PINACEiE 127 



parts is surrounded by deep snow for several months of the year. 

 Its moisture-loving nature may be appreciated from the fact 

 that within its range the annual precipitation is from 45-100 in. 

 The sylvicultural requirements of the species are well described 

 by Troup. ^ It is not common in collections in the British Isles, 

 and is usually seen at its best in the milder parts of England 

 and Wales, where climatic and soil conditions are moist and soil 

 of good quaHty.2 Deep, rather light loam and the disintegrated 

 granite of Cornwall suit it admirably. 



Abies Pinsapo, Boissier. (Fig. 26.) 

 Spanish Fir. 



Abies hispanica, De Cliambiay ; Picea Pinsapo, Loudon ; Pinus Pin- 

 sapo, Antoine. 



A tree up to 100 ft. high and 15 ft. in girth. Bark smooth 

 at first, becoming rugged and fissured on old trees. Young 

 shoots reddish brown, without down, furrowed. Winter buds 

 ovoid, obtuse, resinous, with the scales projecting at the apex. 

 Leaves spreading aU round the shoot, straight or slightly curved, 

 flattened and rigid, |-| in. long, apex short-pointed or blunt, 

 entire ; upper surface convex, not furrowed, with numerous lines 

 of stomata ; lower surface with two distinct bands of stomata ; 

 resin canals median. Cones cylindrical, tapering to the apex, 

 4-5 in. long, up to If in. diameter in wild specimens, smaller on 

 cultivated trees ; scales triangular, cuneate ; bracts concealed 

 by the scales, ovate, pointed. Seed-iving up to 1^ in. long. 



Var. glauca. 



Foliage of a rich glaucous hue. 



Var. pendula. 



Habit narrowly pyramidal, branches pendulous. 



An easily recognized species distinguished from all the other 

 firs except A. c&phalonica by its short, blunt, rigid, widely 

 spreading leaves. The latter species resembles it m leaf arrange- 

 ment, but the leaves are longer, sharply pointed, and have marginal 

 resin canals. 



A. Pinsapo is indigenous only in the mountamous region 

 round Ronda in S. Spain, where it is found in three main forests 

 in localities at considerable distances apart. It was first found 

 by Edmond Boissier and introduced into England in 1839 by 

 Captain Widdrington. 



The wood does not appear to possess any commercial value 

 outside its native country. It is not plentiful enough for export 

 and its inaccessibility makes it of little more than local use. 



1 Troup, Silviculture of Indian Trees, iii, 1133-1142 (1921). 

 ^ Mr. F. R. S. Balfour states that it is perfectly hardy at Dawyck and at most 

 places in Scotland. 



