470 TSUGA MERTKNSIAXA. 



international boundary, from Mount Benson in Vancouver Island to 

 the Bitter -Root mountains of Idaho. Except in Alaska it always 

 grows at a great elevation, its vertical range being from 2,750 to 

 10,000 feet, the higher altitude being reached on the Sierras of 

 California. In many parts of the mountain systems over which this 

 tree is spread,, the forest towards the higher limit of arborescent 

 vegetation is composed entirely of it ; in other places it is mixed 

 with Pinus foxilis ; at these high altitudes it dwindles to a shapeless 

 shrub scarcely half the height of a man. When standing alone in 

 favourable situations the lower branches are retained and lengthen 

 considerably, the upper branches often decurved and the branchlets 

 with their cones pendent. It attains its greatest development on the 

 Cascade mountains in southern Oregon where individual trees 100 feet 

 high with stout massive stems five and six feet in diameter are 

 abundant,* The wood is light, soft and close-grained but not strong, 

 susceptible of a good polish and of a light brown or reddish colour : 

 it is only occasionally used on account of the inaccessibility of the forests. 

 This beautiful tree was originally discovered by Merteiis in 1827 

 while in the service of the Russian Government near its northern 

 limit on Baraimil' Island near Sitka where it takes the form of a 

 much-branched, straggling shrub. The herbarium specimens gathered by 

 Mertens were dealt with by Bongard of St. Petersburg, who described 

 this tree as a new species tinder the name of Pirni* Mertensiana in 

 compliment to the discoverer. Unfortunately, this name was taken up 

 by Carriere for another Hemlock Fir which grows on the island, 

 Tsuf/a Albertiana, which Bongard in common with other early explorer- 

 in north-west America mistook for the Canadian type hut which is 

 not known to occur wild within two thousand miles of Sitka. t Most 

 recent authors have followed Carriere in this misapplication of Bollard's 

 name and which lias for the time resulted in much regrettable confusion. 

 The tree was re-discovered by Jeffrey on Mount Baker while collecting 

 for the Scottish Oregon Association and introduced through him, 

 receiving the name of Abie* Pattoniana in compliment to the late 

 Mr. George Patton of the Cairnies in Perthshire, a prominent member 

 of the Association. Three years later it was detected on Mount Scott 

 by AVilliam Murray, and his discovery was described by his brother 

 Andrew Murray in Lawson's "Pinetum Britannicum " as a different 

 species under the name of Abies Hook&riana, but which has been 

 reduced to a synonym of the older names by the American botanists. 

 In British gardens the name H'ookeriana is still retained to distinguish 

 the glaucous from the green-leaved variety. 



* Garden and Forest, Vol. X. p. 1. 



t The following is Bongard's description of Tsuya Merlin xiana which should set at rest 

 any doubts as to the identity of the tree: Pinvs Mcrtcnsiana n. sp. Foliis solitarii* 

 linearibus obtusiusculis, basi in petiolum attenuatis. integerriinis; strobili squamis reniformibus 

 integris. Kamosissima ; raiui ramnliqne delapsis foliis valde tuberculosi. Folia solitaria, 

 approximate, lineaiia, basi in petiolum ininutum attennata, obtusiuscula, supra plana. suhtu^ 

 iiervo medio proniinulo, integerrima, 5" longa, lineaque paitllo angnstiora. Strobili, solitarii, 

 sessiles, oblongi, obtusi, 1'5 pollicem, plus minnsve. Squamae renifovuu-s. integra\ ~>" et 

 <juod excedit latae. Observations sur la Vegetation de Sitcha. ]>. "!. 



