THE SPRUCE FIR. 



Pi'cea exeel'sa,. Link. 



Theee has been considerable confusion as to tbe name, 

 whether classical, popular, or scientific, of this tree. 

 I'he word " fir," the torch or fire tree, was originally 

 apphed to the Scots Pine {Pi'nus sylves'tris L.), and 

 Picea and A'hies were used almost indiscriminately 

 by classical writers for the Norway Spruce or for the 

 Silver Fir of Central Europe, whilst modern botanists 

 have been hardly more decided. Thus this tree is the 

 Pinus Abies of Linn^, Pinus Picea of Duroi, Pinus 

 exeelsus of Lamarck, Abies Picea of Miller, Abies 

 excelsa of De Candolle, and — the name now in use — 

 Picea excelsa of Link. In -his '" Names of Herbes " 

 (1548), William Turner says : — 



" Fioea is called in greeke as Theodore Gaza turneth, pitys, and 

 a,fter BueUins peuce, and it is called in duch rotte Dan, wherfore it 

 maye be, called in englishe a red firre tree;" 



It is, however, very doubtful whether the Norway 

 Spruce had been then introduced into this country, 

 though it is probably the tree which both Pliny 

 and Turner knew as Picea. The controversy as to 

 whether the Spruce or the Silver Fir is the better 

 entitled to the classical name Abies turns partly 

 upon VirgU's lines in the iEneid with reference to 

 the wooden horse of Troy : — 



"Instar montis eqnum, divina Palladis arte 

 .Sdifioant, sectaque intexunt abiete costa.s,'' 

 53 105 



