CHAP. CXIII.
coni'ferje. pi'cea
2349
ones are decumbent. The bracteas are low and recurved, and but little changed from the ordinaryleaves, which gives the cones a singular appearance.” {Lamb. Pin., vol. iii.) ** When on the tree,being in great clusters, and at a great height withal, the cones resemble the inflorescence of aBanks?#, a name I should like to give this species, but that there is a P. Banks» already. This treeattains a great size and height, and is on the whole a most beautiful object. It is never seen at alower elevation than 6000 ft. above the level of the sea, in lat. 36°, where it is not uncommon.”(Dougl . in Comp, to But. Mag., 2. p. 152.) From the singular appearance of the cones, and generalbeauty of the tree, this seems to be a most desirable species for introduction.
I 11. P. religions A Humb. etKunth. The sacred Mexican Silver Fir.
Synonymes. Plnus religibsa Humb. et Kunth Nov. Gen. et Sp. PI., 2. p. 5., Schiede et Deppe inSchlecht. Linn<ea, 5. p. 77., Lamb. Pin., 1. t. 43.; A' bies religibsa Lindl. in Penny Cyc.Engravings. Lamb. Pin., 1. t. 43., and vol. 3. t. 85.; and onr Jig. 2257.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves linear, acute, quite entire, somewhat pectinate. Cones roundish-oval ;scales trapezoideo-cordate, lamelliform; bracteoles the length of the scales, spathulate-oblong,sharply dentato-serrate; wings of the seed plicate. {Don in Lamb. Pin., iii.) Leaves 1£ in. long.Cones 2§ in. long, and 2| in. broad. Seed small and irregular. Cotyledons, ?.
Description, %c. A tall tree. Branches covered with a brown bark. Leaves scattered in inser-tion, but 2-rowed, somewhat pectinate, linear, acute ; obtuse on the margin, quite entire, coriaceous,glabrous ; 1 in. long, marked above with a depressed line, silvery beneath, especially when young jafterwards both sides of the same colour. Cone like that of the cedar, roundish-oval, l|in. long,very obtuse, brown ; scales very broad, lamelliform, deciduous, somewhat trapezoidal ; heart-shapedat the base; acute, quite entire and incurved on the margin ; angles lengthened, coriaceous, rigid ;stalk very short, wedge-shaped, keeled on both sides, the under angle more elevated. Bracteolesabout the length of the scales, spathulate-oblong, obtuse, membranaceous, sharply and irregularly
dentato-serrate. Seeds of a pale bright brown, wedge-shaped, a little compressed ; exterior testawidelydisjoined on the inner side ; wing axe-shaped, thinly membranaceous, somewhat transparent, foldedlengthwise. Nucleus entirely covered with the interior testa, obliquely crowned with a very shortwing. {Lamb.) This is a tall and elegant tree, found by Humboldt on the lower hills of Mexico,between Masantla and Chilpantzingo, at an elevation of 4000 ft. Deppe and Schiede found it uponthe cold mountains of Orizaba, at the highest limit of arborescent vegetation. The leaves arelarger, and the branches more slender than those of any other of the silver fir tribe; and they areused by the Mexicans for adorning their churches. The flowers have not yet been described byEuropean botanists. It is easily recognised from every other species of silver fir by the shortness ofits cones, which, in form and structure, bear a marked resemblance to those of the cedar of Lebanon,although they are considerably smaller. From the elevated situation on which it grows, there canbe little doubt of its proving perfectly hardy in Britain; and the botanists now exploring Mexicowill, no doubt, soon send home seeds of it.
?P. hirttlla ; /Tbies hirtella Lindl. in Penn. Cyc., No. 11.; Plnus hirtetla Humb. et Kunth, I. c.j hasthe young branches covered with hairs. Leaves arranged in 2 rows, flat, acute, glaucous beneath ;about 1$ in. long. Flowers and cones unknown. Found on the mountains of Mexico at an eleva-tion of 8000 ft. or 9000 ft. A low tree, from 18 ft. to 20 ft. high ; not yet introduced.