PINUS 



179 



falling the second and third years, 5 to 7 ins. long, triangular in section, 

 two faces white with stomatic lines, the third bright green ; margins minutely 

 toothed, sharply pointed ; leaf-sheath $ to f in. long, soon falling wholly away. 

 The leaves are often bent abruptly near the base, so that the greater part of 

 the leaf is pendulous. Cones at first cylindrical, 6 to 10 ins. long, ii to 

 1 2 ins. wide, before opening ; each on a stalk I to i ins. long ; scales iV*ins. 

 long, i in. wide, with a small, pointed, thickened apex. 



Native of the Himalaya; introduced by A. B. Lambert in 1823. It is a 

 handsome tree especially when of middle age, and grows with great rapidity 

 when young, the leading srToot 

 increasing by 2 to 3 ft. annually. 

 It thrives best in a good sandy 

 loam, and in a position sheltered 

 from fierce gales, which give it 

 a bedraggled appearance. Very 

 hardy, and bearing cones early. 

 It is only likely to be confused 

 in gardens with P. Armandii, 

 and P. Ayacahuite, both of 

 which have more or less downy 

 shoots and different cones. Its 

 glabrous shoots, its five-clus- 

 tered leaves and quickly falling 

 leaf-sheath, distinguish it from 

 all other pines except P. Peuke 



P. FLEXILIS, James, 

 LIMBER PINE. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 8467.) 



A tree 40 to 60, sometimes 

 80 ft. high ; branches long, 

 slender ; the young parts so 

 flexible that they can be bent 

 double without breaking; young 

 shoots shining green, perfectly 

 smooth or with minute brown- 

 ish down. Leaves in fives, per- 

 sisting for about seven years, 

 often pointing forwards, or the 

 youngest ones even appressed 

 to the branchlet ; i\ to 3 ins. 

 long, triangular in section, all 

 three sides marked with three 

 or four white lines of stomata ; 



margins quite entire, apex finely pointed ; leaf-sheaths \ to f in. long, soon 

 falling away. Cones 3 or 4 ins. long, i J ins. thick before the scales open. 



Native of Western N. America; introduced by Jeffrey in 1851. Trees at 

 Kew between 30 and 40 'ft. high thrive well in gravelly soil, and bear cones 

 most seasons. It is a very distinct and striking pine, resembling P. Balfour- 

 iana in its long-persisting leaves, but very different in other respects. From 

 all cultivated five-leaved pines, except P. albicaulis (q.v.\ it is easily 

 distinguished by the absence of teeth on the leaf-edges, combined with often 

 smooth branchlets and deciduous leaf-sheaths. Although a fairly lofty tree in 

 favourable localities, it becomes at high elevations reduced to mere prostrate 



PlNUS EXCELSA. 



