SYNOPSIS OF PINES. 



343 



they are occasionally injured by spring frosts : in shaded and northern 

 exposures they appear quite hardy. P. nigra, Picea, and Menziesii 

 afford the best timber : P. nigra and Picea, -with some others, form 

 ornamental hedges, and when planted thickly, and topped down to 

 four or rive feet from the ground, afford excellent cover for game. 



Pincs. — Group 4. Larix, Larches. 



(Cones small and erect. Leaves in bundles, annual.) 

 61. P. Dahurica, low tree. 68. P. Larix flore rubro. 



*62. P. leptolepis, tree. 69. P. pendula. 



63. P. Ledebourii, tree. 70. P. Russica. 



64. P. pendula, 60-100 ft. 71. P. repens. 



65. P. microcarpa, 100 ft. 72. P. Sibirica. 



66. P. Larix, 100 ft. 73. P. Griffithiana, 40-60 ft. 



67. P. — flore albo. 



The Larches are all deciduous trees. They are not highly ornamen- 

 tal in themselves ; yet they impart considerable variety to scenery. P. 

 Larix pendula is a graceful tree ; and P. pendula, with its few straggling 

 drooping branches, has a somewhat curious aspect. The foliage is 

 mostly of a light-green ; in 65 it is more vivid than in the others. The 

 Larches succeed best in an open, porous soil, where there is a good 

 natural drainage ; in such situations, and with a moist atmosphere, they 

 are often extremely luxuriant. On close retentive subsoils they do not 

 thrive. P. microcarpa will grow vigorously in more swampy soils than 

 any of the others. The common larch is the most valuable exotic tim- 

 ber-tree which we have ; and, in favorable circumstances, will attain, to 

 perfection at even higher altitudes than the Scotch Fir does. 



Pinus. — Group 5. Cedrus. 

 (Cones large, erect. Leaves in bundles, perennial.) 



74. P. Deodara, 100-150 ft. 77. P. Atlantica, 80-100 ft, 



75. P. — - robusta. 78. P. Cedrus, 60-80 ft. 



76. P. viridis. 79. P. argentea. 



The whole of this group have a pyramidal form when young, but 

 acquire a broad head in mature age. The Deodar, when full grown, is 

 said to have a wide roof-like head, with spreadiug branches and weep- 

 ing branchlets. The Cedars of Atlas and Lebanon have both a strongly 

 marked and characteristic form, in which the primary branches assume 

 an ascending position, and the secondary branches a horizontal and 

 tabulated arrangement. Occasionally the old trees retain their early 

 pyramidal habit; the lesser branches still becoming horizontal. The 

 foliage of the common cedar is of a dark green ; 76 of a light vivid 



