CONIFERS. (PINE FAMILY.) * 423 



2. A. Frascri, Pursli. (Small-fruited or Double Balsam Fir.) 



Cones small (l'-2' long), oblong-ovate; the bracts oblong-wedge-shaped, short-point- 

 ed, the upper part much projecting and reflexed. (A. balsamifera, Michx.fi.) — 

 Mountains of Penn., Virginia, and southward on the highest Alleghanies. Also 

 on the mountains of W. New England ? — Foliage, &c. nearly as in the last. 



§ 2. Cones hanging, terminal ; the bracts evanescent ; the scales persistent on the axis: 

 sterile catkins scattered: anther-cells opening lengthwise. (Kcea, Link, <j-c.) 



* Leaves 2-ranked, flat, whitened underneath. 



3. A. Canadensis, Michx. (Hemlock Spruce.) Leaves linear, flat, 

 obtuse (£' long) ; cones oval, of few scales, little longer than the leaves (f ' long). 



— Hilly or rocky woods ; very common northward, and rare southward in the 

 Alleghanies. — A large tree, when young the most graceful of Spruces, with a 

 light, spreading spray, and delicate foliage, bright green above, silvery under- 

 neath. Timber very coarse-grained and poor. 



* * Leaves needle-shaped, 4-augular, equally distributed all around the branch. 



4. A. nigra, Poir. (Black Spruce. Double Spruce.) Leaves 

 short (!-'-§' long), rigid, dark green; cones ovate or ovate-oblong (l'-lj' long) ; 

 the scales with a thin and wavy or eroded edge. — Swamps and cold mountain 

 woods, New England to Wisconsin and northward, and southward along the 

 mountains. — A common variety in New England has lighter-colored or glau- 

 cous-green leaves, rather more slender and loosely spreading : it is often mis- 

 taken for the White Spruce. — A. rubra is a northern form of A nigra. 



5. A. a!S>a, Michx. (White Spruce.) Leaves pale or glaucous ; cones 

 cylindrical, about 2' long, pale, tbe scales with an entire edge ; a handsomer 



than No. 4, more northern, in aspect more like a Balsam Fir. — Northern 

 borders of New England, Lake Superior, and northward. 



A. excelsa, the Norway Spruce, is now much planted: it is a much 

 finer tree, and thrives better than our indigenous species of this group. 



3. LABIX, Tourn. Larch. 



Catkins lateral and scattered, bud-like. Sterile flowers nearly as in Pinus, 

 but the pollen of simple spherical grains. Cones ovoid, erect ; the bracts and 

 scales persistent; otherwise as in Abies. — Leaves deciduous, soft, all folia- 

 ceous ; the primary ones scattered ; tbe secondary very many in a fascicle de- 

 veloped in early spring from lateral scaly and globular buds. Fertile catkins 

 crimson or red in flower. (The ancient name.) 



1. ti. Americana, Michx. (American or Black Larch. Tama- 

 rack. Hackmatack.) Leaves almost thread-form; cones ovoid, of few 

 rounded scales. (P. pendula, Ait.) — Swamps, New England to Penn. and 

 Wisconsin, and (chiefly) northward. — A slender tree, with heavy, close-grained 

 wood, and slender horizontal branches, more slender and usually shorter leaves 

 than the Em opean Larch ; — which is a handsomer tree, and has the scales of 

 its larger cones arranged in the order ^, while those of the American are only §. 



— Tbe Red Larch (P. microcarpa, Lambert) appears to be only a Northern 

 variety. 



