PICEA ALBA. 427 



The wood is very light and soft, and much used in Yeso for 



all kinds of carpentry. 



Picea ajanensis was introduced in 1861 by the late John 

 Gould Veitch, and was subsequently distributed under the name of 

 Alms Alcoquiana from the unfortunate circumstance that the seeds of 

 both species brought home by him had been collected by natives and 

 were mixed together, which may be accounted for by the custom then 

 prevalent in Japan of applying the same name to different species 

 having a superficial resemblance to each other.* It was not till several 

 years afterwards, when the seedling plants growing side by side had 

 attained a size sufficient to render the difference obvious, that the error 

 could be rectified. As an ornamental tree in this country Picea 

 ajanensis takes a high rank ; its growth is slow during the first four 

 or five years from the seed, during which period it frequently shows a 

 tendency to produce rival leaders which should be reduced to one 

 when observed ; but when once established, especially in retentive 

 soils, its growth is more rapid, the leader shoot increasing in height 

 from 6 to 9 inches annually. It flowers at an early age, and in 

 May, when loaded with its young crimson cones, it is one of the most 

 beautiful objects in the Pine turn, f 



Picea alba. 



A tree varying greatly in height and dimensions in different parts 

 of the great area in North America over which it is distributed; the 

 maximum height east of the Rocky Mountains ranges from 60 to 

 70 feet with an average trunk diameter of 2 feet ; at its northern 

 limit it is reduced to a low shrub. Bark of trunk thin, greyish 

 brown, fissured into irregular small plates. Branches relatively thick 

 and long ; in Great Britain rather close-set, rigid, and - spreading 

 horizontally. Branchlets opposite or alternate, the bark whitish brown 

 with prominent rounded cortical outgrowths obliquely decurrent from 

 the pulvini of the leaves. Buds broadly conic, about 0*25 inch long, 

 with ovate, acute, keeled perulae that are chestnut-brown. Leaves 

 persistent four five years, spirally crowded, four-angled, mucronate, 

 mostly upturned from the twisting of the petiole of those on the under 

 side of the shoot, 0'5 1 inch long, at first pale green, becoming darker 

 with age, often with a bluish glaucous tint, and emitting a strong fetid 

 odour when bruised. Stamiuate flowers cylindric, 0'5 0'75 inch long, pale 

 red or yellow, suspended on slender peduncles. Cones sessile, sub-cylindric, 

 obtuse, 1*5 2 inches long and 0*5 0'75 inch in diameter; scales 

 loosely imbricated when mature, ^suborbicular, shortly clawed, minutely 

 crenulate at the margin, pale brown with faint longitudinal striations 

 on the exposed side, j 



* The same thing happened with Tsuga diversifolia and T. Sieboldii, and with Pinus 

 parviflora and P. pentapkylla. As in the case of the Piceas, the cones of each pair of 

 species were mixed together. 



t Very beautiful specimens of Picea ajanensis are growing at Ochtertyre, Perthshire, the 

 subject of our illustration ; at Scone Palace and Murthly Castle in the same county ; at 

 Menabilly and Pencarrow in Cornwall ; at Warnham Court, Horsham ; and in Ireland 

 Kilmacurragh, Co. Wicklow ; Hamwood, Co. Meath ; and Fota Island, near Cork. 



I am indebted to the Director of the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Mass. 

 U.S.A., for American -grown branchlets and cones of Picea alba. 



