82 



The Firs 



and resin. The leaves are flat, shining, dark green and deeply furrowed on the 

 upper side, white, with the midrib prominent beneath; their margins are strongly 

 revolute; those on sterile branches are 2 to 3.5 cm. long, blunt, rounded, or some- 

 times notched at the apex, and more or less crowded, those on the fertile branches 

 being about half as long and sharply thick-pointed. The staminate flowers are 

 oblong-cylindric, 12 to 20 mm. long, slender-stalked, and bright red, the pistillate 

 flowers being rather narrowly cylindric, 3 to 4 cm. long, and dark purplish. The 

 oblong cones are somewhat narrowed toward each end, roimded and often 

 indented at the apex, 9 to 15 cm. long, slightly hairy, and dark purple; the fan- 

 shaped scales are 3 to 3.5 cm wide, not quite as long; the bracts, which are 

 scarcely half the length of the scales, are reddish, obovate, slightly toothed toward 

 the slender- tipped apex. The yellowish brown seed, about 12 mm. long, is scarcely 

 half the length of the shining yellowish, obliquely wedge-shaped wing. 



The wood is rather hard, of medium strength, close-grained, pale brown; its 

 specific gravity is about 0.42. It is sparingly used in carpentry in its native region 

 imder the name of "larch." 



This magnificent fir has unfortunately not taken kindly to cultivation either 

 in America or Europe, so that it will probably never exhibit that grandeur in our 

 parks which it shows in its native mountains. 



Fig. 63. — California Red Fir, 



7. CALIFORNIA RED FIR -Abies 

 magnifica A. Murray 



This magnificent tree, also called the Great 

 red fir, Magnificent fir. Red fir, and Red bark 

 fir, occurs in the mountains of northern Cali- 

 fornia, Oregon and Nevada, at elevations of 

 about 1500 meters. It is one of the largest fir 

 trees, attaining a maximum height of 90 me- 

 ters, with a trunk diameter of 3.6 meters. 



The branches are rather stout, in irregular 

 whorls, the lowest drooping, the upper some- 

 what ascending; their lateral branchlets are 

 relatively remote; when forest 

 grown it is often devoid of 

 branches for half its height. 

 The bark is i to 1.5 dm. thick, 

 deeply furrowed into blunt 

 ridges with red-brown scales; 

 the inner bark is bright red. 

 On young trees or branches the 

 bark is quite thin, smooth, and 

 grayish. The stout twigs are 



