THE PIXE SUB-FAMILY. 189 



suffered in the severe winters two years ago, when so 

 many Conifers were injured. It is an Abies of such singu- 

 larly dwarf habit that it might almost be compared with 

 a Heath; leaves, very dark green, with a white streak be- 

 neath, rough at the edge, and no bigger than those of 

 Menziesia polifolia" 



17. A, Douijlasii, Lindley. DOUGLAS' SPRUCE. Syn. 

 Tsuga Douglasii, Carriere. Leaves, from 1 to \\ inches 

 long, linear, obtuse, flat, quite entire, dark green above, 

 silvery glaucous below. Branches, horizontal, drooping, 

 with light brown bark. Cones, from 2 to 3 or 4 inches 

 long, ovate-oblong, light brown ; bracts, numerous at the 

 base ; scales, thin, smooth, entire, round, coriaceous, per- 

 sistent ; bracteoles, linear, membranaceous, twice as long 

 as the scales, with acuminate teeth. Seeds, small, oval, 

 with a crustaceous testa, and a short, elliptic, obtuse wing. 



This splendid Conifer was first discovered by Menzies 

 in the year 1797, at Nootka Sound, during the voyage of 

 Vancouver, and from the specimens then procured the 

 name of JPlnus taxi/olid was given it by Lambert. This 

 specific name, however, now belongs to a beautiful variety 

 of it that will be mentioned hereafter. It was subse- 

 quently found by Douglas, who determined its true char- 

 acter, and in whose honor it has been named. 



Throughout northwestern America, and principally 

 along the coast from the latitude of 43 to 52, it consti- 

 tutes the greater portion of the heavily wooded timber ; 

 and according to Xuttall it extends into the valleys of the 

 Rocky Mountains eastward to the upper waters of the 

 Platte and the Blue Mountains of Oregon. 



The size of some of these trees is immense. Douglas 

 records their height at from 100 to 180 feet, and from 2 to 

 10 feet in diameter ; one of these prostrate stumps at Fort 

 George on the Columbia measured 48 feet in circumfer- 

 ence at 3 feet from the ground, and 150 feet still remained 

 without any branches. It is supposed that the immense 



