278 THE CULTIVATED EVERGREENS 



(P. excelsa Gregormna f. Parsonsii, Hornibrook. P. excelsa Clanhrasiliana, 

 Parsons, not Carr.). Similar to var. Gregoryana, but of loose more straggling 

 habit, with spreading branches and pendulous branchlets: leaves thinner and 

 flatter, more distant, pectinately arranged. Var. Maxwellii, Nash (Abies 

 excelsa Maxwellii, R. Smith, not P. excelsa Maxwellii, Beiss.). A low, flat, 

 dense form, not exceeding 2 feet in height with very short and thick, whitish 

 to yellow-brown branchlets and light green radially arranged leaves tapering 

 to a fine hair-like point. Var. nana, Nash (P. excelsa nana, Carr.). A de- 

 pressed-globose or sometimes conical form with very crowded ascending 

 branches and short orange-yellow branchlets, sometimes swollen and mon- 

 strous with larger and stouter leaves and large buds: leaves radially arranged, 

 rather distant and nearly appressed, about 3^ inch long, stiff, abruptly 

 tapering to a sharp point. Var. procumbens, Rehd. (P. excelsa procumbens, 

 Carr.). Prostrate Norway S. A prostrate form with horizontal branches 

 and numerous stiff bright yellow branchlets in flat layers: leaves pointing 

 forward, yellow-green, thin and flat, 3^-K inch long, pointed. Var. tabuli- 

 formis, Th. Fries (P. excelsa tabuliformis, Carr.). A low flat form with 

 horizontally spreading branches and rather distant, thin, yellow-brown 

 branchlets: leaves pointing slightly up and forward, yellow-green, very thin, 

 ]4-V^ inch long, blunt. Var. microsperma, Rehd. (P. excelsa var. micro- 

 sperma, Hornibrook). Plate XXXIV. A dense, compact, conical or round 

 bush with much crowded and ascending branches and branchlets, the latter 

 gray-brown: leaves light bright green, close-set and pointing forward, thick, 

 slightly curved and blunty pointed, about 3^ inch long. 



There are two forms of the Norway spruce differing in the color of the 

 young cone: Var. chlorocarpa, Th. Fries (P. excelsa var. chlorocarpa, Purk.). 

 Young cones green: leaves obtusish, more or less appressed; leafing later. 

 Var. erythrocarpa, Rehd. (P. excelsa var. erythrocarpa, Purk.). Young cones 

 violet-purple: leaves more or less spreading; leafing earlier. — A form occasion- 

 ally found wild in central and northern Europe is var. nigra, Th. Fries (P. 

 excelsa var. nigra, Willk. Abies excelsa var. nigra. Loud.). Densely branched 

 pyramidal form with crowded falcate, obtusish, dark green leaves. 



11. P. obovata, Ledeb. (P. excelsa var. obovata, Blytt. P. Abies var. 

 obovata, Voss). Tree to 100 feet, similar in habit to the following species, with 

 somewhat pendulous branchlets brown when young and minutely pubescent; 

 winter-buds conical with closely appressed scales, the terminal bud at base 

 with acuminate keeled ciliate scales: leaves quadrangular, slightly higher 

 than broad, acute, Yr^A inch long, dull or bluish-green: female flowers 

 purple: cone oblong-ovoid, about 2j^2 inches long, light brown; scales broad 

 and rounded at apex, entire. Northern Europe and northern Asia to Kam- 

 chatka and Manchuria. — Hardy as far north as Canada and probably to 

 Saskatchewan. A smaller, slow-growing and more graceful tree than the 



