Trees of the Northern United States Part 39

10. =abies Cilicica=, Carr. (CILICIAN SILVER FIR.) Leaves flat, linear, 1 to 1 in. long and 1/12 in. broad, somewhat 2-ranked but rather irregularly scattered around the young shoots; shining dark green above and whitish beneath. Cones 7 to 8 in. long, nearly 2 in. in diameter, cylindric, obtuse, erect, with thin and entire scales, and short and hidden bracts. A very conical tree, 50 ft. high, with branches in whorls, and numerous, small, slender branchlets. Bark light gray; recently cultivated from Asia.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A. n.o.bilis.]

11. =abies n.o.bilis=, Lindl. (n.o.bLE SILVER FIR.) Leaves 1 to 2 in. long, linear, much curved, the base extending a short distance upward along the branch, then spreading squarely from it, crowded, compressed, deep green above, glaucous below; base of the leaf much less disk-like than in most of the Firs; branches horizontal, spreading, numerous. Cones 6 to 7 in. long and nearly 2 in. in diameter, cylindric, sessile, with large, entire, incurved scales; bracts large, exserted, reflexed, spatulate, with terminal, awl-shaped points. A very large, beautiful tree, from the Pacific coast, where it grows 200 ft. high. Hardy in Pennsylvania, but needs some protection in Ma.s.sachusetts.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A. pectinata.]

12. =abies pectinata=, DC. (EUROPEAN OR COMMON SILVER FIR.) Leaves to 1 in. long, linear, obtuse, occasionally with an incurved point, polished green above, two white lines below, rigid, straight; branches horizontal and in whorls. Cones 6 to 8 in. long, cylindric, brown when ripe; scales broad, thin, rounded; bracts long, exserted, with an acute reflexed tip. Introduced from Europe. Good specimens can be found as far north as Ma.s.sachusetts, though our climate is not fitted to give them either long life or perfect form.

GENUS =97. LaRIX.= (THE LARCHES.)

Leaves deciduous, all foliaceous, the primary ones scattered, but most of them in bundles of numerous leaves from lateral globular buds. Cones usually small (in one cultivated species 3 in. long), ovoid, erect, with smooth scales.

* Cones less than 1 in. long, of not more than 25 scales 1.

* Cones 1 to 2 in. long, of from 40 to 60 scales 2, 3.

* Cones 2 to 3 in. long, with thick, woody, somewhat divergent deciduous scales. (Pseudolarix) 4.

[Ill.u.s.tration: L. Americana.]

1. =Larix Americana=, Michx. (AMERICAN LARCH. TAMARACK OR HACKMATACK.) Leaves less than 1 in. long, thread-like, linear, slender, light bluish-green. Cones to in. long, ovoid, of a reddish color. A tree of large size, 50 to 100 ft. high, growing wild in all the northern portion of our region, and frequent in cultivation, although not quite so fine a tree as Larix Europaea.

[Ill.u.s.tration: L. Europaea.]

2. =Larix Europaea=, DC. (EUROPEAN LARCH.) Leaves 1 in. long, linear, obtuse, flat, soft, numerous, and bright green in color. Cones sometimes more than 1 in. long, with oval, erect, very persistent scales. A beautiful tree with horizontal branches and drooping branchlets; abundant in cultivation.

Var. _pendula_ has long, pendent branches, and forms a very fine weeping tree.

[Ill.u.s.tration: L. Leptolepsis.]

3. =Larix Leptolepsis=, Gordon. (j.a.pAN LARCH.) Leaves 1 to 1 in. long, slender, pale green. Cones 1-1/3 in. long, and half as wide, of about 60 scales, reflexed at the margin, pale brown in color; bracts lanceolate, acute, entire, thin, one half the length of the scales; seeds obovate, compressed, with long, obtuse, thin wings. A small tree from northern j.a.pan, where it grows 40 ft. high. It is a handsome, erect-growing tree, with slender, smooth, ash-colored branches, and rather rigid, spreading branchlets.

[Ill.u.s.tration: L. Kaempferi]

4. =Larix Kaempferi=, Lamb. (GOLDEN LARCH.) Leaves from 1 to 2 in.

long, flat, linear, sword-shaped, somewhat soft, pale pea-green in the spring, golden-yellow in the autumn. Cones 2 to 3 in. long, with flattish, divergent scales which are very deciduous. A beautiful large tree, over 100 ft. high, from China, which proves hardy as far north as central New York. It is often placed in a new genus (Pseudolarix) because of the deciduous scales to the cones.

GENUS =98. CeDRUS.= (THE LEBANON CEDARS.)

Leaves linear, simple, evergreen, in large, alternate cl.u.s.ters. Cones large, erect, solitary, with closely appressed scales; seeds adhering to the base of their lacerated, membranous wings. Large, spreading-branched trees from southern Asia and northern Africa. Occasionally successfully grown from New York City southward.

* Leaves 1 in. or less long 1, 2.

* Leaves over 1 in. long, light glaucous-green 3.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. Libani.]

1. =Cedrus Libani=, Barr. (CEDAR OF LEBANON.) Leaves to 1 in. long, ac.u.minate, needle-form, rigid, few in a fascicle, deep green in color.

Cones 3 to 5 in. long, oval, obtuse, very persistent, grayish-brown in color; scales thin, truncate, slightly denticulate; seeds quite large and irregular in form. A cultivated tree with wide-spreading, whorled, horizontal branches covered with rough bark. Somewhat tender when young in the Middle States, but forming a grand tree in proper positions.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. Atlantica.]

2. =Cedrus Atlantica=, Manetti. (MT. ATLAS, SILVER, OR AFRICAN CEDAR.) Leaves to in. long, mostly cylindric, straight, rigid, mucronate, crowded, and of a beautiful glaucous-green color. Cones 2 to 3 in.

long, ovate, glossy. This beautiful tree has been considered a silvery variety of Cedrus Libani. They are about alike in hardiness and in general form. Cedrus Atlantica has more slender branches, denser and more silvery foliage. From Africa.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. Deodara.]

3. =Cedrus Deodara=, Lindl. (DEODAR OR INDIAN CEDAR.) Leaves 1 to 2 in.

in length, 3- or usually 4-sided, rigid, acute, very numerous (about 20 in a fascicle), bright green, covered with a glaucous bloom. Cones 4 to 5 in. long, ovate, obtuse, very resinous, rich purple when young, and brown when old; the scales separating from the axis at maturity. Seeds wedge-shaped, with large, bright brown wings. A beautiful pyramidal tree, with graceful drooping branches and light silvery foliage. Not hardy north of Philadelphia; from India.

GENUS =98a. ARAUCaRIA.=

[Ill.u.s.tration: A. imbricata.]

=Araucaria imbricata=, Pavon. (CHILE PINE.) Leaves 1 to 2 in. long, ovate-lanceolate, sessile, rigid, acute, very persistent, closely overlapping, completely covering the thick stems, in whorls of 6 to 8, deep glossy green; branches horizontal, in whorls of 6 to 8, with ascending tips, covered with resinous, corky bark. Flowers dioecious; cones (on only a portion of the trees) large, roundish, about 7 in. in diameter, erect, solitary; seeds wedge-shaped, 1 to 2 in. long. A large, peculiar, beautiful, conical tree, with much the appearance of a cactus; not fitted to our climate, although a few specimens may be found growing quite well near the coast south of Philadelphia. From the mountains of Chile.

GENUS =99. CUNNINGHaMIA.=

A genus of but one species. The cone-scales are very small, but the bracts are large, thick, and serrate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. Sinensis.]

=Cunninghamia Sinensis=, R. Br. (CUNNINGHAMIA.) Leaves 1 to 2 in.

long, flat, rigid, numerous, alternate, somewhat serrulate; the leaf gradually increases in width from the acute tip to the base, which is decurrent on the stem and about 1/8 in. wide. Cones 1 to 1 in. long, nearly globular, erect, very persistent, mostly cl.u.s.tered, sessile; the scale is a mere transverse ridge, but the bract is large and prominent, like a triangular-hastate, dilated leaf. A very handsome tree, from China, which does not succeed very well in this region except in protected situations.

GENUS =100. SCIADoPITYS.=

Cones elliptical or cylindrical, large, obtuse. Leaves evergreen, somewhat flattened, arranged in distant whorls around the stems, and spreading in all directions.

[Ill.u.s.tration: S. verticillata.]

=Sciadopitys verticillata=, S. and Z. (UMBRELLA-PINE.) Leaves 2 to 4 in.

long, 1/6 in. wide, linear, obtuse, smooth, persistent, sessile, entire, in whorls of 30 to 40 at the nodes and extremity of the branches. Cones 3 by 1 in. Scales wedge-shaped, corrugated, overlapping, coriaceous, persistent; bracts adherent, broad, and smooth. A beautiful, tall, conical, slow-growing tree, with the branches whorled. Recently introduced; hardy in the New England States.

GENUS =101. TAXDIUM.=

Leaves deciduous, spreading, in 2 ranks. Flowers monoecious on the same branch, the staminate ones in spikes, and the pistillate ones in pairs below. Cones globular; the scales peltate, angular, thick, firmly closed till ripe, with 2 angular seeds under each.

[Ill.u.s.tration: T. distichum.]

=Taxdium distichum=, Richard. (SOUTHERN OR BALD CYPRESS.) Leaves deciduous, flat, linear, to in. long, in 2 rows on the slender branchlets, forming feather-like spray of a light green color. This whole spray usually falls off in the autumn as though a single leaf.

Cones round, closed, hard, 1 in. in diameter. A fine, tall (100 to 125 ft. high), slender, spire-shaped tree with a large, spreading, rigid trunk, 6 to 9 ft. thick, and peculiar conical excrescences (called knees) growing up from the roots. Wild from Maryland south, and cultivated and hardy in the Middle and many of the Northern States.