Coniferce A dies. 427 



ties, but this enumeration will be sufficient for all but collec- 

 tors. The Common Spruce is found in the mountain valleys 

 of Central and the plains of Northern Europe and Asia. 



2. A. alba. White Spruce. A handsome compact-growing 

 small tree 50 to 70 feet high, resembling the Common Spruce, 

 but with shorter thicker less sharply pointed pale glaucous 

 green leaves, and small cylindrical cones from 1 to 2 inches 

 long. Scales of the cone entire. A native of Canada and 

 other parts of North America. The variety minima is an ex- 

 tremely diminutive plant of globular form. It is the echino- 

 formis of French gardens. The varieties glauca and cceriilea 

 differ merely in the tint of the foliage. 



3. A. nlgra. Black Spruce. This species has the small 

 cones of the last species, but the scales are irregularly toothed 

 at the margin. The foliage too is of a deep dark green colour. 

 Neither this nor the last equal the Common Spruce as an 

 ornamental tree, for they both lose their beauty as they grow 

 old. A. Tubra^ Ked Spruce, is a variety of this with redder 

 bark and cones. Both occur in the northern parts of North 

 America. 



A. obovata and A. orientalis are two closely allied species or 

 forms of one species, the former from Siberia, and the latter 

 from the countries bordering the Black Sea. They are re- 

 markable for their compact habit and small slender foliage, 

 and loose cones from 2 to 3 inches long. The latter is some- 

 times found under the alias of Wittmaniana and is a slow- 

 growing handsome tree. 



4. A. Menziesii. This is a tree from 50 to 70 feet or more 

 high with very rigid slender divergent crowded mucronate 

 leaves about an inch long, bright green above, glaucous 

 beneath. Cones about 3 or 4 inches long. Scales thin, oblong, 

 toothed. A very hardy species, not so. ornamental as some 

 others on account of the early loss of its leaves. Northern 

 California. 



5. A. Smithiana, syn. A. Morinda. A large tree with 

 graceful drooping branches densely clothed with rigid sharply 

 mucronate bright green leaves from 1J to 2 inches long. Cones 

 from 4 to 6 inches long, with broad entire rather thick shining 

 brown scales. This is a native of the mountains of Northern 

 India, China, and Japan. Unlike many of its class, this tree in- 

 creases in beauty with size, and on the same soil and in the 

 same situation it gradually assumes a beautiful form from the 



