90 THE BOOK OF EVERGREENS. 



appears to have been misinformed in regard to the true 

 species, or, as is very probable, has overlooked this dispo- 

 sition of the leaves to sport into threes; for he says in his 

 description of this species : 



" The P. vartabUis of Lambert's Finns, is unquestion- 

 ably a totally different plant from the P. mitis, of Mich- 

 aux ; being without the violet-colored glaucous bloom on 



7 O O 



the young shoots, having rigid leaves, generally in threes, 

 and a cone with very strong prickles like that of P. Tceda, 

 to which species we have referred it." We have occasionally 

 seen specimens that were entirely devoid of the violet color 

 on the young shoots as above referred to, and in fact, very 

 different from the species in many minor points, but yet 

 grown from the same tree as others that had every peculi- 

 arity of P. mitis fully developed. P. mitis appears more 

 nearly allied to P, inops than any other, and young plants 

 of each are extremely difficult to be distinguished. 



10. P. Muffho, Bauhin. MUGFIO PIXE. Syn. P. 

 Mughus, London. P. sylvestris Mugho, Bauhin. 

 Leaves, nearly 2 inches long, rigid, twisted, dark green 

 color. Cones, conical, shorter than the leaves, sessile, very 

 resinous, generally in pairs, with the scales ending in a 

 pyramidal, quadrangular recurved spine. Sterile aments, 

 almost sessile, and the anthers surmounted by an oval, 

 membranaceous crest. Branches, very numerous and as- 

 cending, thickly covered with leaves and a light colored 

 bark. 



This dwai-fish tree, or shrub, has been the subject of 

 many mistakes, not only in nomenclature, but by venders 

 distributing all kinds of stunted Pines under this name. 

 But the great majority of mistakes have occurred by con- 

 founding the true species with its var. rostrata, under the 

 common name or synonym of P. montana, and also with 

 the P. pumilio / they are so very similar in general ap- 

 pearance, that in the absence of the cones, it is a difficult 

 task to distinguish them. We follow Gordon in his clas- 

 sification of the varieties. 



