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76 The Trees <strong>of</strong> Great Britain and Ireland<br />

1. Eu-picea.—True spruces. Needles 4-sided and 4-angled, with stomata on all<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir surfaces. The ripe cones are always pendulous.<br />

2. Omorica.—Flat-leaved spruces. Leaves 2-sided, flattened from above down<br />

wards, stomata being only borne on <strong>the</strong>ir dorsal surface. Ripe cones pendent,<br />

horizontal, or erect.<br />

O<strong>the</strong>r divisions have been made, such as that <strong>of</strong> Link into two sections, Genuine?<br />

and Dchiscentes ; and that <strong>of</strong> Mayr into three sections, Omorica (not identical with<br />

Willkomm's section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same name), Morinda, and Casicta ; but it is most con<br />

venient to adopt Willkomm's divisions.<br />

The arrangement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leaves on lateral branchlets is different in <strong>the</strong> two<br />

sections. All spruces agree in <strong>the</strong> disposition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leaves arising from <strong>the</strong> upper<br />

side <strong>of</strong> such branchlets, as <strong>the</strong>se always point forwards and cover <strong>the</strong>'shoot. But, in<br />

ordinary species, <strong>the</strong> leaves underneath, while <strong>the</strong>y part into two lateral groups, alter<br />

little <strong>the</strong>ir direction, which is more or less forwards; and <strong>the</strong> under part <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> stem is laid only partially bare. In almost all <strong>the</strong> flat-leaved spruces,<br />

<strong>the</strong> leaves below part into two sets, which are directed outwards at right angles<br />

to <strong>the</strong> shoot, which is laid quite bare. This arrangement differs from that <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> yew and most silver firs, where <strong>the</strong> leaves are divided into two sets both above<br />

and below; and this distinction depends on <strong>the</strong> fact that in <strong>the</strong>se spruces <strong>the</strong> stomata<br />

are on <strong>the</strong> dorsal surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leaf, whereas in <strong>the</strong> yew, etc., <strong>the</strong>y are on <strong>the</strong> ventral<br />

surface; and in <strong>the</strong> effort to direct <strong>the</strong> stomata away from <strong>the</strong> light, a different<br />

arrangement results in <strong>the</strong> two cases.<br />

The arrangement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leaves on leader or upright branchlets is <strong>the</strong> same in all<br />

species <strong>of</strong> spruce, being radial, <strong>the</strong> leaves pointing outwards and slightly forwards.<br />

In certain species, as P. Breweriana, P. Morinda, <strong>the</strong> lateral branchlets are pendulous<br />

and not horizontal; and <strong>the</strong> leaves <strong>the</strong>n are similarly arranged in both <strong>the</strong> lateral<br />

and <strong>the</strong> leader shoots.<br />

The section Eu-picea will be dealt with in a later part.<br />

KEY TO SECTION OMORICA. The flat-leaved spruces are distinguished from<br />

<strong>the</strong> silver firs by <strong>the</strong> peg-like projections on <strong>the</strong> shoots, and from ordinary<br />

spruces by <strong>the</strong> flattened leaves with stomata only on <strong>the</strong>ir dorsal surface.<br />

I. Young shoots glabrous, yellow.<br />

1. Picea hondoensis. Central Japan.<br />

Buds broadly conical, with scales rounded in <strong>the</strong> margin, opening red. Shoots<br />

<strong>of</strong> second year red. Leaves thin, slightly keeled on both surfaces, blunt or<br />

ending in a short point.<br />

2. Picea ajanensis. Manchuria, Amurland, Saghalien, Yezo.<br />

As in i, but <strong>the</strong> buds open green, and shoots <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> second year are yellow.<br />

3. Picea sitchensis. Western North America.<br />

Buds ovoid with ovate obtuse scales. Leaves deeply keeled on Ventral<br />

green surface, almost convex on dorsal white surface, ending in very sharp,<br />

cartilaginous points.<br />

Picea 77<br />

4. Picea morindoides.1 Native country unknown.<br />

Buds and scales ovate - obtuse. Leaves linear, straight, slender, acuminate,<br />

terminating in a callous sharp tip, somewhat flattened and distinctly keeled on<br />

both sides, marked with two white lines on <strong>the</strong> upper surface, and dark bluish<br />

green on <strong>the</strong> under surface. Leaves radially spreading on <strong>the</strong> branchlets.<br />

II. Young shoots pubescent with short hairs.<br />

5. Picea Omorika. Servia and Bosnia.<br />

Pubescence brown. Buds ovate, conical, with outer scales ending in long subulate<br />

points. Leaves flattened but thick, obtuse or ending in a short point.<br />

6. Picea Breweriana. Oregon, California.<br />

Pubescence grey. Buds ovoid, with outer scales ending in long points. Leaves<br />

scarcely flattened, but convex above and below, keeled on dorsal surface,<br />

with midrib prominent on ventral green surface, and ending in a short point.<br />

The leaves spread out in all directions on <strong>the</strong> shoot.<br />

1 A new species described by Rehder in Sargent, Trees and Shrtibs, 95, t. 48 (1903). It is only known as a tree grow<br />

ing in <strong>the</strong> arboretum <strong>of</strong> G. Allard at Angers. I have seen no specimens and take <strong>the</strong> characters given above from Rehder.<br />

In habit it resembles Picea Morinda, <strong>the</strong> branches being pendulous. The cones resemble those <strong>of</strong> l*icea AlcocJticma.

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