134 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERS 



bluish-purple when growing, brown when ripe ; scales small, 

 I in. wide and | in. long ; bracts as long as the scales, slightly- 

 protruding and reflexed. Seed with a wing f in. long. 



Var. nikkoensis, Mayr. 

 This is said to differ from the type in its smaller cones (2 in. 

 long) with the points of the bracts projecting only slightly between 

 the scales. 



Var. olivacea, Shirasawa. 

 Cones green when young, becoming grey-brown when mature. 

 According to Wilson it grows with the typical form in Japan. 

 Small plants are in cultivation at Kew. 



A. Veitchii may be easily recognized by its small, resinous, 

 purplish buds, truncate leaves very white beneath, and median 

 resin canals. The characters by which it is known from A. 

 Mariesii are mentioned under that species. 



It is a native of the mountains of Central Japan, at elevations 

 of 3,000-6,000 ft., and is the smallest of the Japanese firs. It 

 was discovered on Mount Susi-Sanby John Gould Veitchin 1861, 

 but was not, however, introduced into England until 1879, when 

 Maries sent seeds to Messrs. Veitch. 



The timber is not known in European markets and does not 

 appear to be regarded as important in Japan, where the wood 

 is largely used for pulp for the manufacture of paper. ^ 



A. Veitchii thrives in the British Isles, where, in rich, moist 

 soil in a pure atmosphere, it forms a slender, graceful, pyramidal 

 tree with attractive foliage. 



Abies Vilmorini, Masters. 



Abies cephalonica x Pinsapo. 



An artificial hybrid raised in 1867 at Verrieres near Paris 

 by M. de Vilmorin from a tree of A. Pinsapo, which he pollinated 

 from a tree of A. cephalonica. Only one fertile seed was obtained, 

 from which a seedling was raised and planted out the following 

 year. In 1905 this had become a tree 50 ft. high by 5 ft. in girth 

 and had three main stems, one of which was subsequently broken 

 in a storm. The tree resembles A. Pinsapo in its foliage except 

 that the leaves are longer and less rigid and bear stomata on 

 their lower surface only. Their radial arrangement is imperfect. 

 The cones, which are produced in abundance, have longer bracts 

 than A. Pinsapo. The seeds, which resemble those of A. cep>ha- 

 lonica, are fertile, and a number of seedlings have been raised. 

 Young plants of A. Vilmorini from the original tree are occasion- 

 ally met with in Enghsh collections. 



Masters, Joiirn. Royal Hort. Soc. xxvi, 109 (1901); Hortus Vilmorinianus, 

 69, plate xii (1906). 



^Forestry of Japan, 77 (1910), Bureau of Forestry, Tokyo, Japan. 



