442 PICEA OMORICA. 



also of the cone-scales are frequent in Russia where the two Spruces 

 meet, some of which may, however, be due to hybridity. Seedlings of P. 

 obovata raised under cultivation usually preserve the distinctive characters.* 

 The Siberian Spruce is scarcely known in Great Britain, and no full 

 description of it appears to have been published. It is cultivated in 

 north Germany and Russia as an ornamental tree, where, on account 

 of its slender, sub-pendulous habit, it affords a pleasing addition to the 

 few couiferous trees available, for so vigorous a climate. A variety 

 discovered by Maximowicz in the extreme part of its range, and 

 introduced by him under the name of P. obovata japonica, is also in 

 cultivation in German gardens;! and another, or the same variety, lias 

 been introduced into British nurseries as P. Maximowiczii, but like the 

 typical form it soon perishes under the stimulus of the higher 

 temperature of this country. In such a climate as that of northern 

 Russia and Siberia, the economic importance of P. obovafa is very great. 



Picea Omorica. 



A tall, slender tree with a spire4ike top, in places attaining a height 

 of 125 or more feet, with a trunk not more than 18 24 inches in 

 diameter covered with reddish brown bark. Branches short in 

 proportion to height of trunk, the lowermost decurved and upturned at 

 the tip, those above horizontal or ascending. Branchlets distichous and 

 mostly opposite, often with a third weaker growth on the under side of 

 the axial shoot ; bark pale brown, prominently fluted longitudinally, the 

 youngest growths pubescent, Buds globose-conic, about an eighth of an. 

 inch long, invested with red-brown, ovate-lanceolate perulse. Leaves 

 persistent four live years, sessile, narrowly linear, flattened with 

 thickened midrib and short callous tip, 0*25 0'75 inch long, with 

 two greyish white stomatiferous bands on the (morphologically) 

 upper or ventral side, lustrous green on the dorsal side ; those 

 on the ascending shoots standing out from all sides ; on the lateral 

 shoots pointing forwards on the upper side, pseudo-distichous in 

 three four ranks on the under side. Staminate flowers shortly stalked, 

 ovoid-cylindric, bright red, O5 0'75 inch long, surrounded at the base 

 by numerous involucral bracts. Cones ovoid-conic, obtuse, 1'5 2 inches 

 long and 0*75 1 inch in diameter, bluish black while growing, dark 

 brown when mature, standing out horizontally or sub-pendulous ; scales 

 suborbicular, convex, with undulate denticulate margin. 



Picea Omorica, Pancic ex Bolle in Monatschrift des Vereins zur Befordenmg des 

 Gartenbaues, 1877. Masters in Gard. Cliron. VII. (1877), pp. 470, 620 ; XXL 

 (1884), p. 308, with fig. ; Journ. Linn. Soc. XXII. 203, with tig. ; and Joum. 

 R. Hort. Soc. XIV. 223. Willkomm, Forstl. Fl. ed. II. 99. Beissner, Nadelholzk. 

 382, with tig. 



Eng. Servian Spruce. Germ. Omorika-Fichte. 



Picea Omorica has a very restricted habitat on the mountains of 

 south-west Servia and their prolongation into the neighbouring States 

 of Bosnia and Montenegro, occurring singly or in small groves at 

 elevations ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 feet, forming forests only in 



* Beissner, Nadelholzkunde, 369. 



t I am indebted to Mr. Spath of Baumschuleweg, near Berlin, for branchlets of Picea 

 obovata and its variety japonica. 



