

TlIIv UUIiliR GROWTHS KNOWN AS ■CYPKliSS KNliKS' 



These growths are sent up bv the roots of the cypress tree and they are generally hollow and vary from a few inches to several feet in height. 

 It is generally believed that their function is to furnish air to the roots of the tree because they die when the water in which many of the 

 trees grow is drained otT. 



Suggestions for Using ''Cypress Knees 



By Howard F. Weiss 

 Director of Forest Service Laboratory at Madison, Wis. 



THOSE familiar with cypress timber and the con- 

 ditions under which it grows are also familia." 

 with the queer growths known as "cypress 

 knees." Cypress grows best in marshy ground or even 

 in cjuite deep water in the southern portions of the 

 Liiiited States. When the trees stand in soft ground 

 which is covered with water a large part of the year, 

 the roots send up peculiar growths known as "knees." 

 They are sharp, cone-shaped and generally hollow. They 

 \arv from a few inches to several feet in height and 

 under ordinary conditions extend above the water. It 

 is generally believed that the function of these knees is 

 to furnish air to the roots of the tree, because when the 

 water is drained away they die. They also furnish a 

 firmer anchorage for the roots in the soft earth. 



The illustration at the top of the page shows a typical 

 scene in one of the cypress stands. This indicates the 

 large number of these knees which might be collected 

 at a relatively small cost during lumbering operations if 



7 y 



1041 



