1002 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



ABIES 



dom, having been raised from seeds sown 

 in 1697. 



There are several varieties of the 

 Balsam Fir, among which may be men- 

 tioned argentea and variegata, ccerulea, 

 nana,prosfrata, longifolia, hudsonica &c. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. brachyphylla. — A native of the 

 Japanese mountains, where it reaches a 

 height of 120 ft. Its branches radiate 

 regularly from the slender erect trunk, 

 and the slender shoots are covered with 

 linear leaves f-1 in. long, spirally ar- 

 ranged, but apparently in 2 rows, bright 

 green above, with 2 silvery stripes beneath. 

 This species has been only about 30 years 

 in cultivation, and has not yet attained its 

 full proportions. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. bracteata (Abies and Pinus venus- 

 ta ; Picea and Pinus bracteata). — This 

 species, which has been described as the 

 ' most beautiful of all the Firs,' is a native 

 of the Santa Lucia mountains, Cahfomia, 

 at elevations between 3000 and 6000 ft., 

 where it attains a height of 150-200 ft. 

 with a trunk 3-4 inches in diameter. It 

 is readily recognised by its distinct habit. 

 The trunk tapers regularly upwards in a 

 straight line, and is clothed from top to 

 bottom with slender graceful branches, 

 having flat linear leaves 2-3 in. long, 

 bright glossy green above, glaucous be- 

 neath, and arranged in 2 rows. The 

 singular cones are about 4 in. long, having 

 the bracts developed into long linear 

 stiffish spines about 2 in. long, and slightly 

 curved inwards ; when fully ripe they are 

 covered with globules of thin transparent 

 resin. 



Culture do. as above. This species 

 grows best in warm sheltered localities 

 and m peaty loam. At Boconnoc in 

 Cornwall there is a specimen about 39 

 years old and over 50 ft. high. 



A. cephalonica [A. ApolUnis ; A. pan- 

 achaica ; A. Regime Amalice ; Picea 

 cephalonica). — A beautiful and somewhat 

 variable Conifer, native of the Greek 

 mountains, having long slender branches 

 clothed with dark green flattish awl- 

 shaped leaves, having a silvery white 

 under surface. The erect cylindrical cones 

 5-6 in. long change in colour from green 

 when young to red and ultimately brown 

 when fuUy ripe. At Powderham Castle, 



Exeter, there is a fine specimen about 

 80 ft. high. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. concolor (Picea and Pinus con- 

 color). — A handsome Califomian Conifer 

 100-130 ft. high, with a trunk 4-5 ft. in 

 diameter in its wild state, on moist slopes 

 and canons at elevations between 3000 

 and 9000 ft. The young branches have a 

 yellowish bark, and are clothed with blunt 

 linear flat glaucous - green leaves, di- 

 stichously arranged in double rows, and 

 2-3 in. long. Cones bluntly cyhndrioal, 

 3-5 in. long. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 requires shelter from cold winds. At 

 Linton Park, Maidstone, there is a grand 

 tree about 40 years old and now probably 

 70 ft. high. The variety violacea is a 

 very beautiful plant having glaucous-blue 

 foUage, and rich plimi-coloured cones, 

 which are rather more tapering than in 

 the type. 



A. firma (A. holophylla; Pinus firma). 

 A beautiful straight-growing tree, native 

 of Japan, where it reaches a height of 

 about 100 ft. It has stiff leathery leaves 

 1-lJ in. long, spirally arranged, but 

 apparently in 2 rows. The blunt cylin- 

 drical cones are 3-6 in. long, with imbri- 

 cating scales and protruding keeled bracts. 

 This is a rather variable species, and the 

 plant known as A. bifida represents the 

 young mifruiting stage, in which the 

 leaves are of a different form from those 

 on the older and on the cone - bearing 

 branches. 



At Carclew, Cornwall, there is a fine 

 specimen of A. firma, which a few years 

 ago was 45 ft. high. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. Fraseri (Picea and Pinus Fraseri). 

 A more or less desirable tree, native of the 

 mountains of Carolina and Pennsylvania, 

 where it forms large forests at an eleva- 

 tion of 5000-6000 ft., and reaches a 

 height of 60-80 ft., with a trunk some- 

 times 2 ft. in diameter. It has green 

 linear leaves about .} in. long, silvery 

 beneath and oblong elliptic cones 2^-3 

 in. long, with purplish scales and project- 

 ing golden-brown bracts. The wing of 

 the seed is also purplish in colour. When 

 not in fruit A. Fraseri very much resem- 

 bles A. balsamea, the Balsam Fir, aaid it 

 has been stated that seeds of the latter 

 have been of late years distributed as 



