View "Eastern Spruce" (Caucasian) Picea orientalis Caucasian Spruce orientalis - eastern (lat.). Eastern spruce Dwarf spruce, varieties and species, names and photos

Spruce ( Picea) is an evergreen coniferous tree, a symbol of the New Year. Belongs to the pine order, pine family, spruce genus. Spruce height can reach 50 meters, and the life span of a tree can be 600 years, although usually a tree lives up to 250-300 years.

Spruce - description, appearance, photo

In a young tree, during the first 15 years of growth, the root system has a rod structure, but then it develops as a superficial one, since the main root dies off as it grows older. In the first years of life, the spruce grows up and practically does not give lateral branches. The straight trunk of spruce has a round shape and gray bark, exfoliating into thin plates. spruce wood low-resinous and homogeneous, white in color with a slight golden hue.

The pyramidal or cone-shaped crown of spruce is made up of whorled-arranged branches growing almost perpendicular to the trunk. short spruce needles located on the branches in a spiral order and has a tetrahedral or flat shape. The color of the needles is usually green, blue, yellowish or dove. The needles remain viable for 6 years, and the fallen needles are renewed annually. Some insects are not indifferent to spruce needles (for example, nun butterflies) and eat the needles so much that brush shoots form on damaged spruce branches - very short and hard needles that look like brushes.

spruce cones have a slightly pointed, slightly elongated cylindrical shape. They can reach a length of 15 cm and have a diameter of at least 4 cm. A spruce cone is an axis, and a lot of covering scales grow around it, in the axils of which seed scales are located. On the upper part of the seed scales, 2 ovules are formed, endowed with a false wing. Spruce seeds ripen in October, after which the seeds are dispersed by the wind and remain viable for 8-10 years.

Types of fir trees, names and photos

Today, more than 45 species of spruce trees have been studied, growing in natural conditions and having a trunk height from 30 cm to 50 m, a different crown structure and various colors of needles. Among all representatives of this genus, the most famous are the following varieties:

European (ordinary) spruce (Picea abies)

An evergreen coniferous tree, the average height of which is 30 m, but there are instances of 50 m in height. The crown of the spruce is cone-shaped, whorled branches of a drooping or prostrate type, the bark of the trunk is dark gray, begins to peel off with age in plates of small thickness. Spruce needles are tetrahedral, arranged in a spiral on spruce legs. Ordinary spruce forms huge forests in the north-east of Europe, is found in the mountainous regions of the Alps and the Carpathians, in the Pyrenees and the Balkan Peninsula, in North America and central Russia, and even in the Siberian taiga.

Siberian spruce (Picea obovata)

Tall, up to 30 meters tall tree with a pyramidal crown. The diameter of the Siberian spruce trunk in girth can exceed 70-80 cm. The needles of the Siberian spruce are somewhat shorter than those of the common spruce, and more prickly. Siberian spruce grows in the forests of the northern part of Europe, in Kazakhstan and China, on the Scandinavian Peninsula and in Mongolia, in the Urals and in the Magadan region.

Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis)

The height of the tree varies from 32 to 55 meters, the crown is conical, with densely arranged branches. The bark of the spruce trunk is low-resinous, gray-brown in color, scaly. The needles are shiny, slightly flattened, tetrahedral, with a slightly rounded tip. Oriental spruce is widespread in the forests of the Caucasus and in the northern territories of Asia, forming pure massifs there, or found in mixed forests.

Korean spruce (Picea koraiensis)

A rather tall coniferous tree, reaching 30-40 m in height, with a grayish-brown trunk in color of the bark, with a girth of up to 75-80 cm. Under natural conditions, Korean spruce grows in the regions of the Far East, in China, in the Primorsky Territory and the Amur Region, in North Korea.

Ayan spruce (small-seeded, Hokkaido) (Picea jezoensis)

Outwardly, this type of spruce is very similar to the European spruce. The pyramidal crown of the Ayan spruce has bright green, almost non-resinous needles with a sharp tip, the height of the trunk is usually 30-40 meters, occasionally up to 50 m, the girth of the trunk reaches a meter, and sometimes more. Spruce grows in the Far East region, in Japan and China, on Sakhalin and the territory of the Kamchatka Territory, in Korea and the Amur Region, in the Kuril Islands, along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and in the Sikhote-Alin mountains.

Tien– shan spruce (Picea schrenkiana subsp. tianschanica)

Spruces of this species often reach a height of 60 m, and the trunk is 1.7-2 meters in diameter. The crown of the Tien Shan spruce is cylindrical, less often pyramidal. The needles are diamond-shaped, straight or slightly curved. A distinctive feature is the presence of anchor roots that are able to bend and cling tightly to stones or rocky ledges. Spruce grows in regions of Central Asia, is widespread in the Tien Shan mountains, and is especially common in Kazakhstan and the mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan.

spruce glen (Picea glehnii)

A coniferous tree with a very dense, cone-shaped crown. The height of the trunk is from 17 to 30 meters, the diameter varies from 60 to 75 cm. The bark is covered with scale plates, has a beautiful chocolate tint. The long tetrahedral needles are slightly curved, sharp in young trees and slightly blunt in mature specimens. The needles are dark green, with a bluish bloom, has a tart spruce aroma. Spruce Glen grows in Japan, in the southern regions of Sakhalin, in the south of the Kuril Islands.

Canadian spruce (gray spruce, white spruce) (Picea glauca)

A slender evergreen tree, most often not exceeding 15-20 meters in height, the diameter of the Canadian spruce trunk in diameter is not more than 1 meter. The bark on the trunk is quite thin, covered with scales. The crown is narrowly conical in young specimens, while in adult fir trees it takes the form of a cylinder. The needles of spruce are long (up to 2.5 cm), blue-green in color, have a diamond-shaped cross section. Canadian spruce grows in the states of North America, often found in Alaska, Michigan, South Dakota.

red spruce (Picea rubens)

An evergreen tree, from 20 to 40 meters high, however, under poor growing conditions, it can have a height of only 4-6 meters. The diameter of the red spruce trunk rarely exceeds 1 meter, and is usually 50-60 centimeters. The crown is cone-shaped, significantly expanding towards the base of the trunk. The needles are quite long - 12-15mm, practically do not prick, as it has a rounded tip. This type of spruce is common in England and Canada, grows in the highlands of the Appalachians and in Scotland, occurring almost along the entire Atlantic coast.

Serbian spruce (Picea omorika)

An evergreen representative of coniferous trees, from 20 to 35 meters high, Serbian spruce trees reaching 40 meters in height are very rare. The crown was pyramidal, but narrow, and closer to columnar in shape. The branches are short, sparse, slightly raised upwards. The needles were green, shiny, with a slightly bluish tint, slightly flattened above and below. This type of spruce is very rare: in its natural environment it grows only in Western Serbia and Eastern Bosnia.

Blue spruce, she is prickly spruce(Picea pungens)

a very popular type of spruce, often used as an ornamental plant. Blue spruce can grow up to 46 meters in height, although the average height of the tree is 25-30 m, and the diameter of the trunk is up to 1.5 m. Needles 1.5-3 cm long come in different shades - from grayish green to bright blue. Spruce cones 6-11 cm long can be reddish or purple, becoming light brown when ripe. Blue spruce grows in western North America (from Idaho to New Mexico), where it is widely distributed on moist soils along the banks of mountain rivers and streams.

Dwarf spruce, varieties and types, names and photos

Among the huge variety of species and varieties of spruces, dwarf spruces are especially popular - amazing elements of landscape design and a wonderful decoration for every garden. Dwarf spruce is durable, unpretentious, easy to care for. These miniature trees amaze with the magnificence of shapes and colors and fit perfectly into rock gardens, rockeries, flower beds, Japanese gardens. Here are some types of dwarf firs:

Dwarf spruce Nidiformis (Nidiformis)

one of the forms of Norway spruce, a dense nest-like shrub with light green needles, grows up to 40 cm in height and no more than 1 m in width.

the result of a mutation of the common spruce variety Acrocona is an unusual plant of uneven shape, 30-100 cm high and 50 cm in diameter. Small pink cones that form on shoots of different lengths look especially picturesque.

Dwarf Blue Spruce Glauka Globoza (Glauca Globosa)

one of the popular types of blue spruce with a dense, wide-conical crown and light blue crescent-shaped needles. By the age of 10, the tree grows up to 3 m in height and gradually becomes almost round.

a very decorative conifer with a symmetrical pyramidal crown and two-color needles: the needles are dark green above and light blue below. The tree grows up to 3-3.5 m in height, and the diameter of the crown at the base is 2.5 m.

Prickly spruce dwarf Bialobok (Bialobok)

a unique spruce variety of Polish selection with blue, silver and golden shades of needles. The Christmas tree acquires a special decorative effect in spring, when young shoots of a whitish-cream color appear against the background of mature dark green needles. The height of the dwarf spruce is no more than 2 meters.

Type description. A tree 32-47 (55) m high and with a trunk diameter of about 2 m, with a wide (15-20 m) dense conical crown, often starting from the ground itself. The bark is scaly, brown, dark gray in mature plants. Young shoots are slightly shiny, reddish or yellow-gray, densely covered with hairs, older shoots are furrowed light gray or gray, with clearly visible yellow needle pads. Resin droplets (spruce tears) often stand out at the top of the young shoot.

Kidneys solitary, rarely in groups of three, 2-6 mm long, 1.5 mm thick, ovate-pointed, reddish-brown, to almost black, non-resinous, with obtuse-triangular, different-sized, long-haired renal scales, the tops of which are somewhat bent. Buds are ovoid, red, not resinous.

Young cones and trunk of Ricea orientalis

The needles are located more or less flat, slightly flattened, tetrahedral in cross section, rounded at the tip, slightly bent upwards and therefore not prickly, highly shiny, as if varnished, very densely located on the shoot, light golden at a young age, then darkens. When rubbed, they have a pleasant resinous aroma. The needles are relatively stiff, less than 10 (usually 5-9) mm long (shorter than all other spruces), 0.7-1.1 mm wide, blunt at the top, hard, bright shiny, with 1- 2 stomatal lines on each side, and on the bottom - with 3-5(1) stomatal lines, not forming noticeable rows.

Male anthers are carmine red, dusty at the junction of summer and spring. Cones are red to purple-purple, fusiform-cylindrical, narrowed towards the ends, 5-11 cm long. and 2-2.5 cm thick., young purple, then light brown, resinous until ripe, located in the upper part of the crown at the ends of the shoots.

Young shoots and old cones of Picea orientalis

Seed scales are wide obovate, wedge-shaped, rounded, entire or notched, on the back along the upper edge with a shiny border, on the back along the streaked, shiny. Seeds irregularly triangular in shape, small 2-5 mm long, black, with a longer wing with an obovate yellowish-brown wing, 3-4 times (14-17 mm). An orange- or yellowish-brown wing exceeding the size of the seed.

ecological property of the species. The main forest-forming species is m in the mountain forests of the western part of the Caucasus, as well as in Antalya (Turkey) and the northern countries of Asia Minor. It grows at an altitude of 1345-2130 (2500) m above sea level, where it forms mixed and pure forests. Protected in nature reserves. Prefers shaded slopes, where it grows in mixture with , Caucasian fir , beech and hornbeam . Especially spectacular are the dominant spruce forests with the so-called. "Colchis" type of undergrowth of evergreen shrubs and small trees: laurel cherries , holly , boxwood , yew , rhododendron .

The undergrowth of this spruce does not tolerate direct sunlight at all, it is even more shade-tolerant than the undergrowth of European spruce. Regularly seed bearing, seeds have a high germination rate (10-97%). It is well renewed, and can settle on the steepest rocky slopes. Breed coastal climate, requires a large amount of precipitation, high humidity and soil. It is able to grow on thin soils and stony placers, but it is necessary to take into account the sensitivity of the species to drought and dry winds. To some extent withstands the effects of wind. With age, loves the open sun.

Prefers a pH of 4 to 6. Lives 500-600 years. At a young age, it grows slowly 20-30 cm per year. Young trees grow slowly at first, at the age of about 5 - 6 years, under good conditions, they can grow up to 1 m per year, which can persist for the next 70 years or more, then, by 90 - 100 years, growth in height practically stops. Relatively frost-resistant within USD zones 3/4-9 (from -29 to -34 Сo). On the territory of Ukraine and the Baltic countries, it is not damaged by frost.

In GBS since 1937, 4 samples (4 copies) were obtained from Tesare nad Zhitava (Slovakia), Golukhov (Poland) and live plants from the Caucasus (from nature). Tree, at 31 years old, height 2.7 m, trunk diameter 3/11.5 cm. Vegetation from 3.V ± 6. Annual growth up to 10 cm. Not dusty. It is considered introduced into culture in 1837, obviously, by the BIN Botanical Garden. Plants brought in 1981 from the North Caucasus, from the Teberdinsky Reserve, after 25 years reached 1.5 m in height. In the North-West of Russia, it is not winter-hardy enough, it freezes over in St. Petersburg, however, it has endured a number of severe winters of recent decades, and is of interest as a collection plant. In Minsk, at the age of 60, it reaches a height of 2.5-3 m. It endures ordinary winters without damage.

General view of an adult Ricea orientalis tree

Reproduction and cultivation. Stratified seeds (cold stratification 1-2 months) are sown in spring in an unheated greenhouse or in open ground, to a depth of 1-2 cm in partial shade with mulching with fallen needles from above (mulch thickness 1 cm).

Purpose and application. The wood is soft and durable white, easily split, therefore it is used for building materials and joinery and turning products. It is a raw material for the pulp and paper industry. Due to its high resonant properties, it is used in the manufacture of musical instruments. Turpentine and tannin are obtained from the bark and branches. The inner part of the bark, dried and ground into powder, is used by the local population as a thickener in soups and or added to flour when baking bread, as well as young male earrings - raw or boiled, as a flavoring. From young shoots, a tonic, vitamin-rich With tea.

Landscape construction. One of the decorative short-coniferous firs. Most good in single landings. It is beautiful with dense bright green needles and the outline of a wide pyramidal crown. This slender tree is used in landscape gardening to create small groups, high and low, sheared hedges, in forest parks of mountainous areas in the form of arrays on shaded slopes. Since the species is slow growing, it tolerates pruning well, especially when young.

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Description

Eastern spruce Aureospicata (Picea orientalis Aureospicata)- coniferous evergreen tree of conical shape. The crown is dense, but not very regular. An adult spruce can reach a height of 8-12 m and a width of 5 m. At the age of 30 years, it reaches 6-8 m in height. At 10 years old, the height is about 2.5 m and 1.5 m in diameter. Oriental spruce Aureospicata is the most decorative representative of Oriental spruce due to bright yellow young growths that appear later than other spruce varieties, in June. Growing up, the growths become green. The needles are short, dark green, shiny. In spring, young growths are golden yellow in color, in summer they turn green. The needles are short and hard. The birthplace of the variety is Germany. Soil and moisture requirements are average. The crown of this tree has a narrow pyramidal shape, so it is recommended to use it to decorate the landscapes of small garden plots. It is used for single plantings and garden compositions.

Crown diameter and height:	Height 8-12 m, width 4-5 m.
Fruit:	The fruits are narrow, very decorative. Cones are cylindrical or ovoid, 5-10 cm long, 2-3 cm in diameter. Purple before ripening, brown when ripe.
Needles:	The needles are short, dark green, shiny. In spring, young growths are golden yellow in color, in summer they turn green.
Growth features:	Annual growth in height 15-20 cm, width 5 cm.
The soil:	Soil requirements are average, prefers fresh and moist, rich in nutrients, acidic or slightly acidic (see).
Light:	Photophilous, tolerates slight shading.
Moisture:	Moisture requirements are average, sensitive to drought and dry winds.
Frost resistance:	Zone 5 (see), needs protection from cold northerly winds. Tolerates heat well.
Landing:	It should be planted in a place protected from cold winds.
Care and protection:	It tolerates shearing well, especially when young, heat, urban climate, smoke and gas resistant.
Decorative qualities:	An elegant tree for collectors. It looks especially attractive and elegant in spring due to the golden-yellow color of young shoots.
Crown structure:	The crown is conical or narrow-pyramidal, the lateral branches are asymmetrical, decoratively hanging down.
Purpose:	It is used for single plantings and garden compositions, for decorating the landscapes of small garden plots. Recommended for planting on the border of a garden and a rock garden, can be planted against a background of darker plants, in color compositions.

Planting and caring for spruce Eastern Aureospicata

Soil compaction and moisture stagnation should not be allowed. The landing site should be away from groundwater. It is imperative to make a drainage layer, in the form of sand or broken bricks 15-20 cm thick. If fir trees are planted in groups, then the distance for tall fir trees should be from 2 to 3 m. The depth of the planting pit is 50-70 cm.

It is important that the root neck is at ground level. You can prepare a special soil mixture: sheet and sod land, peat, and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1:1. Immediately after planting, the tree must be watered abundantly with 40 - 50 liters of water. It is advisable to apply fertilizer (100-150 g of nitroammophoska, root 10 g per 10 l, etc.).

Spruces do not like dry hot weather, so during the hot season they need to be watered once a week, about 10-12 liters per tree. Carry out shallow loosening (5cm). For the winter, sprinkle peat around the trunk with a thickness of 5-6 cm; after winter, the peat is simply mixed with the ground, not removed. Spruces can be planted in winter.

Approximately 2 times a season, fertilizer for coniferous plants can be applied.

Spruces do not usually need pruning, but if they form a hedge, pruning is allowed. As a rule, diseased and dry branches are removed. It is best to prune in late May - early June, when the period of active sap flow ends.

To protect the decorative forms of spruce from autumn and winter frosts, they can be covered with spruce branches. (cm. , ).

Spruces belong to the genus of evergreen coniferous trees of the pine family. The name comes from the Latin "pix" - the resin that these plants contain and secrete. These are the most important forest-forming species of dark coniferous forests growing in different climatic zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, according to the growing conditions, the following types of these plants can be considered.

In Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, the most common are:

Spruce European, Ordinary (see article "");
Spruce Finnish;
Spruce Serbian or Balkan;
Spruce Eastern or Caucasian;
Spruce Schrenk or Tien Shan.

In the Urals, Siberia, in the Far East, the most famous are:

Spruce Siberian;
El Ayan or Jezon;
Spruce Glen;
Spruce Korean.

Common in North America:

Spruce Canadian or White;
El Engelman;
Spruce Prickly;
Spruce Sitka;
Spruce Black.

In culture, reproduction occurs by seeds, vegetatively by cuttings, by grafting, mainly on Norway Spruce.

Spruce Finnish

It grows in North Karelia, Finland, Norway, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov regions of Russia, the Urals and Mongolia. This is a hybrid that turned out when the types of Common Siberian Spruce were crossed. In the composition of dark coniferous forests, the share of Finnish Spruce can be about 75%.

Finnish spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree, 30 m high, with a pyramidal crown. But under the influence of frosts and winds, the crowns often become quite compressed, as a result of which the trees acquire, as it were, "flag" forms. The young cones of Finnish Spruce are bright purple in color, directed upwards, but when ripe, they first turn green and then brown, become lignified and become drooping. The length of the cones is 7 (9-10) cm, the scales are entire. The length of the cones and their scales are the same as those of Siberian Spruce. Cones ripen in the second year after the "flowering" of the plant, and fall entirely from the tree after the seeds are completely dispersed.

Finnish spruce is a slow growing plant, therefore less valuable than Norway spruce. According to the requirements for soils, growing conditions, and application are the same as for European Spruce and Siberian Spruce. As an ornamental plant, in culture it is planted in the form of single trees, in household plots, on the streets and in parks of populated areas. In arboretums and botanical gardens - in alley plantings and in arrays.

Spruce Serbian or Balkan

It grows on the Balkan Peninsula, in the European part of the former USSR, in Belarus, in Ukraine, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Serbian spruce is a tree, the height of which is 20-35 (rarely - 40) m with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m. It has short branches hanging down to the ground. The crown is pointed, narrow-pyramidal in shape, retains harmony and grace, until old age. The bark is thin, reddish-gray, scaly, exfoliates in thin plates. Young shoots are gray-brown in color, rather densely pubescent. The kidneys are not resinous, sharp, broadly ovoid, red-brown in color, have long, silky-pointed scales. Kidney length - 5-8 mm, width - 0.5-2 mm.

The upper side of dense, flat needles, dark green, shiny, the lower side has two large bluish-white stripes (stomatal ditches). In young trees, the needles are pointed, in old ones they are rounded. The length of the needles is 18-20 mm, the width is 0.5-2 mm. The needles are stored on the Serbian spruce for 8-10 years. "Blossoms" in April-May. Young female cones are reddish or black with a bluish tinge. Mature, the length of which is 3-6 cm, the width is 3 cm, shiny, brown in color, have an ovoid-oblong-oval shape. The scales of the cones are rounded, slightly pubescent towards the base, slightly dentate. Cones ripen in August.

Serbian spruce begins to bring seeds from the age of 12-15. The seeds are winged, brown in color, their length is 3 cm. The wing is 3-4 times longer than the seed, yellow-brown. 1000 seeds weigh 3 g. Serbian spruce is not demanding on soils. It can grow on clay, calcareous soils and podzolic sands. But the best soils for its growth are fresh, moist loams. Serbian spruce is very demanding on air humidity, but dryness is tolerated more easily by Common Spruce (European).

This is a shade-tolerant, winter-wind-resistant plant. It tolerates air pollution with smoke and gases. In terms of gas resistance, it is similar to some types of Spruce, in particular, to Prickly Spruce. Lives 300 years or more. It grows more slowly than Common Spruce (European) and Sitka Spruce. It has been known in culture since 1880. As an ornamental plant with an elegant crown and beautiful needles, it is widely distributed in Northern Europe and North America. It looks impressive planted in gardens and parks in the form of tapeworms and in small groups, as well as in green areas of forest parks.

The following forms of Serbian Spruce are common in culture: Aurea - yellow needles; De Ruyter - the needles are short, its upper part is glossy, dark green, the lower part is silver; Expansa - a dwarf form without a trunk, the crown lies on the ground; Gnom - the needles are very prickly, from below - shiny, green, from above - with four to five white stomatal lines; Karel - dwarf form, young needles are green, later - gray-green; Minima - dwarf form, short shoots, rounded crown; Nana - densely branched dwarf form, dove needles; Pendula Bruns - slow growing tree, dense crown, needle-shaped needles, dark green; Zuckerhut is conical in shape, the needles are turned, creating a slightly silvery tint.

Spruce Eastern or Caucasian

It grows in the West of the Greater Caucasus, in Transcaucasia, Armenia, Adjara, in Asia Minor, in Turkey. A large evergreen coniferous tree, has a height of 45-50 m, occasionally - 60 m, and a trunk diameter of 1.5-2 m. Thick, hanging branches, with slightly drooping ends, extend almost horizontally from a straight trunk. The crown is narrow pyramidal in shape, the bark of young trees is smooth, light gray in color, the bark of old trees is cracking, scaly, dark gray in color. Young shoots are reddish or yellow-green in color, shiny, densely pubescent. The kidneys are small, up to 3 mm, reddish-brown in color, pointed at the end. Short, the length of which is 0.4-0.8 cm, rigid, tetrahedral, shiny, dark green needles densely cover the branches. Blooms in May.

Male inflorescences are carmine red, female cones are purple-purple. Mature resinous cones, 5-8 cm long, 2 cm wide, fusiform or cylindrical, light brown in color, shiny, hanging down, fall from the tree without opening entirely. Often they are very densely arranged and hang in clusters on the branches. Seed scales are entire, almost rounded, leathery. Seeds are small, winged, up to 4 mm long, black, obovate. Wing 14-17 mm long, 3-4 times larger than the seed. Seeds ripen in October. The weight of 1000 seeds is about 7.3 g. Eastern spruce is a slowly growing breed, especially at a young age. Lives 400-500 (600) years.

This is a shade-tolerant, moisture-loving plant, not demanding on the composition of the soil, but very demanding on soil and air moisture. Having a shallow root system, it is often damaged by winds, does not tolerate drought, dry winds, and frosts. Eastern spruce is a typical mountain plant growing in the highlands of the North Caucasus and Turkey at an altitude of 500-2000 m above sea level, forming forest stands with a highly productive timber reserve of 1000 m3 per 1 ha. Or mixed forests along with . In Asia Minor, it mainly grows in deep, closed, shady gorges, on rocky soils.

In culture, it is found in the parks of the Crimea, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in southern and western Ukraine. In Kyiv, it is damaged by frost. The wood of Eastern Spruce is light, durable, used for the manufacture of joinery and turning products, and is also a raw material for the pulp and paper industries. With high resonant properties, it is valuable for the manufacture of musical instruments.

As a slender ornamental tree with mild needles, planting Spruce is used in gardens and parks to create small groups, hedges. In mountainous areas - in forest parks, in the form of massive group plantations, on shaded slopes. Known forms of Eastern Spruce: Drooping - drooping branches; Low - the needles are thick, dark green; Golden - golden-bronze needles, retains color for a long time; Golden-conical - on young shoots the needles are light golden, later becoming green.

Spruce Schrenk or Tien Shan

It grows in the mountain forests of the Tien Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, Central Asia. This is a slender, evergreen tree, the appearance of Spruce is very elevated, the height of which reaches 45 (85) meters and the diameter of the trunk is 1.2-1.5 m. At the end of the lower branches of this tree lie on the ground, therefore dense, narrow-conical, almost cypress-shaped crown, starts as if from the base of the trunk. The bark is dark gray in color, smooth in young trees, later it peels off in plates. Young shoots are yellowish-gray, rarely pubescent. The buds are gray-yellow in color, much darker than the shoots, not resinous.

The needles, whose length is 4 cm, are rigid, linear, pale bluish-green in color, tetrahedral, and have a prickly point. It remains on the tree for 28 years, then it is replaced by a new one. Cones are oblong-cylindrical, 7-12 cm long, hanging down, light brown in color, completely fall off the tree. Schrenk spruce begins to bear fruit from 25-30 years of age. Seeds have wings that are 1.5-3 times longer than the seed itself. In his youth, El Shrenka grows slowly, lives up to 400 years.

This is a frost-resistant, shade-loving, moisture-loving plant. Demanding on soil and atmospheric moisture, and absolutely not demanding on the composition of the soil. It can grow on acidic, brown, humus-carbonate, strongly stony soils. Growing in the mountain forests of the Tien Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, at an altitude of 1300-3200 m above sea level, it forms both pure stands and mixed forests along with Siberian Fir and Semenov Fir.

With a highly developed surface root system, Schrenk Spruce can grow on steep rocky slopes with little soil cover, thereby strengthening and holding the soil from erosion by spring waters and showers. This is its hydromeliorative value. As an ornamental plant with an original crown shape, a peculiar color of needles, it looks beautiful planted in squares, parks and gardens singly or in small groups. There is a form of Schrenk's Spruce - Spherical - a tree with a spherical crown up to 1.8 m in height.

Spruce Siberian

Grows in the North-East of Europe, but the Urals, in Siberia, but the Far East, China, Mongolia. This is an evergreen tree, of the pine family, whose height is 30 m, the diameter of the trunk is 0.7 m. The crown is narrow pyramidal or pyramidal in shape, the bark is wrinkled, dark gray or almost black.

Young shoots are yellowish-brown or brownish in color, have dense pubescence. The kidneys are not resinous, brown or yellow. The needles that the Siberian Spruce plant has are thick, hard, prickly, 0.7-2 cm long, tetrahedral with a strongly pointed tip. The location of the needles is next. The needles on the tree remain for 7-9 years. Spruce Siberian "blooms" from mid-May to early June.

Cones are small, 5-8 cm long, located at the ends of the upper branches, oblong-cylindrical, hanging down, light brown in color. After maturation, the cones do not disintegrate, the scales of the cones are entire. The seeds are winged, carried by the wind, ripen in late September, early October, and fall out in the middle of winter. Wing seeds 10-13 cm. 1000 seeds weigh about 5 g.

Siberian spruce begins to bear fruit, depending on the growing conditions, from 30-50 years of age. Harvest years are observed in 3-4-5 years. Up to five years it grows slowly, then growth is moderate. This is a frost-resistant, shade-loving plant, undemanding to the composition and soil moisture. Siberian spruce - a close species to Spruce Common, differs from it in higher frost resistance, smaller cones, denser, stiffer and much shorter needles, slow growth.

The wood of the Siberian Spruce is of the same quality as the wood of the Norway Spruce. The use of Siberian Spruce is the same as that of Common Spruce. Siberian Spruce grows as in mixed forests, along with Fir, Birch and other deciduous species, so they often form pure forest stands. It grows well and bears fruit in the forest-steppe part of Ukraine, planted in small plantings.

Growing in the forests of the Urals, Eastern and Western Siberia, Siberian spruce covers an area of about 25 million hectares. Stocks of its stem wood - 400 3 ha. A variety of Siberian spruce with blue needles, growing on the southern coast of Lake Baikal and in the foothills of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, is under the threat of complete extinction, requires protection and protection.

El Ayanskaya (Jesonian)

Grows in the Far East, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, South Kuriles, North Korea, Manchuria. Its height reaches 35-40 (rarely - 50) meters, the diameter of the trunk is 100-120 cm, the crown is pyramidal in shape, reminiscent of the shape of the crown of Common Spruce. The branches are strong, thin, rigid. The branching is whorled, the trunk is covered with cracking and peeling small, rounded plates.

The bark is light brown. Young shoots are slightly pubescent, shiny, yellowish-brown in color. The kidneys are resinous, brownish or red-brown in color. The needles, the length of which is 1-2 cm, are linear, soft, flat, with pointed tips, tightly pressed to the shoots. The upper side of the needles is shiny, dark green in color, the lower side is bluish-white. Often, on illuminated shoots, the needles are bent upwards so that its light underside is visible. This gives the crown a silvery tint. The needles on the tree last up to 10 years.

El Ayanskaya blooms in May. Cones hanging, oval-cylindrical, light brown in color. They have leathery, loosely arranged seed scales with pitted-toothed tops. The length of the cones is 4-7.5 cm, they fall entirely from the Ayanskaya Eli. Cones ripen at the end of September. Winged seeds, length - 2.5-3 mm, wing length - 7-11.5 mm. Depending on the growing conditions, El Ayanskaya begins to give seeds from 8 to 10 years of age.

Spruce Ayanskaya slowly growing, especially in youth, like many other types of Spruce in Russia - shade-tolerant, frost-resistant. Lives 350-400 years (sometimes up to 500). Not very demanding on soils, grows well in the mountains at an altitude of 400-1200 meters above sea level on gravelly, stony soils. It does not tolerate marshy and poor sandy soils at all. Loamy, moderately moist soils are considered the best for its development and growth. During the growing season, high atmospheric humidity is especially required.

The use of Ayanskaya Elya is the same as that of European Elya. It has been known in culture since 1861 as an ornamental garden and park culture with bluish-gray needles, used to create contrasting groups in the Northern and Central strip of the European part of the former USSR. It is noticed that in Moscow, Leningrad, Gorky it bears fruit, but it suffers very much from late frosts more than other Spruces.

El Ayanskaya is an edificator of the dark coniferous forests of the Far East and needs protection. The golden form of El Ayanskaya with a golden hue of needles is known.

spruce glen

Grows in South Sakhalin, in the South of the Kuril Islands, in Japan. This is an evergreen coniferous tree, whose height is up to 40-50 meters, with a dense cone-shaped crown. In young trees, the trunk bark is smooth, in older trees it becomes lamellar, scaly, chocolate brown.

Spruce Glen has densely pubescent shoots, located on short petioles (up to 1 mm in length), rusty-brown in color. The kidneys are low-resinous, ovoid-cone-shaped, shiny, reddish-brown. Kidney length - 3-7 mm, width - 5 mm. Kidney scales with silky sharp tips, have a whitish fringe along the edge. The needles are slightly curved, tetrahedral, short, needle-shaped. The length of the needles is 6-13 mm, the width is 2.5 mm. The upper side of the needles is green, the lower side is much lighter from the stomatal strips located on it. The location of the needles is next. When rubbed, the needles emit an unpleasant specific odor.

Spruce Glen blooms in spring. Female cones are oblong-cylindrical in shape with a blunt apex and spaced scales, shiny, hanging down, brown. Scales are 3-5 mm long, 2 cm wide. Obovate seed scales, pubescent on the outside, narrowed towards the base. The buds fall entirely off the Eli Glen. Seeds are winged, small, their length is 3-4 mm, wings are twice as long as the seed. Spruce Glen begins to bring seeds from 25-30 years of age. The weight of 1000 seeds is 3.3 g.

Until the age of 10, it grows slowly, later its growth accelerates a little. This is a frost-resistant, moisture-loving plant, undemanding to soil fertility. It grows well on fresh, moist soils, near artificial or natural reservoirs. Known in culture since 1914. Effective in group and single plantings, in gardens and parks, near water bodies. It is recommended to carry out work on the wide distribution of this ornamental plant to create forest parks. Spruce Glena is a rare species of evergreen coniferous plants, in the Sakhalin region of Russia, it is included in the Red Book.

Spruce Korean

Grows in the Far East (Primorye, Amur), Manchuria, North Korea, Japan (O. Honshu). The height of the Korean Spruce is 30-35 (40) m, the diameter of the trunk is 80 cm. The crown is pyramidal in shape with drooping branches. The bark of the trunk is flaky, brown-gray. Young shoots are thin, bare, yellowish-brown; by the age of three, they are painted reddish-brown. The buds are ovoid-conical, reddish-brown, slightly resinous.

The needles are short, green, with a bluish tinge, tetrahedral, pointed, has 2-4 whitish stomatal stripes. The length of the needles is 1.2-2.2 cm, the width is 1.5-1.8 mm. The location of the needles is another. Sometimes the needles are very close to each other. Cones are oval, egg-shaped, hanging down. Young ones are green, mature ones are light brown. Seed scales are ovoid, the upper edge of which is rounded; coverts are elongated. The length of the cones is 5-8 (10) cm, the width is 2.5-3.5 cm. Whole cones fall from the Korean Spruce. Seeds winged, ovoid, dark gray. Their length is 4 mm. Wings 0.9-1.2 cm long, narrowly oblong, light brown in color. Seeds ripen in September-October. Weight of 1000 Seeds - 2.5-6 g.

Korean spruce is a fast-growing tree, lives - 300 years. Little demanding on soil fertility, shade-tolerant, moisture-loving plant. Does not tolerate drought at all. In terms of properties and general appearance, Spruce is very close to Siberian Spruce, but unlike it, it has larger cones, bare young shoots, short curved needles of a bluish hue, and is less frost-resistant. The application is the same as that of Ordinary Spruce.

In culture, as beautiful ornamental plants resistant to adverse urban conditions, it is planted in single and group plantations, in gardens, squares and city parks. In many countries of the world (Germany, France, USA, England), Korean spruce is quite often found in arboretums and botanical gardens. Two varieties of Korean spruce are known: Picea koraiensis var koraiensis Nakai; Picea koraiensis var pungsanensis is an endemic species found only in North Korea.

Spruce Canadian or White

Homeland - North America, the height of this coniferous evergreen tree is 20-35 (less often - 40) m, the trunk diameter is up to 1 m. The crown is dense, dense, in young trees it is narrowly conical in shape, in old trees it is cylindrical. In young trees, the main branches are directed obliquely upwards, in old ones they are either horizontal or lowered down. The bark of the trunk is ash-brown, scaly. Thin. The needles are tetrahedral, blunt, 12-20 mm long, remain on the tree for 5-10 years. The upper side of the needles is blue-green, the lower side is blue-white. When rubbed, the needles emit a peculiar unpleasant odor that repels insects.

Spruce Canadian blooms in April-May. Cones are oblong-cylindrical, rounded at the ends. Their length is 3-7 cm, width - up to 2.5 cm. The scales of the cones are thin, shiny, entire, light brown in color. The seeds are black, 2-3 mm long, have a light brown wing, the length of which is 5-8 mm. Seeds ripen in mid-September. 100 seeds weigh 2.5-3 g. Canadian spruce begins to produce seeds from 10-12 years of age.

Canadian Spruce is not demanding on soils, it can grow well on sandy poor dry stony soils, rising to a height of 1500 m above sea level, worse on marshy soils. It is a frost-resistant, rather drought-resistant, wind-resistant plant, less sensitive to gases and smoke than European spruce. It does not suffer from strong winds and salty sea spray, it snowed. Up to 20 years old it grows quite quickly, later - more slowly, lives up to 300-500 years.

Spruce Canadian is planted as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks, in the form of small arrays, groups, in alley plantings. It is also effective in the form of tapeworms. In Western Europe, it is planted to strengthen coastal dunes and as windbreaks around gardens and fields. The most interesting spruce varieties and species are: Alberta - narrow pyramidal crown, long needles; Cone-shaped - narrow-cone-shaped crown, short needles; Weeping - the branches are strongly drooping, the needles are bluish-white; Columnar - needles are dense, short-blunt-pointed; Low - numerous, thick branches, short needles; Golden - golden yellow needles; Blue - the crown is compact-pyramidal, the needles are bluish-green.

El Engelman

Homeland - North America, tree height - 20-50 m, has a dense, dense, cone-shaped, often asymmetrical crown, with slightly drooping branches. The bark of the trunk is thin-scaly, light brown, the shoots are pubescent, pale yellow. The needles are flexible, bluish-green in color, 15-25 cm long, unpleasantly smelling when rubbed. Mature cones are ovoid-cylindrical, light brown in color, their length is 4-7 cm. The scales of the cones are thin, loosely attached, have truncated or notched tops. Cones ripen in late August - September. Seeds winged, up to 3 mm long, brown. The seed wing is about 12 mm, 1000 seeds weigh 3 g.

Engelman spruce Frost-resistant, resistant to temperature fluctuations, quite drought-smoke-resistant plant. It is not very demanding on soils, but it cannot tolerate stagnant moisture, therefore drained soils are desirable. Lives 300-400 (up to 600) years. It is close in properties to Spruce Prickly, but differs from it in pubescent shoots, less prickly flexible needles, and slower growth. In culture, it is less common than prickly spruce.

In landscaping, the silver and blue forms of Eli Engelman are most valued. They are planted mainly in group plantings, in parks of populated areas, in the Northern and Central strip of the European part of the former USSR, in the Ukrainian Polissya, in the Caucasus and in the Crimea. The most interesting spruce varieties and species are: Silver - silver needles; Blue - especially bright in spring, bluish-blue needles; Blue Weeping - bluish-blue needles, branches strongly drooping; Small coniferous - the needles are thin, the shape is dwarf, spherical; Fendler - the form of Weeping, the needles are long, thin, silvery.

Spruce Prickly

Homeland - the rocky mountains of North America, it is a large, straight-stemmed, evergreen tree, whose height is up to 45 m and the diameter of the trunk is 120 cm. The branches horizontally spaced from the trunk have the correct whorled arrangement. The crown is cone-shaped. The bark is fissured, scaly, gray-brown in color. Large, cone-shaped kidneys, have scales bent back. Young shoots are bare, orange-red.

The needles are long (2-3 cm), dense, tetrahedral, sharp, strongly prickly. In young trees - silvery-white, later becomes dark green. It is located on the shoots, and sticks out in all directions. Doesn't fall off in winter. Prickly spruce "blooms" in May-early June. Cones are oblong-cylindrical, light brown in color. Their length is 5-10 cm, width is 2-3 cm. The scales of the cones are flexible, thin, oblong-cylindrical, wavy, along the edge, serrated at the top. Cones ripen in September. After the seeds have completely fallen out, the cones still hang on the tree until the autumn of next year. Studies have shown that seed germination persists for several years. 1000 seeds weigh 4-5 grams.

It is a frost-wind-drought-resistant plant. Much better than other conifers, it tolerates dust, smoke in cities, dry air. It does not suffer from frost, as the vegetation begins quite late. It is not very demanding on soils, it can grow on excessively moist, podzolic, dry sandy, stony, carbonate-rich chernozems, but not on marshy soils. Grows a little slower than Common Spruce. Lives 400-600 years.

Spruce wood Prickly uniform texture, elastic, durable, white. Packing boxes are made from it, which are light for interior decoration; also used to make paper. Having an original, strictly tiered crown, large silver-blue needles, decorative spruce species, it is the most decorative of all. It is planted in parks, gardens, squares, in the form of tapeworms or rare plantations in all climatic zones of the former USSR from Arkhangelsk to the South of Crimea, in Siberia and Central Asia.

The most interesting forms in terms of the shape of the crown and the nature of growth: Columnar - short-branched, the crown is columnar; Compact - the crown is flat, the branches grow widely in the horizontal direction; Gunnevel - pyramidal shape, dense branching, needles 1.5-2 cm. Bonfire - branches down, bluish needles.

Forms according to the color of the needles are distinguished as follows: Green - green needles; Dark green - the needles are dark green; Blue - bluish-green needles, the color is preserved all year round; Light blue - bluish-white needles; Silver - silver-white needles; Golden - when planting a tree in the sun, the needles are golden yellow, in the shade - bluish-white; Yellowish - whitish-yellow needles; Light yellow - in winter, the needles become yellow in color.

Spruce Sitka

Grows in North America, Alaska. This is a slender, evergreen coniferous tree of the pine family. Height - 45-60 (90) meters, trunk diameter - 120-240 (480) centimeters. The crown is broad-pyramidal, with a sharp apex, ending in one annual shoot. Under the top of Elya Sitka, several buds are laid. The following spring, side shoots grow from them. And from the apical bud - one vertical shoot surrounded by lateral buds. Thus, a whorl of new branches appears on the trunk of the Spruce every year. Shoots glabrous, light brown. The bark of the trunk and shoots is red-brown-gray, scaly, fissured, current.

The needles are straight, narrow, thin, prickly. From above bluish-silvery-white color, from below brilliant, dark green. Such a two-tone color of the needles gives the crown of the Sitka Elya a bluish-silver beautiful shade. The length of the needles is 12-15 cm, the width is up to 1 mm. Blooms from late spring to early summer. In spring, cylindrical female cones appear at the ends of the shoots. Young cones are yellow-green, mature - light brown. The length of the cones is 5-10 cm, the width is 2.5-3 cm.

Seed scales are thin, oblong-rhombic in shape, rounded at the upper ends. Cones from Eli Sitka fall off a few months after ripening. Male cones - spikelets - contain a lot of yellow pollen. Therefore, poured out of spikelets, settling, pollen turns everything around yellow. Seeds are small, winged, light brown. Their length is 2-3 mm, the wing is narrowly oblong in shape, with an upper serrated edge, has a length of 5-9 mm. Seeds ripen in late winter, early spring. If they are not collected in time, they will scatter, be carried by the wind. 1000 seeds weigh 2-15 grams.

This is a shade-tolerant, frost-wind-smoke-gas-resistant plant, much more drought-resistant than Prickly Spruce. The composition of the soil is not demanding. For good development, high humidity of the soil and air is necessary. It can tolerate temporary waterlogging of the soil. The first 2-3 years of life there is a slow growth of Spruce Sitka, then growth accelerates, approaching the growth of Spruce Common. The life expectancy of this plant is 500-800 years. It grows well in the South of the Baltic States, in the Kaliningrad region of Russia, in the Minsk and Mogilev regions of Belarus. As an ornamental Spruce species, this plant has been known in cultivation since 1831.

It is planted in gardens and parks in the form of tapeworms, and in small sparse groups, as well as hedgerows. Spruce Sitka is the national wealth of the United States. Its most valuable wood with a brown tint, soft and light, is quite widely used in furniture and carpentry, for interior cladding, in the manufacture of sound boards and in the aircraft industry. It is recommended to grow it in the forestry of Western Ukraine and Belarus. Known forms of Sitka Spruce: Glauca - a tree of medium winter hardiness, at the age of 19 had a height of 4.5 m. Dwarf forms of Sitka Spruce adorn rocky gardens, they are also planted in containers.

Spruce Black

Grows in Northeast North America. The height of the Chernaya Spruce is 20-30 m, the diameter of the trunk is 30-90 cm. It has a narrow, irregularly conical crown, and branches drooping to the ground. The bark of the trunk and shoots is thin, scaly, fissured, grayish or reddish-brown. Young shoots are reddish-brown in color, with dense, glandular, reddish pubescence. Kidneys are ovoid-conical, 5 mm long, non-resinous or low-resinous. The scales of the kidneys are pubescent, elongated-pointed, purple-brown in color.

The needles are dark bluish-green in color, thin, prickly, tetrahedral, with stomatal stripes on all faces. The length of the needles is 6-12 (18) mm, the width is 0.7-0.8 mm. Densely arranged needles remain on the tree for 8-9 (14) years, then are replaced by a new one. When rubbed, the needles emit a pleasant aromatic smell. "Blossoms" Spruce Black in May. Cones are small, ovoid, located on long stems. Their length is 2-3.5 cm, width - 1.5-1.8 cm. Before maturation, the cones are colored purple-brown, mature ones become dull brown in color. The scales of the cones are wavy, thin, obovate. The cones remain on the tree for 20-30 years. Black Spruce begins to bring seeds from the age of 8. It bears fruit annually and abundantly. The seeds are winged, small, dark brown in color, their length is 2 mm. The wing is orange-brown, 2-3 times larger than the seed.

Black Spruce is a shade-tolerant, winter-hardy, low-demanding to soil and climatic conditions, slow-growing plant. The application and use of it is the same as that of other firs. In culture, Black Spruce has been known in Europe since 1700, in Russia since the middle of the 19th century. However, despite the fact that it is only slightly inferior in terms of decorativeness to Canadian Spruce, it is rarely grown in culture.

In North America and Europe, decorative species of Black Spruce are known: Beisneri - the crown is densely branched, broadly rounded, the needles are thin, silver-blue; Doumeti - the crown is dense, wide-conical in shape, the branches are ascending upwards, the needles are light blue; Kobold - the crown is dense, spherical in shape, the needles are dark green below, 4-5 stomatal strips above (in Russia it deserves a test in amateur gardening); Nana - dwarf graceful form, rounded crown, bluish-green needles, thin; Argenteo Variegata - white-motley needles; Aurea - needles are shiny, golden; Pendula - weeping crown, up to 5 m in height. Undersized forms: Empetroides - similar to dropsy; Erikoides - the needles are very short, reminiscent of the leaves of Erica.

conservation status

Systematics
on Wikispecies

Images
at Wikimedia Commons


IPNI
TPL

area

The main forest-forming species of the mountain forests of the Caucasus, the northern countries of Asia Minor. Forms mixed and pure forests. It grows at an altitude of 1345-2130 m above sea level. Protected in nature reserves.

Description of the species

Tree 32-47 (55) m tall, with a dense branched conical crown. The bark is scaly, brown, dark gray in mature plants.

Young shoots are yellow-gray or red, more mature shoots are light gray or gray.

Buds 2-6 mm long, ovoid, reddish-brown, non-resinous, with triangular scales, the tops of which are slightly recurved.

Needles less than 10 (usually 5-9) mm long, 0.8-1.1 mm wide, tetrahedral, blunt on top, slightly flattened, rough, brightly shiny, on the upper side with one or two stomatal lines on each side, and below - with two to five stomatal lines; the needles are more or less flat.

Cones are cylindrical, 6-11 cm long and 2 cm thick, young red, then light brown. Seed scales are obovate, with an almost rounded entire upper margin, striated along the back, with a bright sheen. Seeds 2-5 mm long, black, with a longer yellowish-brown wing.

Economic importance and application

Can be used as a decorative item. It is considered introduced into culture in 1837. In Russia, introduced into culture by the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences. Plants brought in 1981 from the North Caucasus, after 20 years reached a height of 1 m. Not adapted to low temperatures, it regularly freezes over in St. Petersburg, but still survived a series of cold winters.

Eastern spruce form forests with a timber reserve of up to 2500 m³ / ha, however, the main value of mountain spruce forests is soil protection.

Botanical classification

Taxonomic scheme

Synonyms

The list is based on The Plant List database:

Abies orientalis ()Poir.
Abies wittmanniana Voss
Picea withmanniana Carriere
Picea wittmanniana Fisch. Gordon
Pinus orientalis L.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing Eastern spruce

There was no room in the upper rooms of the inn: everyone was busy. Pierre went into the yard and, covering himself with his head, lay down in his carriage.

As soon as Pierre laid his head on the pillow, he felt that he was falling asleep; but suddenly, with the clarity of almost reality, a boom, boom, boom of shots was heard, groans, screams, the slap of shells were heard, there was a smell of blood and gunpowder, and a feeling of horror, fear of death seized him. He opened his eyes in fear and lifted his head from under his overcoat. Everything was quiet outside. Only at the gate, talking to the janitor and slapping through the mud, was some kind of orderly. Above Pierre's head, under the dark underside of the plank canopy, doves fluttered from the movement he made while rising. A peaceful, joyful for Pierre at that moment, strong smell of an inn, the smell of hay, manure and tar was poured throughout the courtyard. Between the two black awnings one could see a clear starry sky.
“Thank God that this is no more,” thought Pierre, again closing his head. “Oh, how terrible fear is, and how shamefully I gave myself up to it! And they…they were firm, calm all the time, to the very end…” he thought. In Pierre's understanding, they were soldiers - those who were on the battery, and those who fed him, and those who prayed to the icon. They - these strange, hitherto unknown to him, they were clearly and sharply separated in his thoughts from all other people.
“To be a soldier, just a soldier! thought Pierre, falling asleep. – Enter this common life with your whole being, imbue with what makes them so. But how to throw off all this superfluous, diabolical, all the burden of this external person? One time I could be it. I could run away from my father as I wished. Even after the duel with Dolokhov, I could have been sent as a soldier.” And in Pierre's imagination flashed a dinner at the club where he summoned Dolokhov, and a benefactor in Torzhok. And now Pierre is presented with a solemn dining box. This lodge takes place in the English Club. And someone familiar, close, dear, is sitting at the end of the table. Yes it is! This is a benefactor. “Yes, he died? thought Pierre. - Yes, he died; but I didn't know he was alive. And how sorry I am that he died, and how glad I am that he is alive again! On one side of the table sat Anatole, Dolokhov, Nesvitsky, Denisov and others like him (the category of these people was just as clearly defined in Pierre’s soul in a dream, as was the category of those people whom he called them), and these people, Anatole, Dolokhov loudly shouted, sang; but behind their cry was heard the voice of the benefactor, speaking incessantly, and the sound of his words was as significant and continuous as the roar of the battlefield, but it was pleasant and comforting. Pierre did not understand what the benefactor was saying, but he knew (the category of thoughts was just as clear in the dream) that the benefactor spoke of goodness, of the possibility of being what they were. And they from all sides, with their simple, kind, firm faces, surrounded the benefactor. But although they were kind, they did not look at Pierre, did not know him. Pierre wanted to draw their attention to himself and say. He got up, but at the same instant his legs became cold and bare.

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