1044 



ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BR1TANNICUM. 



forests ; towards an elevation of 5272 ft., it gradually becomes more rare. 



Height 30 ft. to 50 ft. Introduced in 1820. 



It, differs from a silver fir chiefly in having the leaves closer set on the 

 branches, and riot so silvery beneath. Professor Don suspects it to be only the 

 Siberian variety of Picea pectinata, which ranges from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 



B. Natives of North America. 

 f 6. P. BALSA V MEA. The Balm of Gilead, or American, Silver Fir. 



Synonymes. Plnus balsamea Lin. Sp. PI. 1421. ; P. 

 .4'bi'es balsamea Marsh. Arb. Amer. p. 102. ^bies 

 Taxi folio, &c., Hort. Angl. 2. p. 2. ; A. balsaminea N. 

 Du Ham. 5. p. 295. ; A. balsamifera Michx. N. Amer. 



tl. 3. p. 191. ; Balsam Fir ; le Baume de Gilead, le 

 pin Baumier de Gilead, Fr. ; Balsam Fichte, Balsam 

 Tanne, Ger. ; Pino balsamifero, Ital. 

 Engravings. Lamb. Pin., ed. 2., 1. 1. 41. f. 2. ; Mich. N. 

 Amer. Syl., 3. t. 150. ; and our fig. 1954. to our usual 

 scale ; and figs. 1952. and 1953. of the natural size. 



Spec. Char., Sf-c. Leaves solitary, silvery 



beneath, apex emarginate or entire j 



somewhat recurved, and spreading. Cones 



cylindrical, violet-coloured ; and pointing 



upwards. (Michx.) Leaves |- in. lonir. 

 Cones 4 in. to 4 in. 

 long, and in. broad ; 

 scales from fin. to 

 fin. broad, and fin. 

 long. Seed, with the 

 wing, fin. long, and 

 | in. broad. Seed 

 very small, irregular ; 

 about half the size 

 of that of the com- 

 mon silver fir. Co- 

 tyledons, '? A tree. 



Canada, Nova Scotia, New England, and 



on the Alleghany mountains, in high and 



cold situations. Height 20 ft. to 30 ft., 



rarely 40 ft. Introduced in 1696. Flow- 

 ering in May, and ripening its cones in 



the autumn following. 



Variety. 



2 P. b. 2 longifblia Booth. Leaves 

 longer than in the species, with the 

 branches somewhat more upright. 



A pyramidal tree, 

 in general appear- 



ance resembling the silver fir of Europe ; but seldom 

 found, even in America, above 20 or 30 feet in height, 

 and not of more than the same number of years in 

 duration. The rate of growth, in the climate of 

 London, is rather more rapid than that of the silver 

 fir, the tree attaining the height of 10 ft. in as 

 many years, and arriving at maturity in 20 or 25 

 years ; soon after which it dies. Seeds are generally 

 imported, and cones are sometimes ripened in this 

 country. 



J 7. P. (B.) FRA'SER/. Fraser's, or the double Balsam, Silver Fir. 



Syfumymf*. Plnus Frasen Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept. 2. p. 639., Lamb. Pin. ed. 2. 1. t. 42.: ,4'bies 



Friseri Lindl. in Penny Cyc., No. 5. 

 Engravings. Lamb. Pin., ed. 2., 1. t. 42. ; and our figs. 1956, 1957. 



1952. .P. balsamea. 



