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Picea bicolor, Alcock's Spruce 



This species, a native of Japan, is rare in cultivation and even in 

 its homeland it is not common. To the Japanese it is known as 

 Ira-momi. Whitish lines on both upper and lower surfaces of the 

 leaves constitute the principal characteristic. 



The next and last tree along the path right here is the same as 

 those which stand in a group farther along the path to the right. 

 They are 



Picea canadensis, the White Spruce 



This is one of the native spruces of the eastern United States 

 with a transcontinental distribution from Labrador to Alaska and 

 south to Montana, Minnesota, and New York. It is essentially a 

 northern tree, reaching to within twenty miles of the Arctic Ocean. 

 It is of more economic importance in Canada than in this country 

 because of its abundance there. Some trees attain a height of 

 100 feet. In New England it is extensively used for paper pulp 

 manufacture. 



The White Spruce is characterized by curved needles with 

 pointed hardened tips of a bluish-green color, by reddish or yellow- 

 ish flowers, and by shining light-brown cones. Moreover, the 

 needles stand out from all sides of the twigs in very regular 

 pattern. 



The foliage of the White Spruce, when bruised, has a rank odor. 

 This feature has led to some of its common names, among which 

 are Single, Bog, Skunk, Cat, and Double Spruce. 



This spruce makes a handsome ornamental evergreen in cold 

 moist regions, but does not thrive well where summers are warm 

 and dry. 



On the eastern side of these White Spruces are two other dif- 

 ferent ones. The smaller one nearer the Museum is probably 

 P. Abies var. Gregoryana and the other one P. Abies var. compacta. 



The remaining evergreens in this Section we see in a group 

 just ahead toward the Museum. A weeping beech tree stands 

 near them. The most westerly of the evergreens, a small dense 

 globular plant, is a White Spruce. 



