Defeription.—The trunk rifes to the height of from 120 to 1 5 0 feet, not exceeding two feet in circumference
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 ftarts like a tall fpire; and where the tree grows
amongft other timber, its tall regular and (lender fpire has a moll ftriking effect. 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
1 fhould like to give this fpecies, but that there is a Pinus Bankfiana already."
Hiflory.—This tree was firft difcovered by D r 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 t r e e :—
" On September the 20th, I again left Monterey for the fouthern parts, which, on account of the difturbed Hate 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 profeflion as
a hunter, was well acquainted with the intricate mountain-paths of the diftrift I intended to vifit. On the day of our flatting, we reached the
Million of La Salidad, an ill-con(lnic1cd, half-ruined building, fituated in the Salinas valley, and encamped towards evening on the banks of
Salinas river, within a Ihort diftance of the Million. By funrife the following morning we were again on horfeback, and leaving (he main road
on the right, we entered a mountain defile leading to the Million 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 Million, I was allured 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 bracleata exclufively occupying ravines.
" Having cut down fome trees, I found to my regret tliat the cones were but half grown, and had been froft-bitten. In more (heltered
lunations towards the fca-Ihore, the fame happened to be the case; and I was thus precluded from introducing this remarkable Fir into Europe."
T h e 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 fingular tree forms here (California, fouth of San Francifco) the moft confpicuous ornament of the arborefcent vegetation.
On the weftern Hopes 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, (hort, 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 ftands the feverity of the climate without the (lighted perceptible injury, growing in llaty rubbifti. which
to all appearance is incapable of fupporting vegetation. In fuch fituations it becomes Hunted and bulhy; but even there tile foliage maintains
the fame beautiful dark green colour; and when feen at a diftance. it appears more like a handfomely grown Cedar than Pine. No doubt it is
one of the hardieft of the Californian vegetation, and is equally well adapted for clothing the mountain-tops as the flickered valley.
Douglas was miftaken in faying that this Fir does not occur below 6000 feet of elevation. On the contrary, it is found as low as 3000 feel,
where it meets Taxodiumfempervirens"—(Card. Chron., July 9, 1853, p. 435.)
T h e next attempt to obtain feeds of this Pine was made by M r Beardfley in 1856. He made his
attempt in the middle and latter part of October, and thus defcribes i t :—
•• After finifhing my collections in this vicinity (Monterey). I fet out for the Santa Lucia mountains below the Miflion 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.
Ccc. 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
brafltala, which we found on the fecond day, on the weftern Hope of the range, about 30 miles from the Miflion, and about 10 miles from
the