Cedrus.] LXXVI. CONIFERS. 525 



above the sea, which, as the crow flies, is only 18 miles 'distant, and 3500 ft. 

 below the highest point of the Lebanon, which is about 3 to 4 miles farther 

 north. The trees stand in nine groups on the broken ground of an ancient 

 moraine, the relic of a colder period when the Lebanon was covered with per- 

 petual snow, and sent its glaciers down into this valley. The largest tree is 40 

 ft. in girth, but 8 trees only measure above 20 ft., and the smallest have a girth 

 of 18 inches. The growth, as might be expected at that elevation, has evidently 

 been slow ; no young growth is coming up. At present this grove does not 

 recruit itself by self-sown seedlings, which are all destroyed by goats, but appears 

 destined to diminish slowly by the death and destruction of the old trees. 



It is a remarkable fact that the natural habitat of the Deodar, Pinus excelsa, 

 and several other coniferous trees, is limited to high elevations on large moun- 

 tain-ranges, that they are nowhere found indigenous in the plains, and that 

 their area of distribution is interrupted by great distances. 



3. ABIES, Tournef. 



Evergreen monoicous trees. Leaves single, not tufted, needle-shaped, 

 or narrow linear. Branches whorled and scattered. Male catkins single, 

 cylindric, in the axils of leaves ; anther-cells 2, dehiscing longitudinally,, 

 transversely, or in an irregular manner, adnate to stipitate scales. Ovules 

 inverted, in pairs at the base of the carpellary scales, which are in the 

 axils of membranous or coriaceous bracts. Cones ripening the same year, 

 terminal or lateral, hanging or erect, formed of numerous, obtuse, imbri- 

 cate, carpellary scales, with a thin edge and a woody base, deciduous or 

 persistent. Seeds oily, winged. 



Cones at the ends of branches; scales persistent after the seeds 

 fall ; bracts small, drying up and not apparent in ripe cones 

 (Abies of Loudon, Picea of Link, and Tsuga of Carriere). 

 Cones cylindric, pendulous, 4-6 in. long; leaves green . 1. A. Smithiana. 



Cones ovoid, spreading or drooping, 1 in. long ; leaves white 



beneath . . . 2. A. dumosa. 



Cones lateral, erect ; scales fall with the seeds (Picea of Loudon, 



Abies of Link) 3. A. Wcbbiana. 



I follow Asa Gray, Botany of Northern United States, 471, and Willkomm, 

 Forstl. Flora, 58, in uniting Abies, Picea, and Tsuga. 



1. A. Smithiana, Forbes, Pinetum Woburnense, t. 36 ; Cleghorn, 1. c. 

 t. 5. Syn. A. Khutroiv, Loudon; A. spinulosa, Griffith; Pinus Smith- 

 iana, Wall. PI. As. Ear. t. 246 ; P. Khutrow, Eoyle 111. t. 84 ; Picea 

 Morinda, Link, in Linnaea, xv. 522. Vern. Wesha, bajur, Afg. ; Kachan, 

 kachal, Hazara and Kashmir; Rewari, ban ludar, sangal, salla, salle, 

 sarei, kauli, roi, rag, rao, bang re, krok, Panjab Himalaya ; Landar, an- 

 andar, timber depots in the plains ; Rau, raiang, re, Sutlej ; Rai, Jaun- 

 sar ; Kandre, re, rhai, rao, kudrau (khutrau, Royle), ridlla, ragha, mor- 

 inda, kail, kilu, Garhwal and Kamaon ; Seh, Sikkim. 



A large tree with tall straight stem, pyramidal crown, dark -green 

 foliage, and pendulous branchlets. Leaves single, scattered in spirals all 

 round the branches, persistent 5 years, stiff, sharp, 4-sided, 1-1 J in. long. 

 Cones terminal, pendulous, cylindric, obtuse, 4-6 in. long, 1-2 in. diam., 

 dark brown when ripe ; scales broadly ovate from a cuneate base, upper 



