A modern reference to temperate woody plants, including updated content from this site and much new material, can be found at Trees and Shrubs Online.

Picea likiangensis (Franch.) Pritz.

Modern name

Picea likiangensis (Franch.) E.Pritz.

Synonyms

Abies likiangensis Franch.; P. yunnanensis Hort.

A tree up to 150 ft high in the wild; bark grey or purplish grey, fissured; buds ovoid, resinous; young shoots usually pale brown or yellowish grey, more or less hairy; leaf-pegs unusually long. Leaves four-angled, slightly broader than high in cross-section, 38 to 58 in. long, acute and bevelled at the apex, those on the upper side of the shoot pointed forward, the lower leaves more or less pectinately arranged, grey-green or dark green on the exposed side, glaucous or silvery on the ventral side. Cones ovoid, 2 to 212 in. long, 112 to 134 in. wide; cone-scales flexible, the upper part ovate, rounded, wavy, spreading outward after ripening.

P. likiangensis is of wide range in Western China and extends into Tibet; discovered by the French missionary Delavay in the Lichiang range of Yunnan in 1884. Forrest sent seeds from this area in 1910 (F.6746), but the first introduction was by Wilson six years earlier, from W. Szechwan (W.1834), when collecting for Messrs Veitch. Even from a single seed collection P. likiangensis varies considerably in the colour and degree of hairiness of the shoots, colour of the leaves, etc.

Although subject to damage by late frosts when young, this spruce grows well in the British Isles and deserves to be more commonly planted; at present it is rarely seen outside collections. The young cones and male flower-clusters are brilliant red. Some examples are: Wakehurst Place, Sussex, 56 × 514 ft (1969) and 59 × 5 ft (1968); Warnham Court, Sussex, from W.1834, 69 × 512 ft (1971); Borde Hill, Sussex, from F.6746, 56 × 514 ft (1968); National Pinetum, Bedgebury, Kent, pl. 1926, 48 × 614 ft (1968); Stanage Park, Radnor, pl. 191o, 71 × 6 ft (1970); Edinburgh Botanic Garden, from F.6746, 46 × 434 ft (1970); Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow, Eire, 68 × 614 ft (1966).

var. balfouriana (Rehd. & Wils.) E. H. Hillier P. balfouriana Rehd. & Wils. – This variety was described, as a species, from specimens collected by Wilson west of Tatsien-lu (Kangting) in 1910, during his second expedition for the Arnold Arboretum, but was not recognised as even varietally distinct from the type by A. B. Jackson. A. F. Mitchell has noted that the cultivated trees are really nearer to var. purpurea than to the type. These may be from W.4065, collected in the Pan-lan-shan, of which Rehder and Wilson remarked: ‘In general appearance this number suggests P. purpurea.’ There are trees in a few collections.

var. purpurea (Mast.) Dall. & Jacks. P. purpurea Mast. – Bark divided into rather thin, scaly plates; shoots very densely clad with long hairs. Leaves shorter than in the type, about 12 in. long, dark green on the exposed side, more closely appressed to the shoot. Cones mostly smaller, about 2 in. long (but occasionally up to 3 in.), violet-purple when young. Native of Kansu and N.W. Szechwan; discovered by Wilson in 1903 and introduced by him in 1910-11 from near Sungpan; it was reintroduced by Joseph Rock from Kansu. Some examples are: Wakehurst Place, Sussex, 70 × 314 and 56 × 412 ft (1974); Borde Hill, Sussex, Pinetum, 60 × 314 ft (1974); Vernon Holme, Kent, 60 × 414 ft (1973); Westonbirt, Glos., pl. 1931, 62 × 312 ft (1969).

P. montigena Mast. – A little-known species, possibly a hybrid between P. likiangensis and P. asperata; discovered by Wilson in 1903 in W. Szechwan. He may have sent seeds in the same year, and anyway did so in 1910-11, during his second expedition for the Arnold Arboretum (W.4084; this number is wrongly dated 1908 in Pl. Wils.). Some plants distributed under the name P. montigena proved to be a stunted form of P. asperata.



From the Supplement (Vol. V)

This is portrayed in Bot. Mag., n.s., t.873.

specimens: Wakehurst Place, Sussex, 62 × 514 ft and 56 × 6 ft (1980); Borde Hill, Sussex, The Tolls, from Forrest 6746, 59 × 434 ft (1978); National Pinetum, Bedgebury, Kent, pl. 1926, 62 × 7 ft (1981); Hergest Croft, Heref., pl. 1928, 82 × 6 ft (1985); Stanage Park, Powys, pl. 1910, 77 × 614 ft (1978); Beaufront Castle, Northumb., 69 × 7 ft (1982); Edinburgh Botanic Garden, from Forrest 6746, 62 × 534 ft and 46 × 5 ft (1985); Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow, Eire, 77 × 534 ft (1980); Birr Castle, Co. Offaly, Eire, 77 × 534 ft (1980); Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Eire, 56 × 512 ft (1985).

var. balfouriana – The only examples recorded are two at Dawyck, Peebl., both measuring 66 × 4 ft (1982), and one in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, from W.4080, 56 × 334 ft (1985).

var. purpurea - specimens: Wakehurst Place, Sussex, 57 × 414 ft (1980) and 56 × 412 ft (1974); Borde Hill, Sussex, 60 × 314 ft (1974); Petworth House, Sussex, 77 × 412 ft (1983); Vernon Holme, Kent, 60 × 414 ft (1973); Westonbirt, Glos., pl. 1931, 77 × 414 ft (1980); Eastnor Castle, Heref., 58 × 434 ft and 70 × 512 ft (1984); Headfort, Co. Meath, Eire, 60 × 514 ft (1980).

Genus

Picea

Other species in the genus