ABIES 121 



A. CILICICA, Carriere. ClLICIAN FlR. 



A tree up to 100 feet high in a wild state, and already more than half as high 

 in cultivation ; buds non-resinous, the bud-scales ridged at the back and with 

 free points ; young shoots greyish brown, furnished with scattered, stiff, small 

 bristles. Leaves | to i ins. long, ^ to T ^ in. wide ; notched, rounded, or 

 pointed at the apex ; rather pale bright green above, with two bands of stomata 

 beneath. On strong shoots the leaves are spread equally all over the upper side 

 of the branchlet, those in the middle being snorter, erect, and pointing forwards ; 

 on weak shoots they are in two opposite sets, with a narrow or wide V-shaped 

 opening between. Cones cylindrical, about 7 or 8 ins. long and 2 to 2^ ins. 

 wide, reddish brown ; the scales are of remarkable size, being if to 2 ins. wide, 

 I in. deep, not including the claw at the base ; bracts completely hidden. 



Native of Asia Minor and Syria, and often associated in a wild state with the 

 cedar of Lebanon ; discovered in 1853, introduced one or two years subsequently. 

 It is still rare in gardens and although very handsome where it thrives is 

 frequently injured by spring frosts. Allied to A. Nordmanniana, it differs in its 

 paler, less dense foliage, and in the larger scales and enclosed bracts of the 

 cones. 



A. CONCOLOR, Lindley. COLORADO FlR. 



(Gardeners' Chronicle, 1890, ii., figs. 147, 148.) 



A tree 80 to 100 feet high in nature ; young shoots yellowish, patched with 

 minute down, or smooth ; buds very resinous, egg-shaped, rounded at the top. 

 Leaves glaucous green, i to 3 ins. long, ^ to ^ in. wide ; tapered at the base, 

 rounded (with sometimes a slight notch) at the apex ; otherwise of even width, 

 not grooved above. There are not very conspicuous lines of stomata on both 

 surfaces ; they cover the whole centre of the leaf above, but beneath they are in 

 two bands. The leaves are mostly aggregated into two opposite sets, but on 

 the upper side of the branchlet there are a number of leaves pointing upwards, 

 and beneath some pointing downwards ; the arrangement therefore is irregular, 

 and the upper leaves are considerably the shorter. On cone-bearing shoots the 

 leaves generally are shorter and stouter and curve upwards. Cones about 4 ins. 

 long, ii to if ins. wide, of a rich plum colour, as I have seen them in Mr 

 Waterer's nursery at Knap Hill, turning brown with age ; bracts enclosed by 

 the scales. 



Native of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, etc. ; discovered in 1847 ; intro- 

 duced in, or perhaps previous to, 1872. It is one of the most beautiful of all 

 conifers, and the more glaucous forms, of which var. VIOLACEA, Masters, is the 

 best, are amongst the most effective of their type. Var. WALLEZI has foliage 

 of a rather striking silvery yellow when young. The relationship of this species 

 with A. Lowiana, a much debated point, and the differences between them, are 

 referred to under that species. 



A. FIRMA, Siebold. JAPANESE FlR. 



(Flora Japonica, ii., t. 107 ; A. bifida, Siebold, Flora Japonica, ii., t. 109.) 



A tree 120 to 150 ft. high in nature ; young shoots downy in the grooves 

 between the prominences on which the leaves are seated ; buds small, resinous. 

 Leaves aggregated into two opposite sets, spreading at about right angles to 

 the shoot and leaving a broad, V-shaped opening along the upper side ; they 

 are deep glossy green above, with two not very conspicuous bands of stomata 

 beneath ; f to \\ ins. long, jV to \ in. wide, very stiff, tapered somewhat towards 

 both ends, the apex distinctly notched, leaving two sharp, slender points. 



