r 



SILVER FIRS. 199 



in crowds to be deluded, and giants piled up in hopes to scale 

 heaven. It is also found in the Morea, near Tripolizza, once 

 the Turkish capital, in central Arcadia, particularly on the 

 eastern part of the plain, at the foot of Mount Maenalus, a 

 region which even the ancients characterized as the " abode of 

 winter." It is quite hardy, but, like the Mount Enos Silver 

 Fir, suffers greatly (especially when young) from the late spring 

 frosts, which so frequently destroy the young growth on many 

 of our Silver Firs. 



Much difference of opinion still exists among writers with 

 espect to whether the Apollo Fir should be considered a dis- 

 tinct species, or only as a variety of the common Silver Fir, or 

 Mount Enos Silver Fir. Professor Endlicher considered it as 

 only a variety of the Picea pectinata, while Professor Link 

 made it a distinct species, and in which opinion he has been 

 followed by M. Carriere and some others, while I myself at 

 first referred it to Picea Cephalonica, a kind to which it cer- 

 tainly is very nearly related, and frecpiently confounded with ; 

 but after a careful examination of ample and excellent original 

 specimens presented to me by Professor Link, I have come to 

 the conclusion that he is right in considering it a distinct 

 species, especially as it is always reproduced true from seed 

 and retains its great diversity of foliage, the larger portion of 

 which is generally more or less linear, dense, and blunt- 

 pointed, while the remainder is more or less dagger-shaped 

 very acute pointed, thickly placed all round the shoots, and 

 like those of Picea Cephalonica. 



The Apollo Fir has been brought into notice by M. Heldreich, 

 of Athens, under the name of Abies Reginge Amalias, or 

 the New Arcadian Fir, and with a statement that it was first 

 obtained in 1S5G by M. Schmidt, the Curator of the Royal 

 Gardens at Athens, who at the time considered it new, and 

 distinct from the Grecian, or Apollo Fir, and gave to it the 

 name of Pinus Peloponnesiaca, but which name M. Heldreich 

 afterwards changed to that of Abies Reginse Amalias, in com- 

 pliment to the Queen of Greece, a great patron of gardening. 



