232 TREES IN WINTER. 



NORWAY SPRUCE 



Picea Abies (L.) Karst. 

 P. excelsa Link. 



HABIT — A large rapidly growing- tree, 50-100 ft. or more in height 

 with a trunk diameter up to 2 ft.; with spreading horizontal or ascending 

 branches and in mature trees generally with strongly drooping lateral 

 branchlets, forming a rather broad pyramidal head; foliage dark green. 

 The tree usually has a single erect trunk continuous into the crown 

 but although the tree photographed shows a double stem it is typical 

 in general ovitline. 



BARK — Reddish-brown, on young trunks and branches smoothish with 

 very fine flaky scales becoming with age roughened with larger thicker 

 flaky scales. 



TAVIGS — Brown, smooth or hairy. 



LEAF-SCARS — Alternate, more than 2-ranked, on strongly projecting 

 decurrent ridges of the bark. 



LEAVES — Dark green and usually shining, 4-angled, 15-25 mm. long, 

 sharp-pointed, without proper leaf-stalks. 



BUDS — Ovate, pointed, light brown. 



FRXTIT — Cylindrical-oblong, pendant cones, 4-7 inches long, light 

 reddish-brown, falling after the first winter. SCALES — thin, stiff, gener- 

 ally broad'er than long, margin more or less irregular and finely toothed. 



COMPARISOA^S— ^The large cones form the most distintive character 

 of the Norway Spruce, and when present easily separate this species 

 from all others with which it might be confused. The pendant lateral 

 branches generally strikingly noticeable on the older trees together 

 with the vigor of growth furnish good habit characters of distinction. 



DISTRIBUTION — A large tree of Europe especially abundant in Nor- 

 way; largely cultivated in this country as ornamental individual trees, 

 in hedges and for windbreaks. 



\%^OOD — Light, soft, close-grained, reddish to yellowish white; used 

 for spars, oars and masts to small vessels. 



