PINUS 183 



likes a sheltered situation and a good loamy soil. Even then it grows but 

 slowly, but is handsome nevertheless. Trees approaching 100 ft. exist in this 

 country, perhaps the finest one being at Arley. Castle, near Bewdley. A tree 

 at Dropmore has borne cones at intervals since 1872. 



P. LARICIO, Poiret. CORSICAN PINE. 



A tree from 100 to 150 ft. high, and 4 to 6 ft. in thickness of trunk, the 

 bark pale brown and deeply fissured on old trees. Young shoots light brown, 

 not downy ; terminal buds resinous, \ in. or more long, cylindrical at the 

 base, narrowing abruptly at the apex to a slender point. Leaves in pairs, 

 4 to 7 ins. long, falling in their fourth year, semi-terete, very minutely toothed, 

 dark green ; leaf-sheath about \ in. long. Cones often in pairs or in threes, 

 2 to 3 ins. long, ij ins. wide before opening, conical, bright brown ; the scales 

 terminated sometimes by a minute prickle, but mostly unarmed. 



This pine is a very variable one, and is found over a great range of country 

 from Spain in the West, to Greece, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus in the 

 East; introduced in 1759. It reaches, perhaps, its finest development in 

 Corsica, where it is sometimes 140 to 150 ft. high. Henry mentions a tree 

 there with a short trunk 23 ft. in girth. In Britain it has been planted largely 

 as a forest tree, and among introduced coniferous trees promises to be second 

 in value only to the larch. It is bad to transplant if allowed to remain more 

 than two years in one spot. The best results, perhaps, are obtained by 

 planting trees not more than I ft. high. Rabbits are said not to touch it, 

 although they eat the variety nigricans (Austrian pine), and it has the faculty 

 of fighting its way through grass on all but the richest of land. As a garden 

 tree it forms a handsome and stately specimen. 



Var. NIGRICANS, Parlatore (P. austriaca, Hoess). Austrian Pine. This 

 well-known tree, introduced from S.E. Europe in 1835, is very distinct in 

 general appearance from, and decidedly inferior to, the Corsican pine. It has 

 a rougher, shorter trunk, with more numerous branches, and heavier masses 

 of darker green leaves, which on the whole are shorter, stiffer, and straighter 

 than those of P. Laricio. The whole tree has a coarser, heavier aspect. It 

 is very useful for growing on poor chalky soil, and as a shelter tree in bleak 

 situations, especially near the sea. Its value as a timber tree is much less 

 than that of P. Laricio. 



Var. PALLASIANA, Rndlicher. Distinct in habit, being more or less 

 pyramidal, with the main branches growing erect ; cones 3 to 4 ins. long. A 

 handsome garden tree, native probably of the Crimea. The tree described 

 by Loudon under the above name appears to be something quite different. 



Var. TENUIFOLIA, Parlatore (P. pyrenaica). Pyrenean Pine. A distinct 

 variety with orange-coloured young bark, and very slender leaves 6 or 7 ins. 

 long (in gardens) ; often a bushy tree. It is the most Western form of the 

 Laricio pine, being found on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, and in France 

 In the Cevennes. 



Of purely garden varieties are the following : AUREA, a form of Austrian 

 pine whose young growths are tipped with gold ; PUMILA (pygmaea), a dwarf, 

 rounded bush, a specimen of which, at least forty years old, is only 8 ft. high 

 at Kew. 



Closely allied to P. Laricio is 



P. LEUCODERMis, Antoine (P. Laricio var. leucodermis, Christ}. A tree up 

 to 90 ft. in height, young shoots light brown the first year, turning grey the 

 second. Leaves in pairs, very rigid and erect, persisting five years, up to 4^ ins. 

 long, dark green. Native of Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Montenegro ; discovered 

 in 1864, and introduced to Kew in 1890. A purely mountain tree, very hardy, 

 it is, no doubt, very close to P. Laricio perhaps only a geographical form. 



