THE PLSTE SUB-FAMILY. 173 



smooth, with numerous, mostly entire, and loosely imbri- 

 cated scales. Seeds, quite small. 



A magnificent species from Upper California and north- 

 ward. It was first discovered by Lewis and Clarke, and 

 was afterward found by Jeffrey in Northern California, 

 and named by him " in compliment to Mr. Patton of the 

 Cairnies, in Scotland, a gentleman much interested in 

 Conifers." 



The size of this gigantic species varies considerably in 

 the different localities where it is found, but the greatest 

 heights mentioned by the discoverers appear almost in- 

 credible. Those described by Lewis and Clarke were fre- 

 quently 300 feet in height, and without any branches on 

 the stem for more than 200 feet, with a circumference of 

 42 feet at a point beyond the reach of an ordinary-sized 

 man. 



Jeffrey says : " It is a noble tree, rising to the height of 

 150 feet and 13^ feet in circumference, and towering above 

 the rest of the forest ; but as it ascends the mountain, it 

 gets gradually smaller, until at last it dwindles down into 

 a shrub not more than 4 feet high." 



"We have not yet tested this new and rare Conifer in the 

 open air, but as it comes from a high elevation (from 5,000 

 to 0,000 feet) and a section of country that produces other 

 trees that are hardy with us, we feel sanguine it will be 

 successful here. In England it is entirely hardy and much 

 admired, but its great scarcity, and the consequent high 

 price at which the young plants are held, Avill be a serious 

 obstacle to its general trial in our country. 



81 A. Smii liiana. London. HIMALAYAN SPRUCE. Syn. 

 A. Morinda, Hort.; A. Khutrow, London, with numerous 

 others under Pimis, JPicea, etc. Leaves, 1, H-, and 2 

 inches long, spreading, tetragonal, straight, rigid, very 

 sharply acute, pale green color, slightly glaucous beneath. 

 Branches and branchlets, numerous, horizontal, and droop- 

 ing, with light colored bark; the branchlets remotely 



