SPRUCE FIRS. 3 



divided at the point, and dark green, with two white stripes 

 on the under side, one on each side of the mid-rib, and arranged 

 in two or more rows along the shoots in a more or less lateral 

 position." 



Section I. VERA, or the true Spruces, with four- 

 sided, NEEDLE-SHAPED LEAVES SCATTERED ALL ROUND THE 

 SHOOTS. 



No. 1. Abies alba, Michaux, the White Spruce Fir. 



Syn. Abies curvifolia, Booth. 

 glauca, Mcench. 



Picea alba, Link. 



Pinus laxa, Ehrhart. 

 glauca, Mcench. 

 tetragona, Mcench. 

 alba, Alton. 



Leaves solitary, incurved, sharp-pointed, glaucous, four-sided, 

 and scattered round the branches ; three-quarters of an inch 

 long, and not very thickly set on the branches. Branches com- 

 pact and rather dense. Cones oblong-cylindrical ; 2 or 2h 

 inches long and rather more than half an inch broad ; slightly 

 tapering to the point, pendulous, and not very firm. Scales 

 thin, smooth, and broadly rounded on the upper part ; half an 

 inch wide, but much smaller towards the apex or top, regularly 

 overlapping each other, and with entire margins. 



A tree with horizontal branches, growing to a height of 50 

 feet, and seldom more than li feet in diameter, forming a regular 

 pyramid, with very light-coloured bark, and quite a silvery 

 appearance on account of the whiteness of its foliage. Wood 

 inferior to that of any other spruce in quality, but very useful 

 for sheathing the bottom of vessels in lieu of metal, in order 

 to protect the planking from the ravages of the teredo, or salt 

 water worm. 



It is a native of Canada, New Brunswick, Maine, and Caro- 

 lina ; and even extends to near the Arctic Sea ; for, according 

 b 2 



