| Leaves |
 |
7.5 to 12.5 cm. long needle-shaped leaves |
| |
stiff, sharp-pointed |
| |
4-sided in cross section |
| |
often crowded towards the upper side of the
twigs,
ranging from green to bluish-green |
| |
produces a pungent odour when crushed and for this
reason is often referred to as "cat spruce" |
|
| Cones |
| |
4-5 cm. in length |
| |
cylindrical shaped with slightly rounded close fitting scales |
| |
light green in colour, turning brown and opening
at maturity in autumn |
| |
cones fall during the winter or early spring |
|
| Bark |
| |
thin and scaly or flaky |
| |
ash-brown in colour |
| |
inner bark is silvery-white streaked with reddish-brown layers |
|
| General |
| |
one of the most widely spread spruces in mainland Canada |
| |
only sparsely spread throughout Newfoundland and Labrador |
| |
often growing to over 30m. in height and up to 1.5 m. in diameter |
| |
prefers to grow alone in abandoned fields, but can
be found among Black Spruce, White Birch and Balsam Fir in rich, moist soil
along streams and lakes |
| |
economic value to Newfoundland is very little due to its
scarcity |
