CONIFERS. (pine FAMILY.) 423 



2. A. FrdJieri, Pureh. (Smalvfkoited or Doublk Balsam Fik.) 

 Cones small (l'-2' long), oblong-ovate; the bracts oblong-wedge-shaped, short-point- 

 ed, the upper part much projecting and rejlexed. (A. balaamifera, Michx.Jl.) — 

 Mountains of Penn., Vii-ginia, and southward on the highest AUcghanies. Also 

 on the mountains of W. New England ? — Foliage, &c. nearly as in the last. 



§ 2. Cones hanging, terminal; the bracts evanescent ; the scales persistent on the aids i 

 sterile catkins scattered: anther-cells opening lengthwise. (PIcea, Link, S^c.) 

 * Leaves 2-ranked, Jlat, whitened underneath. 



3. A. Canadensis, Michx. (Hemlock Spkuce.) Leaves linear, flat, 

 obtuse (J' long) ; cones oval, of few scales, little longer than the leaves {%' long). 



— Hilly or rocky woods ; very comraon northward, and rai-e southward in the 

 AUeghanies. — A large tree, when young the most graceful of Spnices, with a 

 light, spreading spray, and delicate foliage, bright green above, silvery under- 

 neath. Timber very coarse-grained and poor. 



# # Leaves needle-shaped, i-angular, equally distributed all around the branch. 



4. A. nigra, Poir. (Black Spruce. Double SpnncE.) Leaves 

 short ii'-i' long), rigid, dark green; cones ovate or ovate-oblong (I'-lJ' long) ; 

 the scales with u thin and wavy or eroded edge. — Swamps and cold mountain 

 woods. New England to Wisconsin and northward, and southward along the 

 mountains. — A common variety in New England has lighter-colored or glau- 

 cous-green loaves, rather more slender and loosely spreading, and is undistin- 

 guishable from the next, except by the cones. 



5. A. tliba, Michx. (White or Single Spbuce.) Conei oblong-a/lin- 

 drical (1'- 2' long), the scales mth firm and entire edges: otherwise as in the 

 lighter-colored variety of the last. — In similar situations, but only northward. 

 Probably these two, with the Red Spruce, are mere forms of one species. 



A. EXCELSA, the NoEWAT Spruce, is now much planted : it is a much 

 finer tree, and thrives better than our indigenous species of this group. 



3, liARlX, Toum. Larch. 



Catkins lateral and scattered, bud-like. Sterile flowers nearly as in Pinus, 

 but the pollen of simple spherical gi-ains. Cones ovoid, erect ; the bracts and 

 scales persistent; othei-wise as in Abies. — Leaves deciduous, soft, all foliar 

 ceons ; the primary ones scattered ; the secondai-y very many in a fascicle de- 

 veloped in early spring from lateral scaly and globular buds. Fertile catkins 

 crimson or red in flower. (Tlie ancient name.) 



1. Ia. Americiina, Michx. (American or Black Larch. Tama- 

 rack. Hackmatack.) Leaves almost thread-form ; cones ovoid, of few 

 rounded scales. (P. pendula, Ait.) — Swamps, New England to Penn. and 

 Wisconsin, and (chiefly) northward. — A slender tree, with heavy, close-gi-ained 

 wood, and slender horizontal branches, more slender and usually shorter leaves 

 than tlie Em opean Larch ; — which is a handsomer tree, and has the scales of 

 its larger cones arranged in the order j'j, while those of the American ai-e only f. 



— The Red Larch (P. microcarpa, Lambert) appears to be only a Noithcm 

 variety. 



