PINACE^ 349 



Picea pungens, Engelmann. 

 Blue Spruce. 



Picea conunutata, Hort. ; P. Parryana, Sargent ; Abies Parlatorei, 

 Hort. 



Balsam ; Coloi-ado Blue Spruce ; Parry's Spruce ; Prickly Spruce ; 

 Silver Spruce ; Spruce ; White Spruce. 



A tree attaining in N. America 80-100 ft. high, with a trunk 

 up to 9 ft. in girth. Bark brownish grey, 1 in. or more thick, 

 deeply furrowed and scaly on old trunks. Young shoots stout, 

 without hairs, glaucous at first, becoming orange-brown with age. 

 Buds ovoid or broadly conic, |-| in. long, with scales reflexed at 

 the apex. Terminal hud with keeled, long-pointed scales at the 

 base. Leaves spreading more or less all round the shoot, but 

 more crowded above than below, stout, rigid, incurved, and very 

 prickly, f-lj in. long, varying in colour on different trees, dull 

 green, bluish or silvery white, four-sided, with about six stomatic 

 lines on each side. Cones cylindrical but slightly narrowed at 

 each end, 2-4 in. long, green with a reddish tinge before ripening, 

 pale shining brown when mature, remaining on the trees till 

 the autumn of the second season ; scales numerous, longer than 

 broad, thin, tough, and flexible, narrowing towards the toothed 

 apex ; bract much shorter than the scale, acuminate, fringed at 

 the upper edge. Seeds | in. long, half the length of the wing. 



Var. argentea, Waterer. 



Foliage silvery. Leaves longer and more slender than in the 

 type. 



Var. glauca, Kegel, 

 Foliage conspicuously glaucous, especially when young. 



Var. Kosteriana, Masters. 

 Branches pendulous, foliage bluish, 



Var, prostrata. 

 Of prostrate habit, 



Var. tabuliformis. 



A dense, low bush, usually with a flattened head. 



Var. viridis, Kegel. 



Foliage dull green, 



P. jmngens may be known by its spreading, prickly leaves, 

 glabrous shoots, and reflexed points of the bud scales. The leaves 

 are usually more rigid than in P. Engelmanni, which it resembles 

 to some extent. 



