Gymnosperms : Coniferae — Pinoideae — Abietineae. IX. 



III. PICEA (20) Forest-trees of N. Temp., P. excelsa (Europe), P. Morinda 

 Himalya, P. alba (N. Amer.). 



Picea excelsa (Spruce), not indig., Mts. of Central Europe, 150-200 ft., diam. 

 3-6 ft. ; pyramidal, erect leader and horizontal laterals, no spur-formations ; a much 

 more generalized type of Conifer. 



Annual shoot with needles 12-20 mm., spirally arranged, pointing forwards 45°, 

 with secondary D.V. position : pectinated on lower laterals, central series loosely 

 forwardly directed; laterally compressed (cf. section). Winter-bud, red, glossy, 

 3-5 mm., with slight crater-formation; leaves shed in 4th season (8-12), with 

 characteristic pedicel-portion left on axis at leaf-fall. Laterals from buds in axils of 

 needles of previous season, more numerous at distal end of shoot, but without rule : 

 false whorls expressed on main leader, and may be checked by noting bud-scales on 

 laterals for several years. 



Staminate flowers, numerous, \ in., from lateral buds of previous season's 

 shoot, irregularly spaced, more near apex, erected : basal scales as perianth-investment. 

 Stamens numerous, pollen-sacs 2 per stamen, dehiscence longitudinal, pollen winged. 



Ovulate flower, large, 2 in., sessile at end of shoot of previous year, erected, 

 cone-scale, oval, crimson, functional in pollen-collection ; bract-scale shorter and not 

 increasing, with long acuminate apex ; pollination in May, fertilization in June (six 

 weeks) ; inverted after pollination to green cone. 



Adult cone, pendulous, 4-6 in., slender, smooth ; scales (5 : 8), thin, flexible, 

 \ in. wide, with truncated notched apex. Seeds 4 mm., wing 12 mm., broadest 

 above middle, and end rounded. Matured and shed same season ; old cones dropped 

 in spring : cots. 6-10 : seedling 2-3 in. high first year. Adult form and branching 

 in 3-4th year. Tap-root wanting. Adult continues the 'juvenile' stage. 



iSlote decumbent laterals may root (advt. roots rare in Conifers), such D.V. laterals 

 rarely erect ; same applies to grafts from D.V. laterals ; at northern limit (Lapland) 

 rooted prostrate shoots give 'Meadow-Spruce', a few inches high only: cf. also 

 fastigiate ' Spitz Firs ', and long pendulous shoots of ' Serpent-Spruce '. 



Remarkable simulation of cone-growths by attacks of Chennes on T-bud ; green 

 and succulent (June), empty and dry (Aug.). 



P. Mori7ida with largest cones (6-8 in.), glossy brown rounded scales. 

 P. Siichenst's (Sitka Spruce) the finest form, 100-200 ft. and 3-15 ft. diam., cones 

 2i-4 in. with narrow scales; seeds 2 mm., wing 7 mm.: reduced to i ft. high at 

 nearly 1 00 years old on exposed cliffs (Vancouver), and a shrub in Alaska. 



IV. TSUGA (7) Hemlock, N. Amer.; T. Sieboldu, Japan. 



Tsuga canadensis, forest-tree Canada and U.S. to Rocky Mts., 60-100 ft., 

 2-4 ft. diam., pyramidal, as preceding; needles broader, 8-12 mm., pectinated in 

 2 rows, with one median series more or less lying in file along the axis; 2 white 

 stomatal lines to D.V. needle. T-bud half-sunk in crater-apex. 



Staminate flower, as in Picea, but small (10 mm.) with few stamens (12) 

 separated from perianth-scales by a distinct internode. Pollen-sacs 2, dehiscing 

 transversely ; pollen winged. 



Ovulate flowers, similar in habit, at ends of previous year's shoots, 5 mm., pale 

 green, terminating short laterals and inverting : cone-scale functional in pollen- 

 collection (INIay) ; cone matured in one season. 



Adult cone, small, \ in, only, of 20-25 broadly rounded coriaceous scales^ 

 gaping when dried, and closing rapidly when wetted ; a small 3-fid bract-scale 

 concealed. Seeds 2 mm., wing 7 mm.: cots. 3-4; growth very slow, seedlings 

 3-4 in. in 4 years. 



V. PSEUDOTSUGA {Abieiia) 1-3, dominant forest-type of Pacific Slope, 

 Oregon, California (and Japan), species or varieties. 



Pseudotsuga Douglasii, Douglas Fir: 250-300 ft., 10-12 ft. diam. or more. 

 Leaders may be 2-3 ft. Reduced to 18 in. on Mts. of Montana. Foliage and habit 

 of generalized type, needles 20-25 mm., with more or less D.V. displacement and 

 pectination in 2 crests, functional for 3 (8) years, spirally arranged on erect leaders. 



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