THE TRUE PINES. 237 



clothing the younger branches, arid very slender, but never 

 remaining longer on the branches than two years, in conse- 

 quence of which the branches of old trees have a naked 

 appearance, and the head an open, thin, and straggling aspect. 

 Buds a quarter of an inch long, imbricated, roundish, and en- 

 tirely destitute of resin. Cones pyramidal, rounded at the 

 base, smooth, solitary, or in pairs, from two and a half to three 

 inches long, and one inch and a half broad, inversely turned 

 downwards, with a foot-stalk three quarters of an inch long. 

 Scales nearly flat, from one inch and a quarter to one and a half 

 long, and three quarters of an inch broad, and of a deep shining 

 brown colour. Seeds middle size, with wings nearly one inch 

 long. Seed-leaves seven in number. 



A low, spreading tree, growing from twenty to thirty feet 

 high, and ripening its cones in the autumn of the second year. 



It is not found to the north of the Apennines, but is very 

 common to the east and west of those mountains, as well as in 

 Sicily, growing both on sands and on rocks, but better on the 

 latter ; its upper limits is 2000 feet of elevation. 



It is also found in the South of France near Toulon, on the 

 island and mainland of Dalmatia, in Greece, Syria, Spain, and 

 Asia Minor. 



This Pine is called "Peukas" by the Greeks throughout 

 Attica, who use its resin to preserve their wine from becoming 

 sour, and put the cones into the wine-barrels for a similar 

 purpose. 



There is the following variety : — 



PiNUS Halepensis Pityusa, Steven. 



Syn. Pinus Pityusa, Strangways. 



„ „ maritima, La/mbert. 



„ „ „ prima, Matthiol. 



„ „ Halepensis Syriaca, Mauch. 



„ „ ■ „ maritima, Loudon. 



„ „ A-bschasica, Fischer. 



„ ,j Abasica, Carrihre. 



