SILVER FIRS. 225 



Branches regularly in whorls on the main stem, very densely 

 clothed with laterals even to their base, and scarcely extending 

 any wider than those branches nearer the top, giving the tree a 

 shape rather that of a cylinder than a pyramid ; the young 

 shoots also have a cylindrical shape, on account of the leaves 

 being so thickly placed at right angles all round the stem. 

 Bark darker in colour and more scaly than that of the 

 common Silver Fir. Cones erect, in great numbers on the 

 upper part of the top branches towards their extremities, and 

 without any foot-stalks ; oval, cylindric, terminating abruptly 

 at the top, often with a small elevated point, and from four to 

 five inches long, and from two to two and a half inches broad. 

 Scales rounded, entire, and broad in the exposed part of the 

 cone, but rather wedge-shaped towards the base. Bracteas 

 small, concealed by the scales, and never extended beyond them. 

 Seeds angular, soft, and with membranaceous wings. Seed- 

 leaves seven in number. 



A fine tree, sixty or seventy feet high, with a dense branching 

 head, and timber full of resin, resembling in colour and struc- 

 ture that of the common Silver Fir. 



It is found in Spain, on the mountains between Ronda and 

 Malaga, in Granada, and forming forests on the higher parts of 

 the Sierra de la Nieve, at an elevation of from 4000 to 6000 

 feet. It abounds in all the higher mountains, particularly on 

 the northern exposures, reaching even near the summits, where 

 the snow lies at least four or five months in the year. 



There is the following variety : 



PlCEA PlNSAPO VARIEGATA, HoH. 



Syn. Abies Pinsapo variegata, Carriers. 

 ,, Pinus Pinsapo variegata, Laiuson. 



This variety differs in having a portion of its leaves, and 

 smaller shoots, of a pale yellow or straw colour, intermixed with 

 the ordinary bright green ones. 



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