32 



PINACE^. 



Tsuja: The Yew-leaved Chinese Hemlock Spruce. 



This is merely a diminutive depapurated form of the prototype. 



Of the varieties and sub-varieties of the Hemlock Spruce, the only 

 ones worth notice or cultivating are Argentea, the silver variegated, 

 Aurea, the golden variegated, Gracilis^ the slender branched, Micro- 

 jyhylla the small leaved, and Nana, the dwarf. 



Abies DoUGLASII : Douglas's Columbian Fir. 



Leaves. These are flat, entire, linear, and from one to two inches 

 long, and from one-half to one line broad, generally more or less blunt- 

 pointed, exceptionally sharp-pointed; bright glossy green above, and 

 generally lighter green, with a silvery band on each side of the mid- 

 rib on their under surface, on the young shoots, and when first formed, 

 the leaves are disposed more or less spirally all round the stems ; but as 

 they increase in age and become adult branches, the leaves then become 

 more or less irregularly arranged in two horizontal rows. 



Cones. These are from two to six inches long, and from one to two 

 inches in diameter, ovate or oblong in form, generally pendent, irregu- 

 larly disposed, generally solitary, frequently in pairs, sometimes in 

 threes, fives, or sevens, more or less clustered together, occasionally in 

 gregarious clusters of six, five of which may be pendent, and the 

 remaining one on the upper side of the shoot, lying flat and straight 

 along the branch-stem, with its apex pointing to the tip of the shoot ; 

 but, however disposed, each cone has its own individual footstalk, and 

 the cones will generally be found upon the upper branches at or near 

 their extremities ; they are at first pea-green in colour, rarely greenish- 

 purple, changing to yellowish-brown as they arrive at maturity. The 

 scales are irregular in number, imbricated, concave, rounded, and 

 although persistent, yet loosely disposed on the base of the cone or 

 centre stem. The bracteas are long, and project and overlay the scales, 

 trident-pointed — the centre tooth or prong much the longest, narrowest, 

 and most pointed, the two side or outer ones being equal in size and 

 broader. These bracts give the cone a feathery appearance : the seeds 

 are comparatively small, and their wing appendage about a quarter of 

 an inch long. This fir is quite remarkable in its tendency to produce 

 cones which in size, shape, scales, bracts, seed-shells, and wings, are 

 perfectly formed, yet, abortive or non-seeded, both in young plants 

 and old trees ; doubtless this arises from imperfect impregnation, and 

 when quality and quantity of seed is desiderated, we should im- 

 pregnate the female organs with the pollen dust from the male catkins. 



Branches, these are numerous and irregularly disposed, generally 



