22 Illustrations of Conifers. 



ABIES PECTINATA (De Candolle). COMMON SILVER FIR. 



Veitch't Man. Conif. ed. 2, p. 580 (1900). 



Tree* of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. IV. p. 720 (1909). 



A TREE attaining in cultivation under favourable conditions a height 

 of 130 feet or more with a girth of 16 feet. Trunk straight and 

 tapering, often bare of branches for the greater part of its length. 



Bark of trunk smooth when young, becoming rough, fissured and 

 scaly in old age. Branches short, spreading horizontally ; branchlets 

 grey with scattered pubescence. 



Buds small, ovoid, non-resinous. Leaves pectinate, the lower 

 ones longer and spreading outwards, the upper ones directed upwards 

 and outwards, forming between the two sets a narrow V-shaped 

 depression, about 1 inch long, linear, flattened, with a rounded 

 minutely notched apex ; upper surface dark green and shining ; lower 

 surface with two white bands of stomata. 



Cones on short stout stalks, cylindrical, slightly narrowed at 

 both ends, 6-8 inches long by about 2 inches in diameter, greenish 

 when young but becoming brown when mature ; scales tomentose 

 externally, fan-shaped; bracts linear-spathulate, terminating in a long 

 reflexed mucro ; seed with wing about an inch long. 



The common Silver fir has an extensive range in the mountainous 

 regions of central and southern Europe. In France and Germany it 

 often forms large forests, and is also largely planted. 



Abies pectinata was introduced into England about 1600, and 

 thrives in the south and west of England and in Scotland and Ireland, 

 where there are many fine specimens ; old trees on account of their 

 great height are often damaged by the wind, their tops becoming 

 ragged and broken. The timber is said to be superior to that of 

 spruce for constructive purposes, but is little used in England. 



The tallest specimen at Bayfordbury has attained a height of 

 110 feet. 



