136 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERiE 



Abies Webbiana, Lindley. (Fig. 28.) 

 Webb's Himalayan Fir. 



Abies chiloensis, Hort. ; A. chilrowensis, Hort. ; A. densa, Griffiths ; 

 Picea Webbiana, Loudon ; Pinus Webbiana, Wallich. East Himalayan 

 Fir; West Himalayan High-level Silver Fir. 



A tree attaining in the E. Himalaya a height of 150-200 ft. 

 and a girth of 20-30 ft., but much smaller in the W. Himalaya, 

 with thick, spreading branches forming a more or less flat- 

 tened head. Bark greyish-brown, rough, fissured and scaling on 

 old trees. Young shoots stout, reddish -brown, deeply grooved, 

 hairy in the furrows. Winter buds large, rounded, covered with 

 resin which conceals the scales. Leaves arranged in two lateral 

 sets spreading right and left, each set of several ranks, the lower 

 ranks with leaves spreading horizontally, the upper ranks with 

 leaves becoming gradually shorter, directed outwards and upwards, 

 forming a V-shaped depression with the branchlet visible between 

 them, very variable in size, on the western trees often |-1 in. 

 long, on the eastern trees up to 2| in. long and tV ^- wide, flat- 

 tened, rounded and notched at the apex ; upper surface dark 

 green, grooved ; lower surface with two broad, conspicuous 

 white bands of stomata ; resin canals marginal. Cones resembling 

 those of A. Pindroiv in shape and colour, often 6-8 in. long on 

 cultivated specimens but smaller on native trees ; scales fan- 

 shaped, suddenly contracted to a short claw ; bracts broad above, 

 narrow below, pointed, nearly as long as the scale. Seed with a 

 wing one and a half times its length. 



Var. brevifolia, Henry. 



Abies spectabilis, var. brevifolia, Rehder. 



Bark smooth, young shoots grey with less prominent furrows 

 and shorter down. Leaves only about 1| in. long, greyish beneath, 

 the stomatic bands inconspicuous. A very distinct variety, which 

 probably represents the Western Himalayan form. Several 

 trees which appear to be hardier than the type are in cultivation 

 in England. 



A. Webbiana occurs in the inner Himalaya from Afghanistan 

 to Bhutan at elevations of 8,000-13,000 ft. It is found at higher 

 altitudes than A. Pindroiv, which in the N.W. Himalaya ceases 

 to grow at 1,000-2,000 ft. below the line where A. Webbiana 

 appears. Above 10,500 ft. elevation it often forms large pure 

 forests, at lower elevations it is mixed with spruce and other trees. 

 Seeds of this fir were received in England from India early in the 

 nineteenth century, but no young trees appear to have been 



