Picea 89 



PICEA HONDOENSIS, Hondo Spruce 



Picea hondoensis, Mayr, ATonograph der Abietineen der Japanisches Reiches, 51, t. iv. fig. 9 (1890) ; 



Shirasawa, Iconographie des Essences Forestilres du Japon, text 20, tab. v. figs. 1-22 (1900). 

 Pifea ajatiensts, Hooker, Bot. Mag. t. 6743 (1884), and of most writers. 

 Abies ajanensis, Fisch., yax. japonica, Maximowicz, Iter secundum (1862). 



A tree, attaining 80 feet in height in Hondo, the main island of Japan. Bark 

 dark grey, peeling off in small roundish scales and leaving light-coloured spots on 

 the trunk. Branchlets shining, glabrous, yellow in the first year ; but becoming 

 reddish brown in the second year, and retaining the red colour in succeeding 

 years till the scaly bark begins to form. The free portions of the pulvini 

 are directed forwards, and on the upper side of the branchlets are enlarged 

 transversely at their bases and show two channels where they become decurrent 

 on the stem ; they are shorter than in Picea ajanensis, and on older branchlets 

 tend to disappear. Buds like those of Picea ajanensis, but opening with 

 greenish leaves. Leaves as in that species, but slightly shorter. Cones, red 

 when young, yellowish when ripe, slightly curved, oblong, tapering to each 

 end, about 2 inches long by f inch thick, erect on terminal younger branchlets ; 

 scales membranous, oval, broader proportionately to their length than in P. ajanensis, 

 with denticulate erose margins ; bracts minute, concealed, oval lanceolate, denticulate, 

 gradually tapering to an acute apex. Seed with a short wing (less than twice the 

 length of the seed). 



The description just given enumerates the characters, chiefly those of the bark, 

 shoot, and cones, on which Mayr relies to distinguish the Hondo spruce from the 

 true Picea ajanensis. 



Picea hondoensis, as grown in this country, where it is usually called Picea 

 ajanensis, assumes a broadly pyramidal outline, the main branches being rigid and 

 directed either upwards or horizontally. In sunshine the branchlets turn their tips 

 upwards, exposing to view the pale surface of the leaves. The arrangement of the 

 leaves on lateral branchlets is the one normal in flat-leaved spruces, i.e. the upper 

 side of the branchlet is densely covered with leaves, which have their apices directed 

 forwards, while on the lower side of the branchlet the leaves part into two sets, 

 directed outwards at right angles and leaving the twig bare beneath. All the leaves 

 direct their stomatic pale surfaces away from the light, so that these look towards 

 the ground. 



The young cones are bright crimson, and make the tree highly ornamental in 

 spring. 



Identification 



Picea Alcockiana, in which the leaves are conspicuously white on the dorsal 

 surface, is often confounded in gardens with Picea hondoensis ; but these two species 

 are readily distinguished as follows : 



I N 



