A B I E S A L B E R T I A N A .
- A B I E S (TSUGA) ALBERTIANA—Murray, in Proc. Hort. Sec., iii. p. 149 (1863).
ABIES TAXIFOLIA—(Jeffrey, in litt.)
ABIES MERTENSIANA (pars)—Gordon, Pinetum, p. 18 (1858). Supplement, p. 12 (1862).
ABIES BRIDGEII—Killogg, in Trans. Californ. Acad. Nat. Sciences, ii. p. 8 (1863 ?). Brown, in Seoltijh Farm
1863.
Specific Characters.—Tfuga foliis linearibus obtufiufculis bafi in petiolum attenuatis fupra planis haud
ftomatibus inftruiflis fubtus circa 14 feriebus ftomatum argenteis, ftrobilis parvis elliptico-ovatis, fquamis
plus minufve rotundatim oblongis, bractcis cuneatis ad fquamas adherentibus, feminibus minutis, alis
oblongo-ovatis.
Habitat in Oregon, in California boreali, in Columbia Britannica, et insula Vancouveri.
A Hemlock Spruce, about 100 feet in height, and according to Mr Brown [op. cit. fupra) of dark verdure
and graceful appearance. In the young plants the verdure is not dark. Branches long, flexible, and
flender. Branchlets cylindrical, pendent at their extremity, villous, the pulvini very flightly prominent
[figs. 1 and 2]. Leaves [figs. 3 and 4] green, glaucous beneath, irregular in fize,
from one-third to three-fourths of an inch in length, and about three-quarters
of a line in breadth, folitary, growing fpirally round the branch, but difpofed 1)
fomewhat alternately, flat, flightly canaliculate on the upper fide, with a midrib
on the under fide; ufually obtufely pointed, and not emarginate at the apex,
i
petiolate at the bafe; above [fig. 5], without ftomata, below [fig. 6], with five to
feven rows of ftomata clofe on each fide of the midrib, clothed with a filvery pulerefcence,
leaving a broad margin without ftomata I n its young ftate, the edge
of the leaf has a tendency to fer- s '
ration [fee figs. 3 and 4]. Catkins not yet known.
Cones [fig. 7] about an inch in length, pale brown
(according to Brown, numerous, terminal, and pendent),
oblong ovate, narrow, with fix rows of fcales,
about five in each row, fpirally arranged. Scales pale brown at the apex, deepening into purple brown at
the bafe, loofely imbricated; the middle fcales about feven lines long, narrow oblong, flightly concave;
thofe at the apex narrower than those in the middle, and thofe at
the bafe fmaller and broader, fometimes roundifh [figs. 8, 9, and L ^
10, middle fcales, and fig. 11, bafal fcale]; the expofed part of the V W ^
fcale fmall, about one-third of its length, fomewhat fhining, and Fig 8 Fi&9" Fi& F' 8 " F i g "'
with roughly marked longitudinal ftriations, which have a tendency to radiate outwards; the portion
which has been covered is unequal on each fide, pubefcent, lefs ftriated, margin entire, irregularly
rounded, and ufually flightly abraded. Brads [fig. 12] purplifh brown, cuneiform, ciliated, from
three-quarters of a line to one line in length, clofely adpreflcd to the fcale. Mr Brown fays that
they are three-lobed. This is not confident with our obfervation, but it is poffible that, when frefh,
the lobes may be difcernible. As this is the only point in Mr Brown's defcription which does not
[ 1 1 ] A accord