CONIFERS 



SILVER FIR, Abies pectinata. 



Parks, plantations. May. Best in moist, open soil ; will grow beneath the 

 shade and drip of other trees. 



Flowers monoecious ; Blalcs crowded in leaf axils of shoots of preceding 

 year, especially at tip of tree, | in. long, 2-3 whorls of overlapping pale green 

 scales, enclosing greenish-yellow stamens ; Females cylindrical, erect, on upper 

 side of apex of last year's shoots of top branches (August), 1-1| in. long, 

 numerous pale green bracts, scales pale green, obovate, toothed, tip prolonged 

 beyond seminiferous scales ; Fruit a cone, axillary, erect, cylindrical, 6-8 ins. 

 long, l|-2 ins. broad, brown, seminiferous scales falling with seeds, bract scales 

 ^Ij in. long, \\ in. broad ; seeds triangular, abounding in balsam. 



Leaves linear, solitary, flat, twisted at base so as to lie in two horizontal rows, 

 obtuse, stiff, turned up at points, shining green above, two silvery-white lines 

 for 6-9 years, one on each side of midrib beneath, ^-1 in. long, persistent, 

 brown scale-like leaves on buds, persisting at base of each year's growth. 



An evergreen tree, 80-120 ft. ; Branches horizontal, lower ones shed after 

 40-50 years ; Bark smooth, greyish-brown, in old trees rugged, fissured longitudi- 

 nally, silvery-grey ; slow growth when young ; Wood yellowish-white, strong, 

 not warping, does not withstand weather ; used for masts and in building, also 

 for wood-pulp in paper-making ; Strasburg turpentine obtained from resin 

 cavities under bark. 



Native of Central and S. Europe; introduced about 1603; lives about 400 

 years ; specimens on Continent nearly 200 ft. high. Specific name from L. 

 pecfcii, iiiis, a comb ; pecto, I comb. 



liaiL- and Buds attacked by Fir \\''eevil {lljilohius ahictis). Typographer 

 Bark Beetle (Bust ric/ius typographus). 



Fungoid Pest: — Spruce Nectria {Xectria cucurbit ula). 



SPANISH SILVER FIR, Abies Pinsapo. 



Parks, lawns. May. Well adapted for planting on chalk or hmestone, doing 



well on exposed ground. 



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