THE SILVER FIR. 



PICEA PECTINATA. 



The Silver Fir approaches in character nearer 

 to the Norway Spruce than to any other of the 

 trees yet described. It may, however, be easily 

 distinguished by the following marks. The leaves, 

 especially in young trees, are placed singly, but 

 instead of being inserted on all sides of the 

 stems, are arranged in two opposite rows, and 

 thus the surface of the twig is flat instead of con- 

 vex : the midrib is visible on the under side only, 

 the upper side having a furrow down its centre. 

 On each side of the midrib beneath is a white 

 silvery line, from which the tree derives its name ; 

 and as the point of the leaf is always turned up, 

 these lines make a conspicuous appearance. The 

 cones are large and cylindrical, and each scale ter- 

 minates in a deflexed point. Their position, also, 

 which is erect, affords also an infallible mark of 

 distinction, the cones of the Spruce Fir being 

 pendent. When young they are green, but as 

 they advance towards maturity they acquire a 

 rich purplish hue, and when quite ripe are of a 

 deep brown. They remain upwards of a year on 

 the tree, appearing in May, and ripening the seed 

 in the October of the following year. The gene- 

 ral outline of the tree, when standing alone, is a 

 lengthened pyramid. It has all the regularity 

 of the Spruce without its floating foliage. There 



