Illustrations of Conifers. 45 



PICEA POLITA (Carriere). 



Gardeners' Chronicle, Vol. XIIL p. 288 (1880). 

 Veitch's Man. Com/, ed. 2, p. 446 (1900). 



A TREE attaining in Japan a height of 120 feet. Bark reddish-brown, 

 scaly. Branchlets stout, yellowish-brown, shining, glabrous. Buds 

 ovoid conic, about \ inch long, with ovate-obtuse reddish-brown 

 scales. Leaves on lateral branchlets arranged as in the common 

 spruce, f inch long, very rigid, curved or falcate, ending in a 

 spine-like cartilaginous point, quadrangular in section with four to 

 six lines of stomata on each of the four sides. 



Cones ellipsoid, 3-4 inches long, light reddish - brown ; scales 

 sub-orbicular, with the upper margin rounded and minutely denticu- 

 late ; bracts minute, linear, oblong, entire, apparently obsolete in 

 cultivated specimens. Seeds \ inch long with wings about f inch 

 long. 



Picea polita occurs as a rare tree in the main island of Japan 

 south of 38 latitude, and is always found in small groups or as 

 isolated specimens in forests of broad-leaved trees. It is however 

 much cultivated by the Japanese for decorative purposes. It was 

 introduced into cultivation by John Gould Veitch in 1861. 



There is a small specimen on the lawn at Bayfordbury which 

 coned freely in 1907. It is about 15 feet high and was planted in 

 1879. In 1908 seedlings were raised from seeds of this tree. 



