434 CONIFERS. (PINE FAMILY.) 



and mostly damp soil, Florida to North Carolina. Commonly a lofty tree, 

 with very thick and furrowed bark, and valuable, but sparingly resinous wood ; 

 but in old fields low, with spreading branches. Leaves 6'- 10' long, rarely 2 or 

 4 in a sheath, dark green. Cones 3'- 5' long. 



8. P. australis, Michx. (LONG-LEAVED or YELLOW PINE.) Leaves 

 very long, from long sheaths, crowded at the summit of the thick and very scaly 

 branches ; cones large, cylindrical or conical-oblong, the thick scales armed with 

 a short recurved spine. (P. palustris, L., the prior but inappropriate name.) 

 Sandy soil, constituting almost the entire growth of the Pine Barrens. A lofty 

 tree, with thin-scaled bark, and very valuable resinous wood, dividing near the 

 summit into few spreading branches. Leaves 10' -15' long. Leaf-bracts sca- 

 rious, fimbriate. Cones 6'- 10' long. 



* * * Leaves Jive in each sheath. 



9. P. Strobus, L. (WHITE PINE.) Leaves slender, from a very short 

 and deciduous sheath ; cones long, cylindrical, recurved, with the looselv im- 

 bricated scales neither thickened nor spiny at the apex. A tree of moderate 

 dimensions on the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina, but northward 

 one of the loftiest of trees, and greatly valued for its soft white wood. Leaves 

 3' - 4' long. Cones 4' - 6' long. 



2. ABIES, Tourn. SPRUCE. FIR. 



Chiefly as in Pinus, but the amcnts mostly solitary ; anthers opening length- 

 wise or transversely ; scales of the cone not thickened at the apex, nor spiny ; 

 wings of the seed persistent. Leaves single, short. 



* Cones lateral, erect ; with the scales deciduous at maturity : anther-cells opening 

 transversely. 



1. A. Fraseri, Pursh. (SILVER or BALSAM FIR.) Leaves somewhat 

 distichous, linear, flattened, obtuse or emarginate, whitened beneath, the lower 

 ones somewhat recurved, the uppermost erect ; cone oblong-ovate ; bracts long, 

 oblong-wedge-shaped, short-pointed, reflexcd at the summit. High mountains 

 of North Carolina, and northward. A small tree. Leaves 6" -8" long. Cones 

 l'-2' long. 



* * Cones terminal, pendulous, with the scales persistent : anther-cells opening 

 lengthwise. 



2. A. Canadensis, Michx. (HEMLOCK-SPRUCE.) Leaves distichous, 

 flat, linear, obtuse, dark green alx>ve, whitened beneath ; cones small, oval or 

 oblong, with the few scales smooth and entire. High mountains of North Car- 

 olina, and northward. A large tree with the horizontal branches gradually 

 diminishing upward, forming a pyramidal spire. Leaves ' long. Cones 8"- 

 9" long. 



3. A. nigra, Poir. (BLACK SPRUCE.) Leaves scattered on all sides of 

 the branches, needle-shaped, 4-sided, erect, dark green ; cone ovate or ovate 



