Picea 85 



PICEA AJANENSIS, Ajan Spruce 



Picea ajanensis, Fischer, ex Lindley and Gordon, Trans. Hort. Soc. v. 212 (1850), and in Middendorff, 

 Retse, Florida Ochotensis, 87, tt. 22-24 (1856); Masters, Jour. Linn. Soc. {Bat.), xviii. 508 

 (1880), and Gard. Chron. 1880, xiii. 115, and xiv. 427, with figures; Mayr, Monograph der 

 Abietineen des Jap. Reiches, 53, 102, t. iv. (1890); Kent, in Veitch's J/a. Conifem, \2e, (1900). 



Picea ajanensis, var. microsperma, Masters, _/?//-. Linn. Soc. {Bat.), xviii. 509 (1880). 



Picea jezoensis, Carrifere, Traite Gin. Conif. 255 (1855). 



Abies ajanensis, Lindley and Gordon, loc. cit. (1850). 



Abies jezoensis, Siebold et Zuccarini, Flora Japonica} ii. 19, t. no (ex parte') (1844); Veitch, Man. 

 Coniferce, ed. i, p. 72 (1881). 



A tree, attaining in Yezo 100-150 feet in height. Bark like that of the common 

 European spruce, grey, and composed of irregularly quadrangular scales which do 

 not fall off. Branchlets shining, glabrous, yellow, never becoming reddish. Free 

 part of the pulvini long, directed backwards on branchlets of old trees, not widened 

 or channelled at their bases on the upper surface of the branchlets, persistent on 

 old branchlets. Buds broadly conic, with ovate scales rounded in margin, showing 

 on opening the young leaves tinged with red. Leaves flattened, thin, blunt, or ending 

 in a short point, slightly keeled on both surfaces ; ventral surface green without 

 stomata ; dorsal surface silvery white with two broad bands of stomata. Cones 

 purple when young, brownish when ripe, straight, oblong, tapering at each end, 

 2 to 3 inches long by nearly i inch wide ; scales narrowly oblong-oval, coriaceous, erose, 

 and denticulate in margin ; bracts minute, concealed, broad-oblong, slightly narrowed 

 below, their upper rounded denticulate edge giving off abruptly an apiculus. Seed 

 with a wing, which is twice or thrice as long as the seed itself. 



Identification. (See Picea hondoensis.) 



Distribution 



Picea ajanensis appears to be confined to Manchuria, Amurland, that 

 part of Eastern Siberia which faces the southern half of the Sea of Ochotsk, 

 Saghalien, the three southern isles of the Kurile group, and Yezo. The spruce of 

 Central China, which has been identified with it in Index Florcs Sinensis, ii. 553, has 

 pubescent shoots, and is probably identical with Picea brachytila, Masters. The 

 accounts of the Ajan spruce on the continent of Asia are of ancient date, the only 

 recent one being that in Russian by Komarov,* who states that it grows abundantly 

 with species of Abies and Pinus koraiensis in mountain woods in all the provinces 

 of Manchuria. It has not, however, been collected there by any British travellers. 



' The figures given by Siebold represent (i) a flowering twig which came from a garden in Tokyo, and was probably, 

 according to Mayr, Picea hondoensis ; and (2) a branch with cones, copied from a Japanese drawing of Picea ajanensis from 

 Yezo. The description applies to two species, and the name jezoensis cannot stand. The synonymy is very involved, but, 

 accepting Mayr's view, the facts are clear enough. The Hondo spruce was first distinguished clearly by Mayr, and therefore 

 receives his name Picea hondoensis. The Yezo and Amurland spruces are the same species, and receive the name Picea 

 ajanensis, first given by Fischer. 



' Komarov, Flora Manshuria, i. 200 {1901). 



