PINACEAE 

 Norway Spruce 



Picea abies, (I,.) Karst. [Picea excelsa, Link] 



HABIT. A tree 50-70 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 

 1-3 feet; forming a dense, conical, spire-topped crown of numer- 

 ous, drooping branches which persist nearly to the ground. 



'LEAVBS. Spirally arranged along the twig ; crowded ; 

 24-1 inch long; rigid, curved, acute; lustrous, dark green. Per- 

 sistent 5-7 years. 



FLOWERS. May; monoecious; the. stain-mate ovoid to sub- 

 globose, long-stalked, reddish to yellowish, ^-i inch long; the 

 pistillate cylindrical, sessile, erect, i l / 2 -2 inches long. 



FRUIT. Autumn of first season; sessile, cylindrical cones 

 3-6 inches long, pendent from the tips of the uppermost branches ; 

 sterile scales very short, toothed ; seeds red-brown, rough, ^ inch 

 long, with long wings. 



WINTER-BUDS. Ovoid, acute, red-brown, not resinous, 

 about y% inch long. 



BARK. Twigs red- or orange-brown, smooth or corrugated ; 

 becoming thin and gray-brown on old trunks, slightly fissured, 

 scaly. 



WOOD. Light, strong, tough, elastic, soft, fine-grained, 

 white, with thick, indistinguishable sap wood. 



NOTES. Grows to a height of 120-150 feet in northern 

 Europe and Asia. Perfectly hardy in Michigan. Easily trans- 

 planted. Adapts itself to a variety of soils and climates. Grows 

 rapidly, but is short-lived in our country. Desirable for orna- 

 mental planting. Useful for shelter belts. 



25 



