254 PINUS, OK 



in very favourable situations, into a small tree twenty or thirty 

 feet high, with a gray and rather smoothish bark. 



This Pine is found inhabiting the mountains of Middle 

 Europe, generally on chalk formations, on the southern slope 

 of the Alps, towards the east (Tyrol), and beyond the limits of 

 trees, but scarcely higher than 7500 feet, nor lower than 4000 

 feet of elevation, where it prefers a swampy soil. It also grows 

 on the northern slope of the Alps, and is very common on the 

 Carpathians, where it forms a region above the common Spruce 

 Fir, and at great elevations it becomes stemless and a spreading 

 bush creeping along the ground. It produces the Hungarian 

 Balsam. 



No. 21. PiNUS PUNGENS, Michaux, the Table Mountain Pine. 



Leaves in twos, from two to two inches and a half long, 

 broad, straight, rigid, and pale, yellowish green, thickly set on 

 the branches. Sheaths short, smooth, shrivelled, and not 

 jagged at the margins. Branches irregular and spreading. 

 Buds blunt-pointed, and covered with resin. Cones top-shaped, 

 rather large, light yellowish brown, three inches and a half 

 long, and two inches and a half broad at the base, tapering to 

 the point, and without foot-stalks, generally in whorls round the 

 stem and top branches, pointing horizontally, and remaining 

 on the tree for years. Scales thick, hard, and broad at the 

 base, elevated into a pyramid, with an incurved, strong, awl- 

 shaped hook, exceeding a quarter of an inch in length. Seeds 

 rather small, rough, and black, with narrow wings, nearly one 

 inch long. Seed-leaves from six to eight in number. 



A tree, with the habit of the common Scotch Fir, but with 

 a more branchy head, growing from 40 to 50 feet high. 



It is found on Table Mountain in North Carolina, one of the 

 highest points of the Alleghanies, nearly 300 miles from the sea, 

 and which summit it covers exclusively. Pursh only found it 

 on the Grandfather and Table Mountains, and on the Blue 

 Mountains on the frontiers of Virginia. 



Timber of little value except for fuel. 



