Picea 1373 



cannot stand. Maximowicz gave a correct descriptfon of the species under the name 

 Abies bicolor in 1866. 



As explained in our article ^ on P. hondoensis, seeds of both species were early 

 distributed as P. Alcockiana ; and in gardens most trees named P. Alcockiana are in 

 reality P. hondoensis. 



This species was introduced into the St. Petersburg Botanic Garden by seeds 

 sent from Japan in 1868 by Tschonoski under the name Abies acicularis,^ Maxi- 

 mowicz. 



Distribution 



This species occurs only in the main island of Japan, where, like P. hondoensis 

 and P.polita, it is confined to the central ranges between lat. 35^° and lat. 38". It 

 forms part of the coniferous forest, which covers these mountains at varying altitudes 

 from south to north, usually above the zone of broad-leaved trees ; but occasionally 

 scattered trees are met with in the upper limits of this zone. Mayr never saw any 

 trees over 80 ft. in height, though he thinks that it occasionally attains greater 

 dimensions. 



This species is rare in collections, the largest we have seen being at Kew, where 

 there are two trees, 25 and 30 ft. high, one of which bore cones in 1900. There are 

 also specimens at Westonbirt, Pencarrow, Murthly, Castle Kennedy, and Glasnevin. 

 Mr. H. Clinton Baker collected cones from the tree at Pencarrow in August 1908 ; 

 and I saw at Castlewellan in 1907 a tree about 20 ft. high bearing cones. 



The tree at Blackford Park, Edinburgh, mentioned by Kent, was planted about 

 1 88 2- 1 884, and measured 20 ft. by i ft. 7 in. in 1906. The gardener, Mr. Small, 

 states that it is late in starting into growth in the spring, and in consequence escapes 

 late frosts. 



Probably the finest tree in cultivation is growing in Mr. Hunnewell's pinetum 

 at Wellesley, Mass., U.S.A. It bears cones freely, some of which I gathered in 

 1906, when the tree measured about 36 ft. high by 3 ft. in girth.^ (A. H.) 



1 Vol. I. p. 90. 

 2 Young plants with slender sharp-pointed needles were distributed under this name. 

 3 Cf. Sargent, Pinetum at Welksley, 1905, p. 11. 



