70 



TREES OF NORTH AMERICA 



Fruit maturing in the second year, ovate-oblong, 2'-3^' long, 1^-2^' wide, dark 

 reddish brown, the scales gradually thickened upward from the base to the slightly 



dilated apex, f -1^' long and j-^' wide, deeply pitted in the middle and often fur- 

 nished with an elongated reflexed tip ; seeds linear-lanceolate, compressed, ^'-^' 

 long, light brown, surrounded by laterally united wings broader than the body of the 

 seed, apiculate at the apex, often very unequal. 



A tree, at maturity usually about 275 high, with a trunk 20 in diameter near 

 the ground, occasionally becoming 320 tall, with a trunk 35 in diameter, much 

 enlarged and buttressed at the base, fluted with broad low rounded ridges, in old age 

 naked often for 150, with short thick horizontal branches, slender leading branchlets 

 becoming after the disappearance of the leaves reddish brown more or less tinged 

 with purple and covered with thin close or slightly scaly bark and naked buds. Bark 

 l-2 thick, divided into rounded lobes 4-5 wide, corresponding to the lobes of 

 the trunk, separating into loose light cinnamon-red fibrous scales, the outer scales 

 slightly tinged with purple. "Wood very light, soft, not strong, brittle and coarse- 

 grained, turning dark on exposure; manufactured into lumber and used for fencing, 

 in construction, and for shingles. 



Distribution. Western slopes of the Sierra Nevada of California, in an inter- 

 rupted belt at elevations of 5000-8400 above the level of the sea, from the middle fork 

 of the American River to the head of Deer Creek just south of latitude 36; north of 

 King's River in isolated groves, southward forming forests of considerable extent, 

 and best developed on the north fork of the Tule River. 



Universally cultivated as an ornamental tree in all the countries of central and 

 southern Europe; and occasionally in the eastern United States, where it does not 

 flourish. 



8. TAXODIUM, Rich. Bald Cypress. 



Resinous trees, with furrowed scaly bark, light brown durable heartwood, thin white 

 sapwood, erect ultimately spreading branches, deciduous usually 2-ranked lateral 

 branchlets, scaly globose buds, and stovit horizontal roots often producing erect woody 

 projections (knees). Leaves spirally disposed, pale and marked with stomata below 

 on both sides of the obscure midribs, dark green above, linear-lanceolate, spreading 

 in 2 ranks, or scale-like and appressed on lateral branchlets, the two forms appearing 



