ABIES FIRMA. 



507 



basiil side to a short cuneate claw; bracts linear spathulate, longer 

 than the scale and terminating in an acuminate mucro. Seed wings 

 broadly obovate-cuneate. 



Abies tirma, Siebold and Zuccaiim, Fl. Jap. II. 15, t. 107 (1842). Carriere, 

 Traite Conif. ed. II. 286. Murray, Pines and Firs of Japan, 53, with figs, 

 McXab in Proceed. R. Irish Acad. II. ser. 2, 686, tig. 14. Masters in Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. XVIII. 514 ; Gard. Chron. XII. (1879), p. 198 ; and Journ. R. Hort. 

 Soc. XIV. 191. Beissner, Nadelbokk. 450. with tig. Mayr, Abiet des Jap. 

 Reiches, 34, Tafel I. tig. 2. 



A. bifida, Siebold and Zuccarini, Fl. Jap. II. 18 t. 109 (1842). Carriere Traite" 

 Conif. ed. II. 289. 



A unibellata, Mayr, Abiet. des Jap. Reiches, 31, Tafel I. fig. 1 (1890). 



Picea firma, Gordon, Pinet. ed. II. 284. 



Pinus tirrna, Endlicher, Synops, Conif. 99. Paiiatore, D. C. Prodr. XVI. 424. 



Eug. Japanese Silver Fir. Germ. Japanische Weisstanne. Jap. Monii, To-momi. 



Abies firma is the largest and handsomest of the Japanese Abies, 

 much resembling the European A. pectinata in habit and aspect. 



Kequiring generally a higher average 

 temperature than the European 

 Silver Fir, A, firma scarcely exceeds 

 it in average height, although 

 individual trees of gigantic 

 dimensions are frequent owing 

 to the preference given to it for 

 planting in temple enclosures in 

 which trees upwards of 150 feet 

 high have been observed, w r hen it 

 usually takes the form represented 

 in the accompanying illustration. 

 It is only in enclosed places, or 

 where crowded with other trees, 

 that A. Jirmz, forms a straight 

 tapering shaft ; in more open places 

 the trunk is often bent and irregu- 

 larly branched. According to Mayr 

 its habitat is within the warmer 

 temperate region of Japan lying 

 between the thirty - fourth and 

 thirty - sixth parallels of north 

 latitude where it is still to be 

 found wild in the less accessible districts in small groves or standing 

 singly in the midst of deciduous trees. Its vertical range varies 

 considerably ; at its northern limit it ascends no higher than 

 700 feet, whilst at its southern limit it is found at nearly 

 7,000 feet above sea-level. Everywhere else it has been planted as an 

 ornamental tree in parks, gardens and temple enclosures as far north 

 as the fortieth parallel beyond which it is not seen. As it 

 was detected by Mr. James H. Veitch in southern Corea it is 



Fig. 13]. Abies fir mo, in Japan. 



