HARDY ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS. 



331 



J. thurifera, Frankincense Juniper. — A pyramidal tree 

 30 to 40 feet high. South Europe, 1752. 



/. virginiana, Pencil Cedar. — A shrub or tree attaining 

 as much as 40 feet in height. The variety glauca has 

 glaucous foliage; humilis is a dwarf, spreading form, with 

 foliage of a reddish tinge ; and pendula viridis has long 

 slender, pendulous, dark-green branchlets. Of numerous 

 other varieties the following are the most distinct: — 

 Bedfordiana, branches long and slender; dumosa, dwarf 

 and rounded; Schotti, of erect pyramidal form and with 

 deep -green foliage. 



Larix. — Deciduous trees, whose bright-green colour 

 is exceedingly beautiful in the spring. There are several 

 species besides the common Larch in cultivation, but 

 none of them exceed it in beauty. 



L. europcea, Larch. — A native of the Alps of Europe. 

 Nurserymen distinguish several varieties ; pendula is 

 described as one of the most desirable. Cultivated in 

 Britain since 1629. 



L. leptolepis. — This resembles the common Larch, but 

 has not nearly the same value as a timber tree. Said to 

 grow into a large tree in Japan, whence it was intro- 

 duced in 1861. L. pendula and L. occidentalis are also 

 in cultivation, but possess no particular merit; both are 

 natives of North America. 



Libocedrus. — Highly ornamental evergreen trees, with 

 scale-like, closely imbricated leaves. 



L. chilensis. — A rather tender tree, growing from 60 to 

 80 feet high in the Andes of Chili. 1848. 



L. decurrens (Thuja gigantea). — This handsome lofty 

 tree is of columnar habit, with a remarkably stout trunk, 

 and dark-green glossy decurrent glaucous leaves. Moun- 

 tains of California, 1853. 



Picea.— The Spruces differ from the Silver Firs (see 

 Abies) in having the needle-shaped leaves scattered all 

 round the shoots, and in the cones being pendulous. 



P. ajanensis. — A pyramidal tree of graceful habit, with 

 leaves of a dark shining green above, very glaucous 

 beneath. Japan, 1861. 



P. alba, White Spruce. — A very hardy tree 40 to 70 

 feet high, resembling the common Spruce, but having 

 shorter pale glaucous -green leaves, and cones scarcely 

 exceeding 1^ inch in length. North America, 1700. 



P. Engelmanni. — A handsome Spruce, of stiff habit, 

 with rigid, pointed, slightly-glaucous leaves. In the 

 variety glauca the colour of the leaves becomes a bluish- 

 gray. North America, 1864. 



P. excelsa, Norway Spruce. — One of the very best of 

 evergreen trees for all except very dry, poor, or very stiff 

 soils, and very exposed situations. Its rich dark -green 

 foliage renders it equal in beauty to any of the family. 

 The varieties are exceedingly numerous, and some are 

 very grotesque. Clanbrassiliana and pygmcea are dense 

 dwarf bushes, rarely exceeding 2 or 3 feet in height ; 

 monstrosa has long spreading branches, with few lateral 

 shoots, and has a strikingly weird aspect. 



P. Morinda (P.Smithiana). — A very ornamental species, 

 with the young spray drooping ; it is liable to be cut by 

 spring frosts when quite young. Mountains of Northern 

 India, 1818. 



P. nigra, Black Spruce. — Scarcely equal to P. excelsa 

 as an ornamental tree. Var. rubra is a dwarf form with 

 redder bark and cones. North America, 1700. 



P. Ornorica, Servian Spruce. — A recent introduction 

 of much promise, described as a tree of large size. The 

 leaves on young seedlings are green and needle-like, but 

 on adult specimens are flat and glaucous beneath. Servia, 

 1885. 



P. orientalis. — A handsome, compact tree, of a more 

 cheerful hue than the common Spruce. It also thrives 

 much better on sandy soil. Asia Minor, 1825. 



P. polita. — A very distinct and handsome species. Its 

 stiff, robust branchlets are covered with a yellowish bark, 

 the leaves being very rigid and dark-green. One of the 

 best Japanese Conifers for planting on lawns. 1861. 



P. pungens (P. Parryana). — A species with orange- 

 coloured bark and sharply-pointed leaves, frequently con- 

 founded with P. Engelmanni. The varieties glauca and 

 argentea are of a singularly beautiful silvery-blue colour. 

 All the forms are perfectly hardy. California, &c, 

 1864. 



P. sitchensis {P. Menziesii). — A very hardy species 50 

 to 100 feet high, but, unless grown in a moist position, it 

 loses its leaves early, and presents a bare appearance. 

 North California, 1832. 



Pinus. — This genus, as limited here, consists of ever- 

 green trees with needle-shaped leaves invested at the 

 base with a membranous sheath. The number in each 

 sheath is so far constant in different species as to furnish 

 a sectional character ; and as this character is easily seen 

 we make use of it here. 



§ 1. Leaves usually Two in each Sheath. 



P. densiflora. — A desirable hardy species, from the 

 northern parts of Japan. It has very small clustered 

 cones. A near ally of the Scotch Pine. 



P. Laricio, Corsican Pine. — A tall, erect, quick-growing 

 species, with usually twisted leaves 4 to 6 inches long. 

 Corsica, 1759. Var. austriaca or nigricans, Austrian 

 Pine, 60 to 120 feet high, with dark-green leaves about 

 4 inches long. A valuable tree for shelter and for plant- 

 ing in exposed situations. Styria, 1835. Other varieties 

 are: — pygmcea, a dwarf bush with short leaves, Karamana, 

 intermediate in aspect between pygmcea and austriaca. 



P. montana (P. Pumilio). — A small tree or shrub. The 

 variety nana, called the Knee Pine, does not grow more 

 than 2 or 3 feet high. P. Mugho also belongs here. 

 Mountains of Europe, 1779. 



P. Pinaster (P. maritima), Cluster Pine. — This is of 

 irregular growth, with leaves 6 inches to 1 foot long, and 

 clustered woody cones. It attains a height of 60 to 80 

 feet. A valuable tree for planting in exposed situations 

 near the sea. 



P. Pinca, Stone Pine. — A small round-headed tree 20 

 to 30 feet high, of very striking aspect. It is often re- 

 presented in Italian views. It makes few roots, and is 

 consequently difficult to transplant. Mediterranean re- 

 gion, 1548. 



P. sylvestris, Scotch Pine. — A dense-growing tree with 

 glaucous foliage ; is not so handsome when young, but 

 it makes a grand tree when old. A common European 

 forest tree, wild in Scotland. Var. a una turns a deep- 

 yellow in autumn, but is green during spring and 

 summer. 



Other hardy Pines of this section are P. Laricio var. 

 Pallasiana (taurica), from Siberia, and P. rait is. inops, 

 and resinosa, from North America. 



§ 2. Leaves usually Three in each Sheath. 



P. Bungeana, the Lace-bark Pine. — A distinct and 

 handsome species with smooth, peeling bark. The stiff, 

 sharply-pointed bright-green leaves are between 3 and 4 

 inches long. North China, 1840. 



P. Coidteri (P. macrocarpa), Large-coned Pine. — This 

 is of very robust growth, with glaucous leaves 9 to 12 

 inches Ions:, and cones a foot loner. It attains a height 



