81 



BLACK SPRUCE. 

 Picea mariana, (Miller) BSP. 



FOKM— A small tree usually attaining a heiglit of 20-30 ft. with a diameter of 1 ft., but 

 maj- reach a height of 100 ft. with a diameter of 3 ft. Trnnk straight, continuous, very taper- 

 ing, bearing irrigular, rather short, horizontal branches, often with ascending tips which give 

 the tree a very narrow, irregular, conic form. 



BAEK — Up to * of an Inch in thiclsness and roughened by irregular, thin, close, grayish- 

 brown scales. See Fig. 51. 



TWIGS — Rough, stout, brown to yellowish-brown, covered with pale to blaclc hairs. 



BUDS— Ovoid, sharp-pointed, i\ of an inch long, covered with overlapping, sharp-pointed, 

 reddisli-brown scales. 



LEAVES — About }i of an Inch long, 4-slded, bluish-green, rounded at apei, straight or 

 slightly curved, without real leaf-bases, but resting on decurrent projections of bark linown as 

 sterigmata. 



LEAF-SCAES — See "Leaf Scars" under Kcd Spruce. 



FLOWERS — Appear about May. Staminate and pistillate Sowers occur on same plant but 

 often on different parts of it. Staminate sub-globose, almost sessile, i of an inch long, reddish 

 in color. Pistillate oblong, cylindrical, i of an inch long. 



FRUIT — A cone about li inches long, short-ovoid, short-stallied. maturing at the end of 

 the first season; core-scales rounded, dull grayish-brown with Jagged margin. 



WOOD — .\on-porous: with resin passages present; light, soft, not strong, pale yellowish- 

 white In color. Weighs 32.86 lbs. per cubic foot. Used in the manufacture of paper pulp 

 and ooeasiooally in lumber. 



DISTINGUISHING CHAHACTEEISTICS — See "Distinguishing Characteristics" under Bed Spruce 

 page SO. 



RANGE — It is a transcontinental species extending from Labrador to Alaska and south to 

 Pennsylvania and Wisiconsin. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA— Frequents swamps, rather common along lakes and in 

 swamps of Monroe and Pike counties and in Bear Meadows, Centre and Huntingdon counties. 

 Also reported in Cambria, Clinton, Lackawanna, Lycoming and Mifflin counties. 



HABITAT — The Black Spruce, also known as Swamp Spruce, usually frequents cold, poorly 

 drained swamps throughout its range. It sometimes ascends well drained hillsides, but is 

 usually stunted in such situations. It makes its best growth on moist alluvial soils and is 

 very tolerant of shade. 



IMPOETANCE OF THE SPECIES — The Black Spruce is of little commercial importance In 

 Pennsylvania and should be ironsidered for forestry purposes in extremely swampy locations 

 only, where other more valuable species will not grow. It cannot be recommended for orna- 

 mental planting since other species of Spruce far surpass it for this purpose. 



