Picea 



i37i 



beneath. Buds ovoid, acute at the apex, up to f in. long, shining reddish brown ; scales 

 closely imbricated, ovate, rounded at the apex. Young branchlets stout, glabrous, 

 shining, pale yellow. Leaves on lateral branchlets in an imperfect radial arrange- 

 ment, all directed outwards with their tips curving upwards ; about f to f in. 

 long, -j^ in. wide, very rigid, stout, curved, ending in a sharp spine-like point ; 

 compressed rhomboidal in section, with 4 to 6 lines of stomata on each of the four 

 surfaces. 



Cones, about 3 to 4 in. long, 1 \ in. in diameter when closed, yellowish green 

 when growing, shining chestnut brown when mature ; ovoid-cylindrical, obtuse at 

 the apex ; scales obovate, with a cuneate base, about ^ in. wide ; upper margin 

 rounded, with a few irregular denticulations ; bract oblong, \ in. long, slightly 

 narrowed at the denticulate apex. Seed mottled grey, about in. long, with wing 

 f in. long ; wing broadest near the truncate denticulate apex. 



The very rigid sickle-shaped leaves, ending in prickly spines, and arranged 

 radially on the branchlets, are unlike those of any other spruce. 



P. polita is confined to the main island of Japan, having nearly the same dis- 

 tribution as P. hondoensis and P. bicolor, extending from about lat. 35^- to lat. 38 , 

 and not reaching the extreme north of the island. It is found in warmer situations 

 than the other two spruces, and, unlike them, never forms pure woods. It always 

 occurs as isolated trees or in small groups, scattered through the broad-leaved forest. 

 It is the tallest of the three, the largest specimens seen by Mayr being nearly 120 ft. 

 high ; and is a much rarer tree, of no economic importance in Japan, where it is 

 known as hari-momi. 



This species was introduced into cultivation by J. Gould Veitch in 1861, and is 

 perfectly hardy ; but it has nowhere attained considerable dimensions. Kent states 

 that the best specimens occur in Devon and Cornwall ; but the largest which we 

 have seen is one at Highnam, Gloucester, 30 ft. by 2 ft. in 1910. There is also a 

 healthy specimen at Bayfordbury, planted in 1879, which has borne cones; and 

 another at Hatfield, very thriving. A tree at the Heatherside Nursery, Farnborough, 

 about 20 ft. high, bore cones in 1909. There are two good young trees at Castle 

 Kennedy. A fine specimen at Castlewellan, planted in 1884, was about 25 ft. high 

 in 1907. 



According to Mayr this species, with P. bicolor and P. pungens, are the latest to 

 grow in Germany, not opening their buds until June. It is much injured by squirrels, 

 and will probably be of no economic value, either on the Continent or in England. 



(A. H.) 



