BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF LOBLOLLY PINE. 123 



Such trees, however, have at no time been plentiful and at present are rarely met. In its 

 average growth the diameter of the trunk, breast high, measures from 20 to 2i inches, and the 

 height from 95 to 110 feet. In wet places, somewhat distended at its base, the trunk tapers very 

 gradually to the crown, which covers from one-third to one-half of its height. The lowest limbs 

 are horizontally spreading, and toward the upper part of the tree tliey become gradually more erect. 

 The largest limbs are rarely found over 20 feet in length. The primary branches dividing in a 

 regular order of ramifleatiou iuto numerous branches and branchlets, the crown becomes full and 

 compact toward the top. The bark of the full-grown tree is, in the lower part of trunk, from 1 to 

 li inches thick, generally rough, of a grayish color, becoming smoother, flaky, and reddish brown 

 as the tree grows older. 



LEAVES. 



The leaves are united, to the number of three, in a smooth, close sheath, which in the young 

 foliage is about 1 inch long and iu tbe next season scarcely half that length. (PI. XIX, c, b, d.) 



In the bushy growth of less thau ten years the leaves are scarcely 5 inches in length, resem- 

 bling closely the foliage of the Shortleaf Pine of equal age. Prof. L. Ward notes this resemblance 

 as a singular fact, which, as he very pointedly remarks, has the effect of obscuring the gradual 

 appearance of this species among the young growth of the Shortleaf Pine.' In the following 

 years the leaves are from 7 to 9 inches long, less densely crowded on the slender branches than iu 

 the Longleaf and Cuban Pine; the foliage is of a more open spray, and persisting to the third year. 

 The leaves are stiff, slightly twisted, roughish on the finely serrulated edges and the prominent 

 midrib, channeled on the upper side, abruptly tipped by a rigid, sharp point (PI. XIX, c, d), and 

 of a pale green color. They are scarcely one-sixteenth of an inch wide, about half as thick, and 

 present in the cross section on the dorsal side a convex and on the ventral side a strongly trian- 

 gular outline. Examined under the microscope tbey show on both surfaces from 10 to 12 rows 

 of rather large breathing pores (stomata), alternating with rows of numerous hypodermal or 

 strengthening cells, in several layers. The cells of the bundle sheath are thin walled; the fibro- 

 vascular bundles are, on their ventral side, surrounded by a single row of small strengthening 

 cells. The rather large resinous ducts, from 3 to 5 in number, are peripheral, and placed irregu- 

 larly mostly about the angles (PI. XIX, c); sometimes smaller ducts are observed close to the 

 bundle sheath. 



FLOUAL OnC.ANS. 



The staminate flowers are crowded, from 18 to 20 in number, below the apex of the youngest 

 shoot. (PI. XIX, a.) They are from three-fourths to one inch long, of sulphur-yellow color, and 

 surrounded at the base by from 8 to 10 ovate to lanceolate, leathery, involucral scales; the 

 lowest pair is much shorter thau the others and strongly keeled; those of the uppermost row are 

 longest, narrow, lanceolate, and retiexed. The anthers are crowned with an erect orbicular crest. 

 After the discharge of the pollen the flowers are gradually shed. The pistillate flowers form au 

 oblong, erect catkin, borne on a short stalk, singlj', in pairs, sometimes 3 to 4, below the apex of 

 the shoot (PI. XX, a) of the season, which by the time of blooming has already reached a length 

 of several inches and is covered with the well-advanced leaf buds. Including their stipe, tlie 

 female aments are about one-half to three-fourths of au inch long, surrounded by from 15 to 20 

 involucral scales similar to those of the staminate flower. The carpellary scales are ovate, lanceo- 

 late, tapering to a sharp, erect, and somewhat reflexed and twisted point. The small bracts sub- 

 tending the scales are orbicular, scarcely covering their base. 



The flowers open, in the coast region of the lower Southern States, about the second week of 

 March (Mobile, Ala., March 15 to 20), and in the interior from four to five weeks later (Cullman, 

 Ala., April 25). 



Immediately after pollination the female catkins increase rapidly in size; before ten days have 

 passed the carpellary scales have doubled in size, and their tips become stiffly erect, the bracts 

 having remained, stationary in their growth, and the fertile shoots having grown to the length of 

 8 inches and over. This period passed, the growth of the conelets during the rest of the season 

 proceeds very slowly. 



' L. Ward : Botanical Gazette, February, 1886. 



