HYBRID CONIFERS. 



101 



by the pollen of the North American Picea nigra Doumeti. Of the 

 four hybrid Abies I append the following descriptions : — 



(1) A handsome form, having something of the aspect of A. ccphalonica. 

 The bark of the shoots is fawn-coloured, with a few blackish setae. The 

 herbaceous shoots are angular, green, with a few fawn-coloured scaly 

 hairs. The bud scales are coriaceous, brown, ovate-acute, compacted into a 

 tubular sheath. Leaves densely arranged in numerous rows, all upturned 

 and nearly equal in length, as in A. Pinsapo. The leaves in the middle 

 of the shoot measure about 23 mill, by 2 in width ; each leaf is 

 linear-acute, flattish green, and slightly grooved on the upper surface, 

 with a few stomata near the tip ; lower surface silvery, with a prominent 

 midrib between several bands of stomata. The resin canals are peri- 

 pheral. 



(2) Of the same origin as the other four this has, so far as the branch 

 before us is concerned, the appearance of that of the common Silver Fir, 

 the leaves being apparently of unequal length, few-ranked and sub- 

 distichous. The shoots are smoky brown, the herbaceous shoots green, 

 covered with fawn-coloured scaly hairs. The bud-scales are persistent 

 at the base of the young shoots, leathery, brown, ovoid-acute, and com- 

 pacted into a tubular sheath, through which the shoot protrudes. Leaves 

 in several rows, forming a more or less flat surface, spreading, scarcely 

 upturned, of unequal length, those in the upper or central portion shorter 

 than the others, so that the passage of light to the underlying leaves is 

 the less obstructed. The larger leaves measure approximately 18 by 2 mill., 

 they are linear-subacute, or sometimes obscurely notched at the tip, green 

 and slightly grooved above, midrib prominent on the under surface between 

 several rows of stomata. 



(3) This specimen has something of the habit of A. Pinsapo, but with 

 short flat leaves. The bark of the shoot is fawn-coloured and glabrous, the 

 herbaceous shoots are greenish, angular, thinly clad with brownish scaly 

 hairs. The bud-scales are leathery, brown, ovate-oblong, and form a 

 tubular sheath through Avhich the growing shoot passes. The leaves are 

 in many rows, the lateral ones spreading, secund, the median ones 

 slightly ascending, not appressed, and directed towards the tip of the 

 shoots. The individual leaves from the centre of the shoots measure 

 approximately 12 mill, in length by 2 mill, in width, and are flattish, 

 linear-oblong obtuse, grooved on the upper surface, and with a promi- 

 nent midrib between two bands of stomata. The resin canals are 

 sub-epidermal. 



(4) A handsome form wdth the general aspect of A. ccphalonica. 

 The branches are fawn-coloured ; the herbaceous shoots olive-coloured, 

 angular, with brownish scaly hairs. Leaves loosely arranged in many 

 rows, all spreading, those in the middle nearly as long as the lateral ones, 

 ascending, not appressed, those on the centre of the shoots about 

 22 mill, long by 1 mill, in breadth, linear-acute, green on the upper 

 surface, silvery beneath, with a raised midrib between two bauds of 

 stomata, each band containing about eight rows. This specimen bore 

 the remains of male flowers, surrounded at the base by overlapping ovate- 

 acute, ciliate, reddish, boat-shaped bud-scales ; rachis slender ; filaments 

 remote filiform ; anthers two-lobed obtuse. 



