f P. I/. 5 austriaca. P. austriaca JTòss; Laricio d’Autrìche, ou de la
llougvxe, Delamarre.— Scarcely differs irom P. caramánica, which
grows both in Romania and in the Crimea. We are satisfied of this,
not only from living plants in British gardens, but from cones which
we have received from Vienna.
Othei' Varieties. P. altissima and probably some other names are applied
to P. Laricio, or some of its varieties, but not in such a manner as to cnabie
us to state anything satisfactory respecting them. The only truly distinct
forms of this species, in our opinion, are, P, L. corsicàna, P. L. carama-
nica (of which there is a handsome tree in the Horticultural Society’s
Garden, under the name of P. romana), P. L. Pallas/a/za (of which there
are trees at White Knights and Boyton), and perhaps P. L. pyrenàica ; thc
two last we have treated as species, for the sake of keeping them distinct.
The branches are disposed in whorls, of five or six in a whorl; which are
distinguished from the branches of P. Pinaster, by being often twisted and
turned in a lateral direction at their extremities, especially in full-grown trees.
The leaves vary much in length, according to the age of the tree, and the soil
on which it grows. The shortest are generally 4 or 5 inches, and the longest 7
or 8 inches, long. The cones are commonly
in pairs, but sometimes three and sometimes
four occur together : they point
horizontally and slightly downwards, and
sometimes they are slightly curved, so as
to be concave at the extremity of the side
next the ground. They are from 2 in. to
3 in., or more, in length; of a ruddy yellow
or tawny colour, or greenish. In France,
according to Thouin, P. Laricio grows
two thirds faster than the Scotch pine,
placed in a similar soil and situation.
Baudrillart says that the wood of P.
Laricio has neither the strength nor tlie
elasticity of that of P. sylvéstris. Previously
to the year 1788, the wood was only
used by the French government for the
beams, the flooring, and the side planks of
ships ; but, in that year, the administration laricio,
ofthe marine sent two engineers to examine
the Forests of Lonca and Rospa in Corsica, in which abundance of trees were
found fit for masts. After this, entire vessels were built with it : only it was
found necessary to give greater thickness to the masts, in order to supply its
want of strength and elasticity. The thickness ofthe sap wood in P. Laricio
is greater than in most other species of pine ; but the heart wood is found to
be of very great duration. In Corsica, it is employed for all the purposes for
which it is used, when of 36 or 40 years’ growth. It is easily worked, and
is used both by cabinetmakers and sculptors in wood ; the figm*es which ornament
the heads of vessels being generally made of it. In Britain, the tree
hitherto can only be considered as being one of ornament ; and, as sucii, it
deserves to be planted extensively for its very regular and handsome form, and
the intensely dark green of its abundant foliage. It also deserves planting on
a large scale as a useful tree, on account of the great rapidity of its growtii.
In the low districts of Britain, it might probably be a good substitute ibr P.
sylvéstris.
i 4. P. (L.) a u s t r i ' a c a i/ofifi. The Austrian, 0 ?’ò/ac/i, Pine.
Identification. Höss Anleit., p. 6, ; Lawson’s Manual, p. 338.
Synonymes. P. nigricans Hort.; P. nigréscens Hort. ; scliwart* Föhre, Ger.
Engravings. Fig. 1772., showing the bud of a plant of two years’ growth in the Horticultural Society’s
Garden ; a n d /g . 1773., a cone of the natural size, from a specimen received at Vienna.
Spec. C/iar., f r . Sheattl with from 3 to 5 rings, at first of a clear ash grey
then becoming reddish, afterwards darker, ami at last black. Leaves from
Sin. to 5 m. long; seldom, and but little, twisted; when youn», erect;
when older, standing out, and curved towards the twig; outer’surface
liall'-round, dark green, glossy, and with a
.sharply serrated margin; inner surface nearly
even, but slightly dotted along the ridge;
points prickly, of a yellowish brown or fawn
colour. Buds large, the leader often from
1 in. to IJ in. long, ovate, with a long point.
' The cone does not arrive at maturity till
October in its second year ; it is conical,
rounded at the base, 2 or 3 inches long,
pointing horizontally, or nearly so ; of
a light yellow brown, polished, and shining.
Seeds very closely resembling those
of P. Laricio ; and the cotyledons 6 or
8 , as in that species. The bark of the
shoots of the current year is of a greenish
yellow, regularly and deeply raised
_ by the insertions of the leaves, furrowed,
and shining. (I fís s ’s GemànfassHchc Anleitung,
&c., p. 8 .) A large tree. Austria, in
the Brelma Forest (Wienerwald), the Banate,
upon the Demoglet, near Mehadia ; and in
the neighbourhood of the Snowy Mountains,
at higher altitudes than Pícea pectinàta.
Height 60 ft. to 80 ft. Introduced in 1835.
It flowers about the end of May, and its
cones are ripe in the October of the second year.
This pine prefers a deep, dry, calcareous sand ; but it will succeed in any
soil, provided it is loose; and it even loves a moist soil, if not too wet. Tt
thrives best in situations having a southern aspect. The sap wood of P. austriaca
is said by IToss to be of a whitish yellow, and the heart wood of a rusty
yellow ; the latter being very resinous, strong, and tough. It is much valued
in Austria, when kept dry; and is said to surpass even the larch in resisting
the injurious effects of water, or of alternate moisture and dryness.
1 5. P. (L.) F a l l 4 sli'ìv.i Lamb. Pallas’s, or the Tartarian, Pine.
IdMifcalm. Lamb. Pin., ed. 2., 1 .1. .'i. ; I,a\vson’s Manual, n 339
Synonymes. P. taurica Hort. ; P . tatá-
rica in the Hammersmith Nurserj’ in
1797 ; P. maritima Pall. Ind. Taur.
(according to a specimen in Mr. I.am-
bert’s herbarium) ; Tzaam in the T artar
language.
Engravings. Lamb. Pin., ed. 2., 1 . t. 5. •
the plate of this tree in Arb. Brit,, 1st
edit., vol. viii. ; our figs. 1774. and 1776.
to our usual scale 1775. and 1777.
of the natural size, from living speci-
mens rweived from A. B. Lambert,
iksq., taken from his trees at Boyton.
Spec. Char., S/c. Leaves in pairs,
very ^ long, erect, rigid, channeled
; sheaths very short.
Crest of the anthers roundish,
convex, repand. Cone ovate-
oblong, often curved. Scales
slightly tuberculate, and terminated
by a very small prickle.
{Lamb.) Bnd {ßg. 1775.)
fin. to If in. long, and from 1774. r. (L.) Paiia*iànu.