PINACE^ 319 



It is of no value for commercial planting in Britain, but is 

 sometimes found in gardens and in scientific collections. Plant in 

 moist, loamy soil where clean atmospheric conditions prevail. 



Wilson, Conifers of Japan, p. 42 (191(5). 



Picea brachytyla, Pritzel. (Fig. 69.) 



Picea ascondens, Patscliko ; P. com])]anata. Masters ; P. pachyclada, 

 Patschke; P. Sargentiana, Rehdcr and Wilson ; Abies brachytyla, Franchet. 



A tree 35-80 ft. high, pyramidal in habit when growing in 

 woods, but commonly round-headed in more open country. 

 Bark pale grey or grey brown, smooth on young trees, but 

 becoming dark grey and patchy on old trunks. Branches relatively 

 long and horizontally spreading, ascending at the tips. Branchlets 

 pendulous. Young shoots slender, pale brown or buff-coloured, 

 shining, glabrous, or occasionally hairy, becoming darker with 

 age. Buds numerous, small, ovoid, about I in. long, with rounded, 

 chestnut-brown, closely- pressed scales. Leaves crowded and 

 closely overlapping on the upper side of the shoot, those on the 

 lower side spreading outwards in two opposite ranks and exposing 

 the shoot ; often rigid, green to yellowish green, |-| in. long, flat, 

 but shghtly ridged on each surface, conspicuously bluish white 

 beneath with two broad bands of stomata ; apex bluntish or with 

 a sharp, horny point. Cones cylindric-oblong, 2|— 3| in. long, 

 greenish, tinged with purple when growing, dull brown when 

 mature ; scales broad and rounded at the summit [forma latis- 

 quamea) or more or less narrowed to a blunt, wavy apex {forma 

 rhombisquamea). Seeds i-\ in. long with a slightly longer wing. 



This handsome spruce, which may be recognized among the 

 flat-leaved species by its pale brown shoots, numerous chestnut- 

 brown ovoid buds, and leaves glaucous white beneath, occurs 

 over an extensive area in W. Hupeh and W. Szechuen, from 

 5,000-7,500 ft. alt. ; but has been ruthlessly cut for its timber, 

 and is now much rarer than formerly. 



We are unable to make out any satisfactory differences 

 between the Chinese species of the Omorica section, enumerated 

 by Rehder and Wilson, ^ and they are accordingly here treated as 

 a single species, exhibiting two types of cone- scale as indicated 

 above. A careful study of the native specimens which have 

 been compared with cultivated plants raised from Chinese seed 

 shows that the characters relied upon to distinguish the species, 

 including the hairiness of the shoots, length of leaves and shape 

 of cone-scales, are in no way co-related and invariably break down 

 when a sufficient number of examples are examined. In an 

 extensive area of common spruce (P. excelsa) quite as much 

 variation can be seen in habit, foliage, size of cones, and size and 

 shape of cone-scales. 



» PL Wils. ii, 33-35 (1916). 



