The Hemlocks 



63 



tions from the stem, are stiff, straight, or but httle incurved, linear, 1.5 to 2 cm. 

 long, I to 1.5 mm. wide, flat, with an abruptly thick tip; their upper surface is 

 whitish with several rows of stomata on each side of the shght ridge, the under 

 side is somewhat rounded or keeled, green and shining. On vigorous, sterile 

 branchlets the leaves are larger 

 and much whiter. The stami- 

 natc flowers, which are very 

 abundant at the end of the 

 smaller branchlets, are oblong- 

 cylindric, 2.5 cm. long, darkish 

 red and subtended by an ample 

 involucre of enlarged bud- 

 scales. The pistillate flowers, 

 produced at the ends of the 

 stiff, terminal branchlets, are 

 oblong, obtuse, 2.5 cm. long. 

 The cones are pendent, oblong- 

 cyhndric, 5.5 to 10 cm. long, 2.5 

 to 4 cm. thick, at first yellowish, 

 at maturity yellow to red-brown, 

 shining ; they fall off during the 

 first winter; their oblong scales 

 are thin, stiff, rounded, and 

 slightly toothed. The bracts, 

 which are half the length of the 

 scales, are stiff, lanceolate, and slightly toothed. The seeds are pale red-brown, 

 about 2 mm. long, their oblong wing being about 12 mm. in length. 



The wood is soft, straight-grained, light reddish brown; its specific gravity is 

 about 0.42. It is the principal lumber of Alaska and is extensively used in Wash- 

 ington for general carpentering, boat building, and paper pulp. 



This is one of the handsomest of spruces and thrives well in Europe, but in the 

 eastern United States it is unable to withstand the extreme and frequent changes 

 of the weather. 



IV. THE HEMLOCKS 



GENUS TSUGA [ENDLICHER] CARRIERE 



|IGHT species of Hemlocks are known, tall, straight trees, which occur, 

 like the aUied genera, only in the cooler portions of the northern hem- 

 isphere, but are absent in Europe. North America has four, and 

 Asia the same number. The type is the Japanese Tsuga. 

 Their leaves are linear, flat (or angular in one species), blunt-pointed or notched, 

 narrowed abruptly at the base, entire or minutely spiny-toothed, appearing two- 



FiG. 49. — Tideland Spruce. 



