ABIES PINSAPO. 



535 



Although abundant on tiie Sierras in the south of Spain Abies 

 Pinsnpo was unknown to science till discovered by the eminent Swiss 

 botanist, Edmond Boissier, during his excursion to Andalusia in 1837, 

 and afterwards fully described by him in his " Voyages Botaniques " 

 quoted above. Even at the present time the limits and area of its 

 distribution are but imperfectly known ; it forms extensive forests 



Fig. 137. Abies Pinsapo. Branchlet with staminate flowers. 

 (From the Gardeners' Chronicle.) 



on the Sierra Nevada at elevations ranging from 3,500 to 6,000 feet 

 from Eonda eastwards into the province of Murcia; it is also said 

 to occur on the Sierra Morena and other mountains in central 

 Spain, but no localities are quoted.* 



Alies Pinsapo was introduced into Great Britain about the year 

 1839 by Captain Widclrington to whom Encllicher afterwards dedicated 

 the South African genus of Coniferae allied to Callitris and Frenela 



* The African habitat given by Parlatore refers to Abies numidica. 



