Great Silver Fir 



79 



curved on the upper fertile branches; a cross-section of the leaf shows two resin- 

 ducts at the epidermis of the under side. The staminate flowers are oblong- 

 cylindric, lo to 15 mm. long, the pistillate rather narrowly cyhndric, 3 to 4 cm. 

 long. The oblong cones are a little narrowed toward each end, rounded or some- 

 what sunken at the apex, 7 to 15 cm. long, slightly hairy, yellow or green to pur- 

 ple, their fan-shaped scales usually 3.5 to 4 cm. wide, and three fourths as long; 

 the papery bracts, which are scarcely half the length of the scales, are spatulate, 

 toothed, notched, and bristle-pointed. The dull brown seed is about 8 mm. long, 

 the broad, shining, Hght purpHsh or brown wing scarcely twice their length. 



Fig. 60. Silver Fir. 



The wood is very soft, of medium strength, coarse-grained; its specific gravity 

 is about 0.36. It is inodorous, on which account it is largely used in the manu- 

 facture of tubs for butter. 



Its adaptability to various conditions of soil makes this one of the most satis- 

 factory American coniferous trees for ornamental planting. 



Low's fir, Abies Lowiana A. Murray, which occurs in the region of Mt. Shasta 

 and southward in California, is considered by some a distinct species; its leaves are 

 darker green and the cones chestnut brown. 



5. GREAT SILVER FIR Abies grandis Lindley 



This tree, which reaches a maximum height of 90 meters, with a trunk diameter 

 of 1.5 meters, is also called Yellow fir, Oregon fir. Western white fir. Grand fir. 



