THE PINE SUB-FAMILT 121 



28i P. Sabiltiana, Douglas. SABINE'S PINE. GREAT 

 PRICKLY-CONED PINE. Leaves, from 10 to 12 or 14 inches 

 long; from long, light-brown, shining, membranaceous 

 sheaths; serrate, slender, acute, recurved, flexuose, and 

 glaucous-green color. Cones, from 8 to 10 inches long, 

 and 6 inches in diameter ; ovate, echinate, in large clusters, 

 recurved, very persistent ; with large spathulate or awl- 

 shaped, incurved scales, ending in a strong, sharp point. 

 Seeds, large, oblong, tapering to the base, with a thick, 

 hard, brown integument, and a short, stiff, yellow wing. 

 Cotyledons, from 7 to 12. 



This magnificent native Conifer is one of -the very finest 

 of the family, and was discovered by the lamented explorer, 

 Douglas, who named it in honor of a former secretary of 

 the London Horticultural Society, Joseph Sabine, Esq. It 

 was first found in the parallel of 40, on the Cordilleras of 

 California, at a very high elevation, and only 1600 feet 

 below the region of perpetual snow, and was afterwards 

 discovered growing nearer the sea-coast at a lower, eleva- 

 tion, but more even temperature, in the parallel of 37. It 

 is also found at El Toro, a high mountain near Monterey, 

 and, according to Dr. Gairdner, on the Fallatine Hills of 

 the Wahlamet, as well as in many other places in Upper 

 California and Oregon, but almost invariably upon the 

 summits of high elevations on the mountains. 



The beautiful, regular form presented by a perfect speci- 

 men of this tree is all that we could wish for in that 

 respect ; and when to this is added a compact mass of 

 deep green verdure, gracefully extending to the ground, 

 we do not know of anything more desirable. The cones 

 are also not only exceedingly curious, but handsome and 

 useful ; producing seeds that are in great esteem among 

 the natives as food, and nearly as pleasant as almonds, 

 excepting that they leave behind a slightly resinous taste. 



Nuttall, in his description of this species, says, " The 

 stems of these pines are of a very regular form, and 

 grow straight and tapering to the height of from 40 to 140 

 6 



