PICEA OKIENTALIS. 443 



the most inaccessible places. It was discovered near Zaovina in 

 Servia, in 1872, by Dr. Pancic of Belgrade, and subsequently 

 introduced by him into European gardens. 



The Servian Spruce Fir is of considerable scientific interest OIL 

 account of its comparatively recent discovery and its restricted habitat ; 

 and moreover, that its nearest affinities are not the two species 

 geographically contiguous to it P. exeelsa and P. orientalis but two 

 that are most remote, P. sitehensis (north-west America) and P. ajanensis 

 (Japan), forming with them a distinct section of the genus. Willkomm 

 is of opinion that P. Omorica had formerly a more extensive 

 distribution but became exterminated for the sake of its timber, and 

 that it has been preserved within its present narrow limits by its 

 greater inaccessibility. The name Omorica, or Morica, is the vernacular 

 name by which it is known in the region it inhabits. Its introduction 

 into British gardens is too recent to admit of any expression of opinion 

 respecting its merits as an ornamental tree, the only purpose for which 

 it should be planted in this country. It grows slowly during early 

 life, but it has proved hardy thus far, and it is quite distinct in 

 habit and aspect from every other Spruce Fir. 



Picea orientalis. 



A medium-sized or tall tree according to situation ; the trunk 

 50 80 feet high and 1*5 2 '5 feet in diameter, covered with ash-brown 

 rugose bark which in old trees is fissured into irregular thin plates. 

 In Great Britain, densely branched from the base upwards and presenting 

 a pyramidal outline broken by projecting branches. Branches horizontal,, 

 the uppermost slightly ascending, ramification distichous ; branchlets 

 opposite or alternate with pale reddish brown bark fluted with shallow 

 cortical out-growths as in Picea excelsa. Buds broadly conic, acute > 

 O2 5 inch long, chestnut-brown. Leaves persistent seven nine years> 

 spirally crowded and closely appressed to the branchlets except on 

 the under side where they spread laterally at a small angle to the 

 shoot, obscurely four-angled, obtuse, 0'3 0-5 inch long, dark lustrous 

 green. Staminate flowers solitary or in pairs mostly near the end of 

 shoots of the preceding year, cylindric-conic obtuse, carmine-red, 

 surrounded at the base by small involucral bracts in two series ; 

 connective of anther suborbicular and minutely denticulate. Cones 

 conic-cylindric, 2 5 inches long and 0'75 inch in diameter; at first 

 dull violet-purple changing to brown when mature; scales obovate-oblong, 

 0-65 inch long, closely imbricated, the exposed apical margin entire. 

 Seed wings obovate-oblong, half as long as the scale. 



Picea orientalis, Carriere, Traite Conif. ed. I. 244 (1855) ; and ed. II. 325 

 (1867) Boissier, Fl. orient. V. 700. Willkomm, Fovstl. Fl. ed. II. 97. Masters 

 in Gard. Chron. XXV. (1886), p. 333, with tig. ; III ser. 3 (1888), p. 754; and 

 Journ. R. Hort. Soc. XIV. 223. Beissner, Nadelholzk. 374, with tig. 



Abies orientalis, Poiret, Diet. VI. 518 (1804), London, Arb. et Frut. Brit. IV. 

 2318. Gordon, Pinet. ed. II. 15. Lawson, Pinet. Brit. II 163, t. 23 and tigs. 



Pinus orientalis, Liimieus, Sp. Plant, ed. II. 1421 (1763). Bieberstein, Fl. 

 Tanrico-Cancas. II. 409. Endlicher, Synops. Conif. 116. Parlatore, D. C. Prodr. 



En'g. Eastern or Oriental Spruce. Fr. Sapinette d'Orient. Germ. Morgen- 

 landische Fichte, Sapindustichte. Ital. Abete orientale. 



