CHAP. CXIII. CONl'FER/E, PI^NUS. 2159 



* P.s.lOalfaica Ledebour. A plant in the Horticultural Society's Garden, 

 raised from seeds received from Dr. Ledebour in 1836, and which 

 is only between 3 in. and 4 in. high. 



i P. s. 11 tortuosa Don of Forfar. This variety Mr. Don describes as 

 having the leaves shorter than P. s. vulgaris, and somewhat curled, 

 or, rather, twisted. He only saw three or four trees of it, and thinks 

 it nearly approaches the P. Banksiawa of Lambert. 



Other Varieties of curious or botanical Interest. Several names might be 

 added from books ; but, as we have not seen the plants, or seen them only 

 in a very young state, we do not think them worth notice. We might have 

 included in the list, P. (s.) pumflio, and its subvariety P. (s.) p. Miighus ; 

 but though we have no doubt of their being only varieties of P. sylve'stris, 

 yet they are so very different both in appearance and magnitude, that we 

 think them well worth keeping distinct. 



Description. The wild, or Scotch, pine, in favourable situations, attains the 

 height of from 80ft. to 100ft., with a trunk from 2ft. to 4ft. in diameter, 

 and a head somewhat oonical or rounded, but, as compared with the heads 

 of broad-leaved trees, generally narrow in proportion to its height. The 

 bark is of a reddish tinge, comparatively smooth, scaling off in some 

 varieties, and rough and furrowed in others. The trunk, when the tree stands 

 singly, is generally furnished with branches from within a short distance of 

 the ground to the summit; nevertheless, in this, as in all the species of the 

 pine and fir tribe, the lower branches have a greater tendency to decay and 

 fall off than in broad-leaved trees. In like manner, when the trees are grown 

 in masses, the branches die off sooner, and so much so, that no European 

 broad-leaved tree, of equal girt of trunk, is found clear of branches to so 

 great a height as the wild pine. The branches are disposed in whorls from 

 2 to 4 together, and sometimes 5 or 6 : they are at first slightly turned 

 upwards, but, as the tree advances, in growth they take a horizontal 

 tendency, and finally become somewhat pendent, with the exception of 

 those branches which form the summit of the tree. The leaves are in 

 sheaths, spirally disposed on the branches ; they are distinguishable at first 

 sight from those of all other pines in which the leaves are in pairs, by being 

 much more glaucous, more especially when in a young state, and straighter. 

 Those of P. Banksfwa and P. inops are also rather glaucous when young, 

 but they are much shorter and more twisted. Those of P. Laricio and P. re- 

 sinosa can never be mistaken for those of P. sylvestris, from not being glaucous, 

 and from their much greater length ; nor those of the section Tae'da from their 

 being 3 in a sheath. Examined more minutely, the leaves of P. sylvestris will 

 be found to have their two interior surfaces (which, while they are in the sheath, 

 face each other) quite flat, or nearly concave, so as to form before they expand, 

 or when they are pressed together, a cylinder of about half a line in diameter. 

 The general length of the leaves, in vigorous-growing trees under 20 or 25 

 years' growth, is from 2 in. to 3 in. ; but in old trees they are much shorter : 

 they are smooth on both surfaces, stiff) obtuse at the extremities, with a small 

 point, and minutely serrated; dark green on the upper (that is, the flat or 

 concave) side, and glaucous and striated on the under side, which is convex. 

 They remain green on the tree during four years, and generally drop off at 

 the commencement of the fifth year. Long before this time, and generally at 

 the beginning of the second year, they have entirely lost their light glaucous 

 hue, and have become of the dark sombre appearance which is charac- 

 teristic of this tree at every season except that of summer, when the young 

 glaucous shoots of the yeaV give it a lighter hue. The flowers appear com- 

 monly from the middle of May till the middle of June. The male catkins are 

 from ^ in. to 1 in. or more in length ; and they are placed in a whorl or whorls 

 at the extremities of the branches of the preceding year, and round the base 

 of the young shoots of the current year. The flowers are composed of two 

 or more stamens; each stamen being surmounted by two anthers of a sulphur 

 colour. The anthers contain a considerable quantity of yellow powder, which, 



7 A 



