2 
PINETUM BRITANNICUM. 
Defcription. —The trunk rifes to the height of from 120 to 150 feet, not exceeding two feet in circum¬ 
ference at the bafe, and as ftraight as an arrow. The outline of the lower two-thirds of the tree is of an 
elongate pyramidal form, and from this the upper third harts like a tall fpire; and where the tree grows 
amongft other timber, its tall regular and {lender fpire has a moft ftriking effecft. The lower branches are 
decumbent, the upper ones regularly horizontal; and the cones are confined to a few feet at the top of the 
tree. Douglas fays of them, in the “Companion to the Botanical Magazine,” “when on the tree, being 
in great clufters, and at a great height withal, the cones refemble the inflorefcence of a Bankfiana , a name 
I fhould like to give this fpecies, but that there is a Pinus Bankfeana already.” 
Hijlory. —This tree was firft difcovered by Dr Coulter, on the feafide of the mountain-range of Santa 
Lucia in California. Douglas fubfequently met with it at an elevation of 6000 feet, on the Californian 
mountains, in lat. 36° N. The next botanift who faw it was Hartweg, who was fent out by the London 
Horticultural Society, in fearch of plants and feeds, in 1847. He defcribes his feveral expeditions in 
various reports, which were publifhed from time to time in the Journal of that Society, whence we take 
the following account of his attempt to procure feeds of this magnificent tree :— 
“ On September the 20th, I again left Monterey for the fouthern parts, which, on account of the difturbed ftate of laft year, I could not vifit 
before. As guide, I engaged the fervices of a man who had accompanied me on my laft excurfion to Santa Cruz, and who, from his profeffion as 
a hunter, was well acquainted with the intricate mountain-paths of the didrifit I intended to vifit. On the day of our ftarting, we reached the 
Miffion of La Salidad, an ill-conftru6ted, half-ruined building, fituated in the Salinas valley, and encamped towards evening on the banks of 
Salinas river, within a fhort diftance of the Miffion. By funrife the following morning we were again on horfeback, and leaving the main road 
on the right, we entered a mountain defile leading to the Miffion of San Antonio. From San Antonio a range of mountains extends along the 
coaft, attaining a great elevation, which, though apparently barren as feen from the Miffion, I was affured that the weftern flank towards the fea 
is covered by large Pines.” 
He proceeded to the mountain-range, and, defcending its weftern flank, at laft found the wifhed-for 
Abies braSleata exclufively occupying ravines. 
“ Having cut down fome trees, I found to my regret that the cones were but half grown, and had been frod-bitten. In more fheltered 
fituations towards the fea-fhore, the fame happened to be the case; and I was thus precluded from introducing this remarkable Fir into Europe." 
The previous expeditions of Coulter and Douglas had been equally unproductive. Although the 
tree was now known in Europe from the accounts of thefe botanifts, it was ftill confined to the herbarium: 
good feeds had not yet been brought home. Mr William Lobb, a moft indefatigable collector, was more 
fuccefsful. His account of it is as follows :— 
“ This beautiful and Angular tree forms here (California, fouth of San Francifco) the moft confpicuous ornament of the arborefcent vegetation. 
On the weftern dopes towards the fea it occupies the deep ravines, and attains the height of 120 to 150 feet, and from one to two feet in diameter; 
the trunk is as ftraight as an arrow; the lower branches decumbent; the branches above are numerous, fhort, and thickly fet, forming a long 
tapering pyramid or fpire, which gives to the tree that peculiar appearance, which is not feen in other kinds of the Pinus tribe. When Handing 
far apart, and clear from the furrounding trees, the lower branches frequently reach the ground, and not a portion of the trunk is feen from the 
bafe to the top. Along the fummit of the central ridges and about the higheft peaks, in the moft expofed and coldeft places imaginable, where 
no other Pine makes its appearance, it Hands the feverity of the climate without the flighted perceptible injury, growing in flaty rubbifh, which 
to all appearance is incapable of fupporting vegetation. In fuch fituations it becomes Hunted and bufhy ; but even there the foliage maintains 
the fame beautiful dark green colour; and when feen at a cliHance, it appears more like a handfomely grown Cedar than Pine. No doubt it is 
one of the hardieH of the Californian vegetation, and is equally well adapted for clothing the mountain-tops as the fheltered valley. . . . 
Douglas was miHaken in faying that this Fir does not occur below 6000 feet of elevation. On the contrary, it is found as low as 3000 feet, 
where it meets Taxodium fempervirens .”— {Card. Chron ., July 9, 1853, p. 435.) 
The next attempt to obtain feeds of this Pine was made by Mr Beardfley in 1856. Pie made his 
attempt in the middle and latter part of October, and thus defcribes it:— 
“ After fuddling my collections in this vicinity (Monterey), I fet out for the Santa Lucia mountains below the Miffion of San Antonio. Our 
equipage from Monterey confided of a waggon drawn by two horfes, three loofe'animals, to ride and pack into the mountains, camping utenfils, 
&c., and provifions for twelve days. 
“ We reached the Miffion the third day; here we left our waggon, and proceeded on horfeback into the mountains, in fearch of Abies 
bradleata, which we found on the feconcl day, on the wefiern Hope of the range, about 30 miles from the Miffion, and about 10 miles from 
the 
