PINACEiE 307 



PICE A, Dietrich. 

 Spruces. 



Spruce Firs. 



Evergreen trees of large or medium size belonging to the 

 tribe Abietinece, and widely distributed in the temperate regions 

 of the northern hemisphere, occurring in Europe, Asia Minor, 

 the Caucasus, Siberia, China, Japan, the Himalaya, and N. 

 America. 



They are of pyramidal outline with tall, gradually tapering 

 trunks which are sometimes prominently buttressed at the base. 

 Roots shallow, with long, slender, tough rootlets. Bark usually 

 thin and scaly, sometimes furrowed near the base of old trees, 

 Branches whorled, usually small. BrancJilets slender, the surface 

 roughened by prominent, persistent, peg-like projections left 

 by the fallen leaves. Winter buds usually dry, not resinous. 

 Leaves needle-like, angled or flattened, persisting for several 

 years (but falling readily from cut or dried specimens), with 1 

 or 2 resin ducts. Male and female flowers appearing in spring 

 on different branches of the same tree in the leaf-axils of the 

 previous year's shoots. Male catkins ovoid or cylindrical, 

 erect or drooping, yellow or crimson in colour, composed of 

 numerous spirally arranged stamens. Female floivers arising 

 from the ends of the shoots, violet or purple in colour when 

 growing, with numerous pointed or rounded scales bearing two 

 ovules at the base of each. Cones pendulous, ripening during the 

 first autumn when they open and liberate the seeds, but remain 

 on the tree for some time after the seeds have fallen ; scales per- 

 sistent, with crenate, entire or lobed margins ; bracts minute. 

 Seeds small, with a well- developed wing. Cotyledons 4-15. 



The spruces are distinguished from the firs by their woody, 

 peg-like leaf bases, which persist on the shoot after the leaves 

 have fallen, and by the pendulous cones which do not break 

 up when ripe. 



Thirty-eight species have been described, no less than 18 of 

 these being confined to Cent, and West China. Some of the newer 

 Chinese species are very difficult to separate. Most of them have 

 been raised in English gardens from Wilson's seeds under a 

 variety of names, and several, so far as we can judge from juvenile 

 plants, appear to be identical. This may be partly due to the 

 fact that the seeds have been mixed, but it is probable that when 

 the trees in cultivation reach the coning stage, and become 

 better known, the newer species will be considerably reduced in 

 number. In the common spruce it is well known that individual 

 trees often show considerable variation in habit, foliage, size of 

 cones, and shape of cone-scales, and the same remarks apply to 

 more than one Chinese species. 



