100 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFEB.E. 



growth early in the season. The intervals between the whorls' of 



branches indicate a more moderate annual growth than some of the 



Califomian Abies, but this does not diminish its 



value as a handsome and distinct ornamental tree 



for the lawn and park. A. magnified is often 



confounded with A. noMis, to which, in its young 



.. ~~" state, it bears a strong resemblance. Mr. Syme, 



2 « " > in the Gardeners' Chronicle for 1875, p. 753, points 



<y~^w "^ N «- out that the two may be easily distinguished by 



Kg. 25.— Transverse see- m akin<* a transverse section of their leaves, when 



M?«M° F f »S Te (2)° f i. 1) ma^ the leaf of A. magnified will be found to be 



Sn^c 1 tl diameter6:a ' ' somewhat tetragonal, and that of A. nobilis 



channelled on the upper side. 



The specific name, magnified, "magnificent," "distinguished," refers 



to the stately appearance of the mature tree. 



Abies Mariesii— A new Japanese Silver Fir with the following 

 characteristics: — A tall pyramidal tree, with robust spreading 

 branches, the lower ones deflexed and bent upwards at the tips. The 

 older branches are smooth, but marked with the scars of the fallen 

 leaves, the younger ones covered with reddish brown bark. The 

 leaves on the main branches are erect and evenly disposed around 

 the stem; on the lateral shoots they are twisted at the base so 

 as to-be in the same horizontal plane; on the younger sterile 

 branches they are pseudo-four-ranked; the lateral leaves spreading; 

 those of the two central ranks on the upper surface appressed 

 and parallel to the long axis of the branch, and -not more than 

 half the length of lateral ones ; the longer leaves three-quarters of 

 an inch long, and the shortest ones not more than one-third of an 

 inch. The cones are cylindrical, from 3J to 5J inches long, 

 narrowed at the base and apex, and from 1J to 2 inches in 

 diameter, blackish purple when mature, and composed of wedge- 

 shaped scales, sub-orbicular and entire at the free edge. 



Habitat. — Japan. At Awomori, and on Mount Nikko, 5,000 — 7,000 

 feet elevation in company with Abies Veitchii, growing in shallow 

 peat on volcanic debris. 



Introduced by us in 1879, through our collector Mr. Maries, 

 after whom it has been named by Dr. Masters (Gardeners' Chronicle, 

 vol. 12, p. 788). 



This fine Abies will prove an important addition to our park and 



