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Tsuga chinensis (Franch.) Pritzel

Modern name

Tsuga chinensis (Franch.) Pritz.

Synonyms

Abies chinensis Franch.; Tsuga brunoniana var. chinensis (Franch.) Mast.

A tree up to 80 ft high in China, occasionally over 100 ft high; young shoots light brown, finely downy, especially in the grooves. Leaves pectinately arranged, up to about 34 in. long, entire (minutely toothed on seedling plants), parallel-sided, slightly notched at the apex, with two usually green stomatic bands beneath. Cones broadly ovoid, with light brown, lustrous, almost orbicular scales. Bot. Mag., t. 9193.

Native of central and western China (a variety in Formosa); first seen by Père David near Mupin in W. Szechwan; described from specimens collected by Père Farges in N.E. Szechwan; introduced by Wilson for Messrs Veitch in 1902, from Hupeh. It was at first confused with T. sieboldii, from which it differs in its downy stems; and also with T. yunnanensis, see below.

T. chinensis is not in general cultivation. The best examples are: Bodnant, Denbigh, 48 × 5 ft (1974) and National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, Eire, 33 × 334 ft (1974).

T. forrestii Downie – Although included in T. chinensis by Wilson this species appears to be distinct enough in its brown or reddish brown branchlets, longer leaves (to 1 in. long) and tapered cones. It was described from a specimen collected by Forrest in the Lichiang range in 1918 and was subsequently found by him in other parts of N.W. Yunnan and in bordering S.W. Szechwan (Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edin., Vol. 14 (1923), p. 18 and Vol. 18 (1933), p. 136). A plant at Borde Hill in Sussex may belong here, and those propagated by Messrs Hillier derive from it.



From the Supplement (Vol. V)

specimens: National Pinetum, Bedgebury, Kent, pl. 1937, 35 × 234 ft (1978); Windsor Great Park, above Valley Garden, 52 × 434 + 334 ft (1979); Bodnant, Gwyn., 59 × 6 ft (1984); National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, Eire, 38 × 4 ft (1980); Headfort, Co. Meath, Eire, 40 × 5 ft (1980).

Genus

Tsuga

Other species in the genus