ABIETIA DOUGLASII. 



477 



exposing a reddish brown inner cortex. Branches slender, and 

 where the tree is standing alone the lowermost attaining lengths of 

 25 35 feet or even more, more or less depressed by the weight of 

 their appendages and often sweeping the ground ; those above horizontal, 

 sometimes upturned at the distal end ; the uppermost more or less 

 ascending. Branchlets slender, distichous and mostly opposite, depressed 

 or sub-pendent. Buds conic, acute, 0*25 0*5 inch long, with oval- 



Fig. 122. Fertile branchlet of Abietia Douglasii. 



oblong, lustrous sienna brown peruke fringed with whitish hairs. 

 Leaves persistent six seven years, pseudo-distichous in three four 

 ranks, narrowly linear, flat, 0'75 1*25 inch long, obtuse or mucronate 

 at the apex, frequently falcately curved upwards, bright lustrous green 

 with an obscure median line above, paler with a more or less 

 glaucous stomatiferous band between the midrib and the thickened 

 margins beneath. Staininate flowers mostly on the under side of 

 branchlets of the preceding year, axillary obtusely conic, about O75 

 inch long, surrounded at the base by broadly oval, obtuse involucral 



