CONIFERS. (PINE FAMILY.) 423 



2. A. Fraseri, Pursh. (SMALL-FRUITED or DOUBLE BALSAM FIR.) 



Cones small (l'-2' long), oblong-ovate; the bracts oblong-wedge-shaped, short-point- 

 ed, the upper part much projecting and rejlexed. (A. balsamifera, Michx. fl.) 

 Mountains of Penn., Virginia, and southward on the highest Alleghanies. Also 

 on the mountains of W. New England ? Foliage, &c. nearly as in the last. 



2. Cones hanging, terminal; the bracts evanescent ; the scales persistent on the axis: 



sterile catkins scattered: anther-cells opening lengthwise. (PicEA, Link, Sfc.) 



* Leaves 2-ranked, Jlat, whitened underneath* 



3. A. CanadensiS, Michx. (HEMLOCK SPRUCE.) Leaves linear, flat, 

 obtuse (' long) ; cones oval, of few scales, little longer than the leaves (f ' long). 



Hilly or rocky woods ; very common northward, and rare southward in the 

 Alleghanies. A large tree, when young the most graceful of Spruces, with a 

 light, spreading spray, and delicate foliage, bright green above, silvery under- 

 neath. Timber very coarse-grained and poor. 



* * Leaves needle-shaped, ^-angular, equally distributed all around the branch. 



4. A. nigra, Poir. (BLACK SPRUCE/ DOUBLE SPRUCE.) Leaves 

 short ('-' long), rigid, dark green; cones ovate or ovate-oblong (!'- 1^' long) ; 

 the scales with a thin and wavy or eroded edge. Swamps and cold mountain 

 woods, New England to Wisconsin and northward, and southward along the 

 mountains. A common variety in New England has lighter-colored or glau- 

 cous-green leaves, rather more slender and loosely spreading, and is undistin- 

 guishable from the next, except by the cones. 



5. A. alba, Michx. (WHITE or SINGLE SPRUCE.) Cones oblong-cylin- 

 drical (l'-2' long), the scales with firm and entire edges: otherwise as in the 

 lighter-colored variety of the last. In similar situations, but only northward. 

 Probably these two, with the Red Spruce, are mere forms of one species. 



A. EXCELS A, the NORWAY SPRUCE, is now much planted : it is a much 

 finer tree, and thrives better than our indigenous species of this group. 



3. JLAKIX, Toum. LARCH. 



Catkins lateral and scattered, bud-like. Sterile flowers nearly as in Pinus, 

 but the pollen of simple spherical grains. Cones ovoid, erect ; the bracts and 

 scales persistent; otherwise as in Abies. Leaves deciduous, soft, all folia- 

 ceous ; the primary ones scattered ; the secondary very many in a fascicle de- 

 veloped in early spring from lateral scaly and globular buds. Fertile catkins 

 crimson or red in flower. (The ancient name.) '' \ g 



1. Li. Americana, Michx. (AMERICAN or BLACK LARCH. TAMA- 

 RACK. HACKMATACK.) Leaves almost thread-form ; cones ovoid, of few 

 rounded scales. (P. pendula, Ait.} Swamps, New England to Penn. and 

 Wisconsin, and (chiefly) northward. A slender tree, with heavy, close-grained 

 wood, and slender horizontal branches, more slender and usually shorter leaves 

 than the European Larch; which is a handsomer tree, and has the scales of 

 its larger cones arranged in the order ^, while those of the American are only |. 



The RED LARCH (P. microcarpa, Lambert] appears to be orlv a Northern 

 varietv. 



