2348 



ARBORETUM AND FHUT1CETUM. 



PART 111. 



1 10. P. BRACTEA'TA D. Don. The /m/y-bractecl Silver Fir. 



Plnus bracteata Lin. Trans., 17. p. 443 , Lamb. Pin., 3. ; P. venusta Dougl. in Com p. 



to Bot. Mag., 2. p. 152. 

 Engravings. Lamb. Pin., 3. t. 91. ; and our fig. 2256. from Lambert. 

 Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves 2-rpwed, linear, mucronate, flat, silvery beneath. Cones ovate. Bracteoles 



3-lobed ; the middle division very long, leaf-like, recurved. (D. Don.) Cones 4 in. long. Bractea 



nearly Sin. long. Leaves 2 in. long. A large tree, a native of California, discovered by Douglas in 



J832, and about the same period by Dr. Coulter, but not yet introduced. 



Description, (C. An elongated pyramidal tree. Trunk very>traight and slender, 120 ft. high; scarcely 

 1 ft. in diameter at base ; only the upper third covered with branches. Bark chestnut-brown. Branches 

 verticillate, spreading ; lower ones slightly decumbent Leaves crowded, scattered in insertion ; but 

 2-rowed, linear, mucronate, flat, coriaceous, rigid ; 2 in. to 3 in. long, 1 line broad ; light green, and 

 shining above, marked with a depressed line; silvery beneath, slightly revolute on the margin; 

 midrib and apex callous. Cones on adult branches only, solitary, lateral, almost sessile, erect, ovate 

 turgid ; 4 in. long, and 2 in. in diameter; with numerous, ovate-oblong, acute, scarious, torn, bright 

 brown, revolute, persistent scales, at the base ; scales kidney-shaped, roundish, concave, stalked, 

 thick, indurated ; pale brown, incurved on the margin, crenulate, glaucous externally ; stalk sharply 

 keeled above, shorter than the disk. Bracteas wedge-shaped, adpressed, coriaceous, rigid; of the 



2256 



same colour as the scales, but shorter ; adnate and callous below, 3-lobed at the apex : lobes lateral, 

 very short, roundish, irregularly dentate; middle one recurved, 1$ in. long, resembling true leaves 

 in every respect, but only half the breadth. Seeds wedge-shaped, oblong, tetragonal ; exterior 

 testa (primine) greyish brown, disjoined, and open at the interior angle, where the nucleus is 

 exposed, with the apex extended into the unequally sided, obovate, quite entire, thinly membrana- 

 ceous, flat, reticulated wing. Nucleus included in a crustaceous, dark brown, proper testa (secun- 

 dine), crowned at the apex by a very short, membranaceous ragged wing. (Don in Lin. Trans.) 

 This curious and interesting species of fir was discovered by Douglas, in March, 1832, on the high 

 mountains of Colombia. Dr. Coulter found it on the sea side range of Santa Lucia, about 1000 ft. 

 lower down than P. Cotilteri. The trunk rises to the height of 120 ft. ; is very slender, not exceed- 

 ing 2 ft in circumference -, and as straight as an arrow. The upper third of the tree is clothed with 

 branches, giving it the appearance of an elongated pyramid. The branches are spreading : the lower 



