

(PINE FAMILY.) 423 



2 - A. Frascri, Pursh. (SMALL-FRUITED or DOUBLE BALSAM Fin.) 



Cones small (l'-2' long), oblong-ovate; the bracts oblong-wedge-shaped, short-point- 

 ed, the upper part much projecting and reflexed. (A. balsamifera, Michx. Jl.) 

 Mountains of Penn., Virginia, and southward on the highest Alleghanics. Also 

 on the mountains of W. New England ? Foliage, &c. nearly as in the last. 



2. Cones hanging, terminal; the bracts evanescent ; the scales persistent on the axis: 



sterile catkins scattered: anther-cells opening lengthwise. (PicEA, Link, frc.) 



* Leaves ^-ranked, fiat, whitened underneath. 



3. A. Cansiclf'iisis, Michx. (HEMLOCK SPRUCE.) Leaves linear, flat, 

 obtuse (' long) ; cones oval, of few scales, little longer than the leaves (f ' long). 



Hilly or rocky woods; veiy common northward, and rare southward in the 

 Alleghanies. A large tree, when young the most graceful of Spruces, with a 

 light, spreading spray, and delicate foliage, bright green above, silvery under- 

 neath. Timber very coarse-grained and poor. 



* * Leaves needle-shaped, ^-angular, equally distributed all around the branch. 



4. A. nigra, Poir. (BLACK SPRUCE. DOUBLE SPRUCE.) Leaves 

 short ('-' long), rigid, dark green; cones ovate or ovate-oblong (!'-!' long) ; 

 the scales with a thin and wavy or eroded edge. Swamps and cold mountain 

 woods, New England to Wisconsin and northward, and southward along the 

 mountains. A common variety in New England has lighter-colored or glau- 

 cous-green leaves, rather more slender and loosely spreading : it is often mis- 

 taken for the White Spruce. A. rubra is a northern form of A. nigra. 



5. A. alba, Michx. (WHITE SPRUCE.) Leaves pale or glaucous ; cones 

 cylindrical, about 2' long, pale, the scales with an entire edge ; a handsomer 

 tree than No. 4, more northern, in aspect more like a Balsam Fir. Northern 

 borders of New England, Lake Superior, and northward. 



A. EXCELSA, the NORWAY SPRUCE, is now much planted : it is a much 

 finer tree, and thrives better than our indigenous species of this group. 



3. LAR1X, Tourn. LARCH. 



Catkins lateral and scattered, bud-like. Sterile flowers nearly as in Pinus, 

 but the pollen of simple spherical grains. Cones ovoid, erect ; the bracts and 

 scales persistent; otherwise as in Abies. Leaves deciduous, soft, all folia- 

 ceous ; the primary ones scattered; the secondary very many in a fascicle de- 

 veloped in early spring from lateral scaly and globular buds. Fertile catkins 

 crimson or red in flower. (The ancient name.) 



1. L. Americana.. Michx. (AMERICAN or BLACK LARCH. TAMA- 

 RACK. HACKMATACK.) Leaves almost thread-form; cones ovoid, of few 

 rounded scales. (P. pcndula, Ait.) Swamps, New England to Penn. and 

 Wisconsin, and (chiefly) northward. A slender tree, with heavy, close-grained 

 wood, and slender horizontal branches, more slender and usually shorter leaves 

 than the Eu\ opean Larch ; which is a handsomer tree, and has the scales of 

 its larger cones arranged in the order 5 8 T , while those of the American are only 3. 



The RED LARCH (P. microcarpa, Lambert) appears to be only a Northern 

 variety. 



