﻿Trees of New York State 101 



PINACEAE 



Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) B. S. and P. [Chamaecyparis sphaeroidea Spach.; 

 Cupressus thyoides L.] 



White Cedar, Coast White Cedar 



Habit — Usually a small tree from 20-50 feet in height mth a trunk diam- 

 eter of % foot, under favorable conditions sometimes attaining a height 

 of 80-90 feet. Crown narrowly conical, consisting of slender horizontal 

 branches with deciduous laterals, the latter commonly arranged in fan- 

 shaped sprays. 



Leaves — Opposite, keeled, often glandular, dark blue-green, dull. On normal 

 twigs they are ovate, acuminate, appressed, imbricated, glandular, 

 1/16-% of an inch long. The thrifty shoots have spreading, awl-shaped, 

 often remote and eglandular leaves, usually about % of an inch long. 



Flowers — Appearing in March and April, monoecious, borne in cones on dif- 

 ferent sprays. Staminate cones terminal, solitary, about Vs of an inch 

 long, oblong, 4-sided, consisting of 4^6 pairs of stamens with yellow 

 pollen sacs. Ovulate flowers terminal, usually solitary, 1/16-% of an 

 inch long, subglobose, consisting of 6 peltate spreading scales, liver- 

 colored at pollination. 



Fruit — A globose, glaucous, nearly sessile, inconspicuous, bluish purple cone, 

 about % of an inch in diameter, turning dark reddish brown at the end 

 of the first season, opening in the autumn and persisting on the sprays. 

 Cone-scales peltate, the outer face marked by a slight projection. Seeds 

 grayish brown, about Vs of an inch long, with a dark brown wing as broad 

 as the body. 



Winter characters — Branchlets arranged in fan-shaped sprays which diverge 

 at various angles, at first bluish green from the decussate imbricated 

 leaves, during the first Avinter becoming reddish brown, at length dark 

 brown, slowly losing their leaves and marked by the scars of the deciduous 

 laterals, with small papery scales. Buds minute, wthout scales, pro- 

 tected by the appressed scale-like leaves. Mature bark light reddish 

 brown, %-l inch thick, fibrous consisting of narrow anastomosing ridges ■ 

 separated by shallow fissures. 



Habitat — Thrives along the Atlantic and Gulf seaboards in cold, wet swamps 

 which are inimdated for long periods each year, in the north forming pure 

 stands, farther south intermingled with Bald Cypress. Rarely far from 

 the coast. 



Range — Southern Maine, southward to northern Florida, westward along 

 the Gulf Coast into Mississippi. Zone A. 



Uses — An important timber tree, especially in that it tlirives in regions 

 unsuitable for other species. Wood light soft, weak, rather close- 

 grained, slightly fragrant, light reddish brown with thin pale sapwood. 

 Very durable in contact with the soil. Used for fence posts, poles, shin- 

 gles, railroad ties, etc. The Coast White Cedar is one of the most 

 beautiful of the eastern conifers and is grown extensively for ornament. 

 There are numerous horticultural forms. 



