262 pinus, oe 



particularly the first four or five rows, and more elevated in the 

 centre, which is terminated by a stout broad point ; the larger 

 scales are rather thin, and slightly elevated, or nearly fiat, three- 

 quarters of an inch broad, and half an inch deep, with a slightly 

 elevated ridge across the middle of each, terminated in the centre 

 by a very stout spine, which is quite straight ; each cone has 

 from thirteen to fifteen rows of scales. Male flowers large, 

 cylindrical, and in large, compact clusters ; and each scale con- 

 tains within it two seeds, which are rather below the middle 

 size, but with wings rather more than an inch in length, and 

 half an inch in breadth. 



This noble pine, which seems to be entirely a mountain 

 species, sometimes attains a height of 200 feet, with a stem 

 twenty-eight feet in circumference. Mr. Hartweg first met with 

 it on the mountains of Santa Cruz, a coast range running due 

 north across the bay from Monterey, and distant by water about 

 twenty-five miles, although sixty miles by land ; afterwards he 

 found it in the Sacramento country, growing upon the ridge 

 generally termed by emigrants from the United States, the 

 Californian Mountains. Mr. Hartweg says, " After crossing 

 the (Jhuba River, you pass the prairie, and enter the mountains 

 near Bear Creek, where you have to pass through an intermin- 

 able wood of Pinus Sabiniana, and in ascending the gradual 

 acclivity of the mountain, you lose the region of Pinus Sabi- 

 niana, and enter that of Pinus Benthamiana, which seems to 

 be characteristic of the upper region." Some trees of this 

 noble pine attain an enormous size ; the largest which Mr. 

 Hartweg measured in this locality was 28 feet in circumference, 

 and 220 feet in height. It generally grows in masses, or inter- 

 mixed with a few solitary Pinus Lambertiana, which is of equal 

 dimensions in these regions. The lofty mountains surrounding 

 Bear Valley are well wooded by Pinus Benthamiana. 



This very valuable timber tree was named by Mr. Hartweg, 

 in compliment to George Bentham, Esq., late Secretary to the 

 London Horticultural Society. It is quite hardy, and the most 

 valuable of all the tribe for timber. 



