PINACEAE 



Incense-cedar 



Libocedrus decurrens Torr. 



HABIT. A medium-sized tree 80-120 feet high and 3-4 

 feet in diameter (max. 186 by 8 feet); tapering, often fluted 

 trunk covered for up to half its length with lustrous, irregular 

 foliage. 



LEAVES. Small, scalelike; whorled in 4's; facial leaves flat- 

 tened; the lateral keeled and almost ensheathing facial leaves; 

 oblong-ovate; V^-Vi inch long; persistent 3-5 years; glandu- 

 lar; aromatic when crushed; fronds usually in a vertical plane. 



FLOWERS. Monoecious; terminal; male oblong, golden, 

 with 12-16 decussate 4-celled anthers; female oblong, yellow- 

 green, of 6 scales, the inner 2 each bearing 2 erect ovules. 



FRUIT. Leathery, pendent cones; %-lJ/2 inches long; ob- 

 long; 6-scaled, with 2 becoming greatly enlarged and spread- 

 ing at maturity; maturing in one season. Seed: Vz-Vi inch 

 long, in pairs on fertile scales, unequally laterally winged, straw- 

 colored. 



TWIGS. Slender; flattened; leaf-covered; in long sprays 

 which are more often in a vertical plane than in a horizontal 

 plane. Winter buds: minute, naked, inconspicuous. 



BARK. Thin, smooth to scaly, and gray-green on young 

 stems, becoming 3-8 inches thick, yellow-brown to cinnamon- 

 red, fibrous, and deeply furrowed on old trees. 



WOOD. Chief source of pencil stock; would be highly im- 

 portant for many uses except for prevalence of pecky rot; sap- 

 wood white; heartwood reddish, soft, fragrant. 



SILVICAL CHARACTERS. Tolerant; growth rather slow; 

 maturity reached in about 300 years; reproduction abundant 

 and vigorous; moderately deep lateral root system; fire and 

 pecky rot caused by Polyporus amarus cause extensive damage. 



HABIT. Transition zone; altitudinal range 1,000-9,000 

 feet; on cool, moist soils; in mixed stands with sugar, ponde- 

 rosa, Jeff"rey, and white pine, white fir, and Douglas-fir, 



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