50 Xaiive Trees oi Canada 



higher elevations with the alpine fir and Engelmann spruce. Sometimes it occurs 

 in pure stands but usually scattered or in patches. 



It is a ver\^ large tree, 75 to 80 ft. high, and with a trunk diameter of 3 to 4 ft. 

 On the whole it is a smaller tree than the western red cedar for which it is very 

 often mistaken. One of the best means of distinguishing it from that tree is by the 

 yellowish colour of the wood. 



The trunk is very much tapered. The crown is conical and narrow and has 

 slightly drooping or horizontal branches. The small twigs or sprays are very 

 flexible, and droop. The tip of the tree is very slender and often bent like the end 

 of a whip. 



The bark is very thin, ashy-brown outside and cinnamon-red within. The 

 surface is broken by irregular, shallow fissures into flat ridges which flake off into 

 narrow strips. 



The leaves are scale-like, blue-green in colour, and resemble very much those 

 of the western red cedar. They are best distinguished from the latter by their 

 distinctive, sharp, spreading points which make the spray harsh to the touch. 



The cones are spherical in shape and about 3^ in. in diameter, a deep russet- 

 brown with a whitish bloom. Two to four seeds are borne under each scale. 



The wood of the yellow cypress is used on the Pacific coast for fine cabinet 

 work and finish in houses and boats. It has been considered as a possible source 

 of material for pencil slats in British Columbia. 



THE JUNIPERS 



The thirty-five or more known species of juniper {Juniperus) are widely dis- 

 tributed over the northern hemisphere and range from low shrubs to medium- 

 sized trees. The majority of species are of small importance, commercially, 

 because of their small size and irregular bole. The wood itself is of high technical 

 quality. 



The bark of all the species is usually thin and shreddy. The fruit is always a 

 berry. 



The dwarf, or common juniper {Juniperus communis), is the most widespread 

 one in Canada, being found across the Dominion from east to west. It is of im- 

 portance only from a decorative standpoint, since it is a mere bush which is ordin- 

 arily distinguished from the other native species by its low habit of growth and 

 radiating, upturned branches. 



JUNIPERUS VIRGINIANA, L. RED JUNIPER 



Common names: Red Juniper, juniper, red cedar*, pencil cedar*, 



pencil juniper. 

 French names: Genevrier rouge, cMre rouge*. 



The red juniper is found in Nova Scotia, in southern Quebec, and along the 

 valley of the St. Lawrence to lake Huron and Georgian bay. 



It is not a large tree in Canada, commonly 25 to 35 ft. in height and 7 or 8 in. 

 in trunk diameter. When young it has a narrow, compact, and pyramidal head 



