220 PICEA, OR 



stiff, and spreading. Shoots and branchlets straight, deep 

 brown, and when young covered with a downy substance. 

 Cones erect on the upper side of the branches, nearly 

 cylindrical, obtuse at the points, rounded at the base, light 

 brown, and from seven to nine inches long, and from two and 

 a half to three inches in diameter, and very similar to those 

 of Picea amabilis, except in size. Scales crescent-shaped, and 

 pale brown on the upper part, triangular and wedge-shaped at 

 the base, thin, and slightly incurved round the edge of the 

 exposed part, closely imbricated, and with a copious supply of 

 transparent resinous matter exuding from beneath the scales ; 

 the larger scales are two inches wide, and one inch and a half 

 deep, and deciduous when the seeds are ripe. Bracteas smaU, 

 ovate-pointed, fringed round the edges, dorsally placed, and 

 entirely hidden by the overlapping scales. Seeds angular, soft, 

 and covered with a thin testa, and furnished with broad 

 persistent hatchet-shaped wings, straight on the inner side. 



This magnificent Silver Fir is found on the Sierra Nevada, 

 to the eastward of San Francisco, in Upper California, forming 

 immense trees, resembling Picea Nobilis. 



It is perfectly hardy, and commences growing late in the 

 spring, and consequently never gets injured by the late spring 

 frosts in England, as is the case with Picea Webbiana, 

 Cephalonica, and Grandis. 



No. 19. Picea Numidica, R. Smith, the Algerian Silver Fir. 

 Syn. Abies Numidica, Be Lannoy. 

 „ „ Baborensis, Cosson. 



„ Pinsapo Baborensis, Carrihre. 

 Leaves linear, straight, spreading, flat, rather stiff, and either 

 slightly bidented at the ends, or sometimes obtusely pointed, 

 of unequal lengths along the branchlets, twisted at the base, and 

 thickly and irregularly arranged in two horizontal rows on the 

 young shoots; but they afterwards stand up, and are so 

 numerous on the vigorous branchlets as to entirely cover them 

 when fuUy grown; they are of a deep, glossy green, and 

 slightly channelled above, with two slightly sunken glaucous 



