five years, in the resinous buds, and in the small cones with hook-like apophyses. Mayr, however, considers it to be a distinct species, and gives the characters which distinguish it from the common form of P. sylvestris, without pointing out in what respect it differs clearly from var. engadinensis.
5. Var. nevadensis, Christ.—Needles broad, short and stiff, very white on their flat surfaces. Cones nearly sessile, oblique, with very pyramidal apophyses. Occurs in the Sierra Nevada in the south of Spain.
6. Var. reflexa, Heer.—Needles as in the common form, Cones long and slender, conic, with long hooks to the apophyses. This variety has been found growing on high peat-mosses in Switzerland and on poor sandy soil in Prussia, and occurs sporadically elsewhere.
In the Caucasus and Asia Minor, P. sylvestris differs from the European form, in having very long and broad needles (3½ inches long), and very oblique cones with hooks on their outer side directed downwards. Specimens from the Amur have very long leaves (4 inches or more) with cones of the ordinary form. The pine of the Ural and Altai mountains (var. uralensis, Fischer). is only distinguished by having short and stiff leaves. In the dry climate of the south of France, in the Cevennes and in Provence, the needles of this species become short and are often disposed in slender tufts at the ends of the branchlets.
In the French Alps near Modane, P. sylvestris grows in mixture with P. montana, var. uncinata; and it is difficult to distinguish between these trees in this locality,— the branches densely covered with short leaves, persistent for four or five years, being alike in both species; and the cones of both have hooked apophyses.[1] However, at Modane, as elsewhere, the reddish bark and the dull colour of the cones will distinguish P. sylvestris; while in the other species the bark is never red and cones are shining brown.
Similar forests occur in Switzerland, where P. sylvestris and P. montana appear to pass one into the other; and the occurrence of these apparently transitional forms has given rise to the belief that they are hybrids between the two species; but this is not established beyond doubt.
Willkomm describes two interesting varieties, due to poverty of soil and exposure. One is the shore-pine of the Baltic provinces of Prussia, which has a short bent stem with an irregular crown of foliage or is a mere bush; the cones are very oblique and hooked. Another form is peculiar to the peat-mosses in Austria and Germany; the stems are rarely more than 6 feet high, very slender, and branched to the base; needles very stiff and short (about 1 inch long), persistent for two years; cones very small, with hooked apophyses.
Several varieties have arisen in nurseries or as sports in the wild state.
Var. virgata, Caspary.—Main branches irregularly whorled, arising from the stem at an angle of 30° to 60°, elongated and giving off a few twig-like branchlets, only the outermost of which are furnished with leaves. This curious variety[2] was first
