126 ABIES 



thick, round-ended, or notched leaves all over the upper side of the shoot, the 

 middle ones of which often point backwards. On weak shoots these characters 

 are not so marked. 



A. PECTINATA, De Candolle. COMMON SILVER FIR. 



A tree up to 120 ft. high in Britain, with a trunk 5 to 6^ ft. in thickness ; 

 young shoots brownish grey, covered with a short down ; winter buds not 

 resinous. Leaves usually in two opposite sets spreading horizontally, but 

 occasionally with others on the upper side pointing forwards ; to i ins. long, 

 the upper ranks of each set the smaller and scarcely half as long as the lower 

 ones ; 1*6 to ^- in. wide, notched at the blunt apex, dark glossy green above, with 

 two white stomatic bands beneath. Cones 4^- to 6 ins. long, i^ to 2 ins. wide ; 

 at first green, then reddish brown; the bracts protruded and reflexed. On cone- 

 bearing branches the leaves become pointed, shorter, stifTer, and curved upwards. 



Native of the mountains of Central and S. Europe ; cultivated in England 

 for more than three centuries. Although the common silver fir refuses to grow 

 in the hot, dry, lower Thames Valley, and does not thrive well in many low- 

 lying parts of the south of England, it is, on the whole, much the finest of all 

 silver firs in the British Isles. In the moist valleys of Scotland it reaches 

 magnificent proportions. A tree at Drummond Castle, in Perthshire, blown 

 down in November 1893, measured 6j ft. in diameter of trunk, and there are 

 numerous trees in the same county reaching no to 120 ft. in height. In the 

 splendid state forests near Ischl, in Austria, I measured in 1908 a felled tree 

 150 ft. long, but Mr Elwes mentions trees nearly or quite 200 ft. high in the 

 virgin forests of Bosnia. A generous rainfall and a situation reasonably free 

 from late spring frosts appear to be necessary for its success. For under- 

 planting the silver fir is invaluable, but it is the only species of Abies really 

 patient of shade. 



Var. PENDULA has very weeping branches ; found wild in the Vosges. 



Van PYRAMIDALIS. A striking fastigiate tree of spire-like form, tapering to 

 a fine point. The finest tree I have seen is in the Segrez Arboretum, in France, 

 which was 30 to 35 ft. high in 1904. 



A. FIND ROW, Spach. HIMALAYAN FIR. 



(A. Webbiana var. Pindrow, Brandish) 



A lofty tree with a trunk 6 to 8 ft. in diameter ; trees in this country of 

 slender pyramidal form ; young shoots smooth, shining, yellowish grey ; winter 

 buds globose, very resinous, bluish at the base. Leaves narrowly linear, \\ to 

 2| ins. long, ^ in. to ^ in. wide ; divided at the apex into two sharp unequal 

 points ; bright green above, and with two faintly defined stomatic bands 

 beneath. The leaves are arranged on all sides of the shoot except underneath, 

 the side ones spreading horizontally, the uppermost ones pointing forwards On 

 young plants the leaves are sharply pointed and not divided at the apex Cones 

 4^ to 6 ins. long, 2^ to 3 ins. wide, deep purple, then brown ; bracts short and 

 completely hidden. 



Native of the Himalaya, where it has been found over 200 ft. high ; intro- 

 duced in 1837. There are numerous trees between 50 and 70 ft. high in this 

 country, and some have produced cones. Although coming from a lower 

 elevation than A. Webbiana and considered to be more tender, it has the 

 advantage of starting into growth later, and thus more often escapes spring 

 frosts. It is seen at its best in the milder, moister parts of the country, and is 

 then extremely handsome. It has been associated as a variety with A. 

 Webbiana, although two firs could scarcely be more distinct. The rough, 

 downy shoots of A. Webbiana, its round-ended leaves vividly white beneath. 

 and the more spreading habit, amply distinguish it. 



