ABIES UMBELLATA
- Abies umbellata, Mayr, Abiet. Jap. Reiches, 34, t. 1, f. 2 (1890).
- Abies umbilicata, Beissner, ex Mayr, Fremdländ. Wald- u. Parkbäume, 258 (1906).
This species is very imperfectly known ; and there are no specimens in the Kew herbarium. The plants distributed in England some years ago under the name by Messrs. Veitch are identical with Abies homolepis, and, when seen by Mayr, were pronounced by him to be a form of A. brachyphylla.
According to Mayr this species is distinguishable with difficulty, when in the young state, from A. brachyphylla, with which it agrees in the disposition and form of the leaves, and in the characters of the buds and shoots. Mayr states, however, that the leaves are not so white underneath as in A. brachyphylla. I have received from Herr Späth of Berlin, a specimen of reputed A. umbellata, which agrees generally in buds, shoots, and foliage with A. brachyphylla; but has leaves slightly longer than, and not so conspicuously white beneath, as is usual in that species.
The cones, according to Mayr, resemble those of A. firma, and are very different in size, colour, scales, and bracts, from those of A. brachyphylla; and are described by him as greenish-yellow when growing, brown when mature, about 4 inches long by 1½ inch in diameter, cylindrical, the flattened apex having in its centre a raised umbo ; scales about 1¼ inch broad by 1⅜ inch long; bracts narrowed in the middle, slightly shorter than the scales, only exserted at the base of the cone.
According to Mayr, this species is only found in a few localities in Japan, but grows in considerable quantity on Mount Mutzumine in the province of Musashi, where it occurs with A. drachyphylla in the beech forests. It grows also on the Iumonji-toge, leading from Musashi to Shinano, and is also probably not un- common on the neighbouring mountains of Hida and Kai.
This species has been united by Sargent, Kent, and others with A. jirma; but it is very different from that species in foliage and shoots. It is possibly a hybrid between A. brvachyphylla, of which it has the foliage, and 4. firma, which it resembles in its cones. (A.H.)
ABIES VEITCHII, Veitch's Fir
- Abies Veitchii, Lindley, Gard. Chron. 1861, p. 23; Masters, Gard. Chron. xiii. 275 (1880), and Journ. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) xviii. 515, t. 20 (1881); Mayr, Monog. Abiet. Jap. Reiches, 38, t. 2, f. 4 (1890); Kent, Veitch’s Man. Coniferæ, 541 (1900); Shirasawa, Icon. Ess. Forest. Japon, text 16, t. 5, ff. 23-42 (1900).
- Abies Eichleri, Lauche, Berlin. Gartenzeit. 1882, p. 63.
- Pinus selenolepis, Parlatore, DC. Prod. xvi. 2, p. 427 (1868).
- Picea Veitchii, Murray, Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. ii. 347, ff. 52–62 (1862).
A tree, attaining 60 to 70 feet in height. Bark of trunk greyish and remaining smooth even in old trees. Buds small, subglobose, purplish, resinous. Young
