the trees of great britain & ireland - Facsimile Books & other digitally ...
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88 The Trees <strong>of</strong> Great Britain and Ireland<br />
it is largely used in Japan for chip-braid, a peculiar Japanese industry, which<br />
has lately attained considerable importance, <strong>the</strong> export for 1903 amounting to no<br />
less than 1,363,000 yen equal to about .£140,000. This braid is mainly used<br />
for making hats and bonnets, but it is also woven into floor-matting, and as shown<br />
at <strong>the</strong> St. Louis Exhibition is both ornamental and cheap.<br />
There are many different varieties <strong>of</strong> chip-braid, some <strong>of</strong> which are dyed <strong>of</strong><br />
different colours, and o<strong>the</strong>rs are plaited with a mixture <strong>of</strong> silk. It is exported<br />
in bundles <strong>of</strong> 50 to 60 yards long and i to i^ inches wide, and is valued according<br />
to quality at is. to 6s. per bundle. The best are made by mixing chips <strong>of</strong> Populus<br />
tremula and Picea ajanensis. ( H. J. E.)<br />
Picea 89<br />
PICEA HONDOENSIS, HONDO SPRUCE<br />
Picea hondoensis, Mayr, Monograph der Abietineen der Japanisches Retches, 5 1, t. iv. fig. 9 (1890) ;<br />
Shirasawa, Iconographie des Essences Forestieres du Japan, text 20, tab. v. figs. 1-22 (1900).<br />
Picea ajanensis, Hooker, Bot. Mag. t. 6743 (1884), and <strong>of</strong> most writers.<br />
Abies ajanensis, Fisch., var. japonica, Maximowicz, Iter secundum ( 1862).<br />
A tree, attaining 80 feet in height in Hondo, <strong>the</strong> main island <strong>of</strong> Japan. Bark<br />
dark grey, peeling <strong>of</strong>f in small roundish scales and leaving light-coloured spots on<br />
<strong>the</strong> trunk. Branchlets shining, glabrous, yellow in <strong>the</strong> first year; but becoming<br />
reddish brown in <strong>the</strong> second year, and retaining <strong>the</strong> red colour in succeeding<br />
years till <strong>the</strong> scaly bark begins to form. The free portions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pulvini<br />
are directed forwards, and on <strong>the</strong> upper side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> branchlets are enlarged<br />
transversely at <strong>the</strong>ir bases and show two channels where <strong>the</strong>y become decurrent<br />
on <strong>the</strong> stem ; <strong>the</strong>y are shorter than in Picea ajanensis, and on older branchlets<br />
tend to disappear. Buds like those <strong>of</strong> Picea ajanensis, but opening with<br />
greenish leaves. Leaves as in that species, but slightly shorter. Cones, red<br />
when young, yellowish when ripe, slightly curved, oblong, tapering to each<br />
end, about 2 inches long by f inch thick, erect on terminal younger branchlets;<br />
scales membranous, oval, broader proportionately to <strong>the</strong>ir length than in P. ajanensis,<br />
with denticulate erose margins ; bracts minute, concealed, oval lanceolate, denticulate,<br />
gradually tapering to an acute apex. Seed with a short wing (less than twice <strong>the</strong><br />
length <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seed).<br />
The description just given enumerates <strong>the</strong> characters, chiefly those <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bark,<br />
shoot, and cones, on which Mayr relies to distinguish <strong>the</strong> Hondo spruce from <strong>the</strong><br />
true Picea ajanensis.<br />
Picea hondoensis, as grown in this country, where it is usually called Picea<br />
ajanensis, assumes a broadly pyramidal outline, <strong>the</strong> main branches being rigid and<br />
directed ei<strong>the</strong>r upwards or horizontally. In sunshine <strong>the</strong> branchlets turn <strong>the</strong>ir tips<br />
upwards, exposing to view <strong>the</strong> pale surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leaves. The arrangement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
leaves on lateral branchlets is <strong>the</strong> one normal in flat-leaved spruces, i.e. <strong>the</strong> upper<br />
side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> branchlet is densely covered with leaves, which have <strong>the</strong>ir apices directed<br />
forwards, while on <strong>the</strong> lower side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> branchlet <strong>the</strong> leaves part into two sets,<br />
directed outwards at right angles and leaving <strong>the</strong> twig bare beneath. All <strong>the</strong> leaves<br />
direct <strong>the</strong>ir stomatic pale surfaces away from <strong>the</strong> light, so that <strong>the</strong>se look towards<br />
<strong>the</strong> ground.<br />
The young cones are bright crimson, and make <strong>the</strong> tree highly ornamental in<br />
spring.<br />
IDENTIFICATION<br />
Picea Alcockiana, in which <strong>the</strong> leaves are conspicuously white on <strong>the</strong> dorsal<br />
surface, is <strong>of</strong>ten confounded in gardens with Picea hondoensis ; but <strong>the</strong>se two species<br />
are readily distinguished as follows :<br />
I N