10 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



This species of cypress was doubtless at one time 

 widely distributed on the Pacific coast, but slow climatic 

 changes and the coming in of other trees more fitted to 

 survive has driven them from every locality they once held 

 with the exception of this remarkably limited portion of 

 the very fringe of the continent. The Monterey cypress is 

 a tree of great beauty as it is seen in its native habitat. Its 

 color is of the darkest green and its large cones are touched 

 with bronze. It possesses what an artist would call "char- 

 acter"; and at least one painter has become world-famous 

 because of the pictures he has painted of the Point Lobos 

 trees. 



Though its native habitat is so small, the Monterey 

 cypress is in no danger of becoming actually extinct since it has 

 been planted extensively as a shade and ornamental tree in 

 many parts of the world. Seeds from these storm-twisted 

 veterans of the rocky cliffs have been taken by nurserymen 

 and thus it has happened that their progeny are now to be 

 found in many lands. The tree does especially well in 

 Australia and New Zealand and it has been extensively 

 planted in these countries both as a shade and forest tree. 

 Thus through man's agency this tree, once confined to so 

 small a portion of the Pacific coast of North America, has 

 become one of the widely distributed trees of the world. 

 Perhaps some person reading this article has a Monterey 

 cypress in his garden and this little glimpse into its ancestry 

 will cause a new association of interest to cling" to that 

 garden tree of his. If this proves to be so, I shall be repaid 

 for the few minutes spent in setting down my thoughts 

 here. 



