124 ABIES 



scarcely a good tree exists in the country. I saw a small healthy specimen at 

 Scone Palace in 1906. Two years later, in Mr Hesse's nursery at Weener, 

 in Hanover, I saw a healthy batch he had raised from seeds. I do not know 

 that it has borne cones in this country (the fir figured in the Botanical Magazine, 

 t. 8098, is A. Webbiana). Maries' fir is best distinguished by the thick red- 

 brown covering of down on the twigs. 



A. NOBILIS, Lindley. NOBLE FIR. 



A tree up to 200 ft. high in nature, and already more than half that height 

 in cultivation in Britain ; young shoots clothed with a reddish brown minute 

 down ; buds roundish, resinous, surrounded at the base by a collar of long- 

 pointed scales free at the tips. Leaves to \\ ins. long, ^ in. wide, 

 distinctly grooved on the top, round at the apex, glaucous green, with stomata 

 both above and below ; the leaves are very densely arranged on the upper side 

 and at the sides of the shoot, leaving it exposed only underneath ; the upper 

 leaves have their bases flattened to the shoot (completely hiding it), then curve 

 abruptly upwards. Cones 6 to 10 ins. long, 3 to 3^ ins. wide, cylindrical, 

 rounded at the top, of a rich brown-purple, with the green bracts conspicuously 

 protruded and reflexed. 



Native of Oregon, Washington, and California ; introduced by Douglas in 

 1825. No fir introduced from Western N. America has succeeded better than 

 this in certain parts of the British Isles, in Scotland especially. It varies in 

 the intensity of its glaucous hue, the form most striking in this respect being 

 distinguished as var. GLAUCA. The larger trees in this country produce cones 

 in great profusion. These cones are the largest among firs, and, standing 

 stiffly erect, their size and rich colour render them very striking. The finest 

 trees I have seen are at Murthly, near Perth, and the species evidently enjoys 

 a moist climate and a deep soil. It is liable to the attacks of an insect which 

 induces gouty swellings ; the best remedy for this is spraying with an emulsion 

 of paraffin and soft soap in April. This fir is most closely allied to A. magnifica 

 (g.v.\ but is of more spreading habit, and the leaves are different. Both are 

 distinct from other firs, in the crowded leaves on the upper side of the branchlet 

 having their bases flattened against it. 



A. NORDMANNTANA, Spach. CAUCASIAN FlR. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 6992.) 



A tree described as reaching 200 ft. in height in a wild state, with a trunk 

 4 to 5 ft. in diameter ; young shoots shining grey-brown, furnished with short 

 stiff hairs ; buds not resinous, ovate. Leaves very densely arranged, mostly 

 on the upper side of the shoot, the lower ones being the longer, and spreading 

 horizontally ; the upper ones shorter, and pointing forward ; it is only on weak 

 shoots that any indication of a two-ranked or V-shaped arrangement is seen. 

 The leaves -measure f to i^ ins. in length, ^ to ^ in. wide, apex rounded and 

 notched ; very dark glossy green above, midrib sunken, two whitish stomatic 

 bands beneath. Cones 5 or 6 ins. long, if to 2 ins. wide, cylindrical or tapered 

 towards the top, reddish brown ; scales ij to i| ins. wide, to | in. deep ; 

 bracts conspicuously protruded and bent downwards. 



Native of the Caucasus, Greece, and Asia Minor ; discovered in 1836, and 

 introduced about ten years later. It is undoubtedly one of the handsomest and, 

 in most places, best-growing of the firs, although in some places it is very 

 subject to the attacks of aphis. Trees approaching 90 ft. in height exist in the 

 British Isles. In foliage it is not unlike the W. American A. amabilis, which 

 has, however, more rounded and resinous buds, and cones with enclosed bracts. 



