Part 16

DISTRIBUTION.--Common in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula and throughout the Upper Peninsula.

HABITAT.--Low, damp woods; banks of streams; borders of lakes; high rocky or sandy slopes; loves the cold winters.

NOTES.--A vigorous and beautiful tree in regions sufficiently cold.

1. Winter branchlet, × 1. 2. Leaves, × 2. 3. Cross-sections of leaves, enlarged. 4-5. Opened cones, × 1. 6. Cone-scale with seeds, × 1.]

+PINACEAE+

+Black Spruce+

Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP. [Picea nigra Link]

HABIT.--A small tree 20-30 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 6-10 inches; forming a narrow-based, conical, more or less irregular crown of short, slender, horizontal branches; often small and stunted.

LEAVES.--Spirally arranged, spreading in all directions; awl-shaped, 4-sided, blunt at the apex, more or less incurved; stiff; dark blue-green and glaucous; 1/8-3/8 inch long. Persistent for several years.

FLOWERS.--April-May; monoecious; the staminate subglobose, about 1/2 inch long, composed of many spirally arranged, dark red anthers; the pistillate oblong-cylindrical, composed of broad, purple scales (subtended by rounded, toothed, purple bracts) spirally arranged upon a central axis, about 1/2 inch long.

FRUIT.--Autumn of first season, but persistent on the branch for many years; pendent, ovoid, short-stalked cones, about 1 inch long; seeds about 1/8 inch long, with pale brown wings 1/2 inch long.

WINTER-BUDS.--Ovoid, acute, light red-brown, puberulous, 1/8 inch long.

BARK.--Twigs at first green and rusty-pubescent, becoming dull red-brown and rusty-pubescent; thin, gray-brown on the trunk, separating into thin, appressed scales.

WOOD.--Light, soft, weak, pale yellow-white, with thin, pure white sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Occurs sparingly in southern Michigan; more abundant in the northern portions.

HABITAT.--Cold, sphagnous bogs and swamps; shores of lakes.

NOTES.--Short-lived. Undesirable for ornamental planting. Growing to its largest size in the far north.

1. Branchlet with partly opened cone, × 1/2. 2. Leaf, × 3. 3. Cross-sections of leaves, enlarged. 4. Cone-scale with seeds, × 1.]

+PINACEAE+

+Norway Spruce+

Picea abies (L.) Karst. [Picea excelsa Link]

HABIT.--A tree 50-70 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-3 feet; forming a dense, conical, spire-topped crown of numerous, drooping branches which persist nearly to the ground.

LEAVES.--Spirally arranged along the twig; crowded; 3/4-1 inch long; rigid, curved, acute; lustrous, dark green. Persistent 5-7 years.

FLOWERS.--May; monoecious; the staminate ovoid to subglobose, long-stalked, reddish to yellowish, 3/4-1 inch long; the pistillate cylindrical, sessile, erect, 1-1/2-2 inches long.

FRUIT.--Autumn of first season; sessile, cylindrical cones 3-6 inches long, pendent from the tips of the uppermost branches; sterile scales very short, toothed; seeds red-brown, rough, 1/8 inch long, with long wings.

WINTER-BUDS.--Ovoid, acute, red-brown, not resinous, about 3/8 inch long.

BARK.--Twigs red- or orange-brown, smooth or corrugated; becoming thin and gray-brown on old trunks, slightly fissured, scaly.

WOOD.--Light, strong, tough, elastic, soft, fine-grained, white, with thick, indistinguishable sapwood.