20 THE TREES AND SHRUBS [LECT. 



corides, found everywhere in the sandy flats of 

 Greece, and especially in Elis. It is probably the 

 same as P. lialepemis, which Sibthorp omits, but 

 which is stated by other writers as the commonest 

 Fir in Greece, from the sea-shore to a height of 

 about 3,000 feet above it. 



4. P.picea, or Abies pectinata, the Silver Fir of 

 modern botanists, and the 'EAar?? of Theophrastus, 

 which is met with commonly on the loftier moun- 

 tains of Greece. 



In Italy the same species occur, and in addition 

 to them the P. pinaster, or Cluster Pine, is abundant 

 as far south as Genoa, where it gives place to the 

 Pinus halepensis already noticed, and, according to 

 Tenore , to three others, namely, P. India, pumilio, 

 and uncinata. 



In the Alps, too, and the south of France, the 

 Pinus Mugho or uncinata, and Cembra are abundant ; 

 so that the Roman writers may have had in their 

 eye five more species of Fir than those occurring 

 in Greece. 



Now in order to prove which of the species above 

 assigned is the one designated by Pliny under the 

 name of Abies, and by the Greeks under that of 

 'EXarrj, let us consider the properties assigned to 

 that tree. 



1. It was especially useful in ship -building. 

 Hence in Euripides p 'EAar?; is used for a ship. 



2. It grows chiefly on the summits of mountains. 



3. It resembles in form the P. picea. 



Flora Neap. P Phsen. 208. 



