Trees of the Northern United States Part 37

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. Laricio.]

12. =Pnus Laricio=, Poir. (CORSICAN PINE.) Leaves 4 to 6 in. long, slender, very wavy, dark green; 2 together in a sheath. Cones 2 to 3 in.

long, conical, somewhat curved, often in pairs. Scales with very small p.r.i.c.kles. Seeds rather large with broad wings. A tall, open, pyramidal, rapid-growing tree, 60 to 100 ft. high, with the branches in regular whorls, spreading and very resinous. Often cultivated. Europe.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. Ma.s.soniana.]

13. =Pnus Ma.s.soniana=, Sieb. (Ma.s.sON'S PINE.) Leaves in twos, 4 to 6 in. long, rather stiff, concave on one side and convex on the other, twisted but not curved; sharp-pointed, of a fresh, bright green color.

Cones 1 to 1 in. long, conical, incurved, solitary but numerous, with closely overlapping scales terminating in slender p.r.i.c.kles. An upright, compact tree, 40 to 50 ft. high, from j.a.pan; sometimes cultivated. Hardy at Boston.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. mtis.]

14. =Pnus mtis=, Michx. (COMMON YELLOW PINE.) Leaves sometimes in threes, usually in twos, from long sheaths; slender, 3 to 5 in. long, dark green, rather soft. Cones ovate to oblong-conical, hardly 2 in.

long; the scales with minute weak p.r.i.c.kles. A large tree with an erect trunk, 50 to 100 ft. high. Staten Island, south and west. The western form has more rigid leaves, and more spiny cones.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. densiflra.]

15. =Pnus densiflra=, Siebold. (j.a.pAN PINE.) Leaves about 4 in. long, from short, fringed, scale-like sheaths; rigid, convex above, concave beneath and somewhat serrulate on the margin, very smooth, sharp-pointed and crowded, shining green and somewhat glaucous; falling when one to two years old; 2 in a sheath. Cones abundant; 1 in. long, short-peduncled, conical, obtuse, terminal, somewhat pendent; scales linear-oblong, woody, with a small p.r.i.c.kle which soon falls off. A beautiful small tree, 30 to 40 ft. high; from j.a.pan; hardy throughout.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. resinsa.]

16. =Pnus resinsa=, Ait. (RED PINE.) Leaves 5 to 6 in. long, in twos, from long sheaths; rigid, straight, dark green. Cones 2 in. long, ovate-conical, smooth, their scales without points, slightly thickened, usually growing in cl.u.s.ters. A tall tree, 60 to 80 ft. high, with rather smooth, reddish bark and hard light-colored wood; branchlets also having smooth reddish bark. Pennsylvania, north and west.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. inops.]

17. =Pnus inops=, Ait. (JERSEY OR SCRUB PINE.) Leaves short, 1 to 3 in. long, rigid; usually 2, rarely 3, in a short sheath. Cones solitary, 2 to 3 in. long, ovate-oblong, curved, on a short stalk. Scales tipped with a straight, rigid spine. A small tree, 15 to 30 ft. high, growing wild in sections where the soil is poor and sandy; having straggling flexible branches with rough, dark bark; New Jersey, south and west.

Rarely cultivated.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. pungens.]

18. =Pinus pungens=, Michx. f. (TABLE-MOUNTAIN PINE.) Leaves in twos, sometimes in threes, stout, short, 1 to 2 in. long, crowded, bluish; the sheath short (very short on old foliage). Cones 3 in. or more long, hanging on for a long time; the scales armed with a stout, hooked spine, in. long. A rather small tree, 20 to 60 ft. high. New Jersey and south westward, along the mountains.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. sylvestris.]

19. =Pnus sylvestris=, L. (SCOTCH PINE, wrongly called SCOTCH FIR.) Leaves in twos, 1 to 2 in. long, from short, lacerated sheaths, twisted, rigid, of a grayish or a glaucous-green color. Cones 2 to 3 in.

long, ovate-conical, of a grayish-brown color, ripening the second year, the scales having 4-sided, recurved points. A large and very valuable tree of central Europe. Many varieties are in cultivation in this country. It forms the Red and Yellow Deal so extensively used for lumber in Europe.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. contorta.]

20. =Pnus contorta=, Dougl. (TWISTED-BRANCHED PINE.) Leaves 2 in. long, numerous, rigid, sharply mucronate, from a short, dark, overlapping sheath; 2 to a sheath. Cones from 2 to 2 in. long, ovate, smooth, cl.u.s.tered. Scales furnished with a point which is soon shed. A small cultivated tree, 30 to 40 ft. high, from the Pacific coast of the United States. As it has an irregular shape, and crooked branches, it is not often planted.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. Banksiana.]

21. =Pnus Banksiana=, Lambert. (GRAY OR NORTHERN SCRUB PINE.) Leaves in twos, short, 1 in. long, oblique, divergent from a close sheath. Cones lateral, conical, oblong, usually curved, 1 to 2 in. long, the scales thickened at the end and without points. A straggling shrub, sometimes a low tree, found wild in the extreme Northern States.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. edulis.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. monophlla.]

22. =Pnus edulis=, Engelm. (PInON OR NUT-PINE.) Leaves mostly in pairs, rarely in threes, 1 to 1 in. long, from short sheaths, light-colored, rigid, curved or straightish, spreading; cones sessile, globose or nearly so, 2 in. long; tips of scales thick, conical-truncate, no awns or p.r.i.c.kles; seeds large, nut-like, wingless, edible. A low, round-topped tree, branching from near the base, 10 to 25 ft. high; from the Rocky Mountains. A fine small pine; cultivated in the East. It needs some protection at Boston. The figure shows the seed. =Pnus monophlla=, Torr. and Frem., from the mountain regions farther west, has its leaves in ones and twos; when in ones, round and very rigid; when in pairs, flat on the inner side; leaves on the young shoots bluish, glaucous green, or silvery. This is probably only a variety of P. edulis. The seeds of both are so large and nutritious that they are extensively used for food by the Indians.

GENUS =94. PCEA.= (THE SPRUCES.)

Leaves evergreen, scattered (pointing in every direction), needle-shaped, keeled above and below, thus making them somewhat 4-sided. Fertile catkins and cones terminal; cones maturing the first year, pendulous; scales thin, without p.r.i.c.kles, persistent, the cone coming off the tree whole.

* Leaves very short, usually to in. long, obtuse 7, 8.

* Leaves usually in. or more long, acute. (=A.=)

=A.= Cones over 3 in. long; cultivated. (=B.=)

=B.= Leaves dark green; large tree, common 3.

=B.= Leaves bright or pale green 4, 5, 6.

=A.= Cones 2 in. or less long; large native trees 1, 2.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. ngra.]

1. =Pcea ngra=, Link. (BLACK OR DOUBLE SPRUCE.) Leaves about in.

long, erect, stiff, somewhat 4-sided, very dark green or whitish-gray; branchlets p.u.b.escent. Cones persistent, 1 to 1 in. long, ovate or ovate-oblong, changing from dark purple to dull reddish-brown; scales very thin, roundish, with toothed or uneven edges. A conical-shaped tree, 40 to 80 ft. high; wild in the North and along the Alleghanies; often cultivated. Bark dark brown; branches horizontal; wood light reddish.

Var. _rubra_ has larger, darker leaves, and larger, brighter-colored cones.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. alba.]

2. =Pcea alba=, Link. (WHITE OR SINGLE SPRUCE.) Leaves to in. long, rather slender, needle-shaped, sharp-pointed, incurved, pale- or glaucous-green; branchlets smooth. Cones deciduous, 2 in. long, oblong-cylindrical, with entire, thin-edged scales. Tree 25 to 100 ft.

high, of beautiful, compact, symmetrical growth when young, and such light-colored foliage as to make it a fine species for cultivation.

Wild in the North, and cultivated throughout. There are varieties with bluish-green (var. _caerulea_) and with golden (var. _aurea_) foliage in cultivation.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. excelsa.]

3. =Pcea excelsa=, Link. (NORWAY SPRUCE.) Leaves to 1 in. long, rigid, curved, dark green. Cones 5 to 7 in. long, and pendent at maturity, with the scales slightly incurved. A large tree, 70 to 120 ft.

high, of vigorous growth, with numerous, stout, drooping branches; abundant in cultivation. A score of named varieties are sold at the nurseries, some quite dwarf, others so very irregular in shape as to be grotesque.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. polita.]

4. =Pcea polita=, Carr. (TIGER'S-TAIL SPRUCE.) Leaves to in. long, strong, rigid, sharp-pointed, somewhat curved, glabrous, bright green, on stout branches with prominent buds. Leaves persistent for 7 years; not 2-ranked. Cones 4 to 5 in. long, spindle-shaped elliptical, rounded at the ends. Tree of slow growth, with horizontal, yellowish-barked branches. As it is a tree of recent introduction (1865) from j.a.pan, there are no large specimens. Hardy at Boston.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. pungens.]

5. =Pcea pungens=, Eng. (SILVER SPRUCE.) Leaves to 1 in. long, broad, rigid, stout, sharply acute, usually curved, pale green above, silvery-glaucous beneath, on smooth and shining branchlets. Cones very abundant, 3 to 5 in. long, cylindric, with elongated, undulated, retuse scales. A strictly conical tree with spreading branches and thick, smooth, gray bark. Sometimes cultivated; from the Rocky Mountains.

Hardy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. Morinda.]

6. =Pcea Morinda=, Link. (HIMALAYAN SPRUCE.) Leaves 1 to 2 in. long, very sharply acute, pale green color, spreading, 4-sided, straight, rigid, slightly glaucous beneath; branches horizontal; branchlets remotely verticillate, numerous, drooping, with light-colored bark.

Cones 6 to 7 in. long, ovate-oblong; scales light brown, oblong, entire, smooth, loosely imbricated. A tall tree, cultivated from eastern Asia and not hardy north of Washington except in sheltered positions.