds 

 small, globose, very resinous. Leaves arranged much as in ^. 

 Nordmanniana but on the lower side of the shoot spreading 

 more at right-angles to the stem, those on the upper side curved 

 and pointing forwards, more or less covering the shoot ; up to 

 1| in. long, iV in. broad, flattened, dark shining green and grooved 

 above with a truncate, notched apex, the under- surface with two 

 broad white bands of stomata ; resin canals marginal. Cones 

 ovoid, cylindric, slightly narrowed at the apex, dark purple when 

 young, brown when mature, 3|-6 in. long, 2-2| in. wide ; scales an 

 inch or more wide, nearly as long as broad ; bracts rhombic or 

 obovate-oblong, hidden by the scales. Seed | in. long, wing | 

 in. long. This species closely resembles A. Nordmanniana in its 

 leaf arrangement, but is distinguished by its small resinous buds 

 and the pecuUar odour of the cut or bruised shoot. 



A. amabilis is a native of W. North America, occurring on high 

 mountain slopes from British Columbia southwards along the 

 Cascade Mountains to N. Oregon, and on the coast ranges of 

 Oregon and Washington. It was introduced into cultivation in 

 1830, but is not common in collections and rarely grows to a large 

 size. 



Wood light, moderately hard and strong, even-grained, pale 

 brown, heartwood a Httle darker than sapwood. Occasionally 

 used for general carpentry, the indoor finish of houses, etc., and 

 in commerce appears to be mixed with the wood of other species, 

 although it would probably meet with a better market as a distinct 

 timber. If A. a^nabilis occurred in a country less bountifully 

 supplied with good timber trees the timber would be more highly 

 appreciated. 



This species is best adapted for gardens in the moist high- 

 land valleys of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and is not suitable 

 for dry situations. The reason for its rarity may be the fact 



