276 



PLANTS AND MAN 



ties which are used ornamentally. It inhabits wet fresh water 

 swamps along the Atlantic coast from southern Maine to Florida 

 and westward to Mississippi, thriving in situations that are 

 unsuited to the growth of other tree species. It is of commercial 

 importance only from southeastern New Jersey to northwestern 

 Florida. Within its commercial range it grows in dense stands, 

 which results in the development of a long, straight, limb-free 

 stem making it a very desirable post and pole timber. 



Of the two western species. Port Orford cedar and Alaska \ 

 CEDAR, also known as Lawson's cypress and yellow cypress 

 respectively, the former is confined to the coast forest region of 

 southwestern Oregon and northern California, and the latter 



ranges from southeastern Alaska along 

 the coast to southwestern Oregon. Both 

 species grow best in the presence of 

 abundant atmospheric and soil moist- 

 ure. Port Orford cedar is a fairly large 

 tree and Alaska cedar a small or 

 medium sized tree. They are both 

 important forest trees within their 

 ranges, since they supply a wood of 

 very durable quality and act as a pro- 

 tection to high exposed mountainsides. 



The Junipers 



The JUNIPERS {Juniperus) likewise 



, ^!^' . •~J^^^P^'"^ ^^^ contain some species which are known, 

 sharply-pointed leaves and . \ ^t i 55 rr^i 



fleshy blue berry-like cones, m common parlance, as cedars. The 



leaves are small and of two kinds, either 

 scale like, arranged in alternating pairs and closely overlapping, 

 or awl-shaped and in whorls of three (fig. 196). The branchlets 

 are round or four angled. The fruit is a fleshy blue or blue-black, 

 berry-like cone. 



Twelve species are found in the United States, but not all 

 reach tree proportions, and only one is of any immediate com- 

 mercial importance as a timber producer. Several of the south- 

 western species contribute fuelwood in regions where little else in 

 the way of tree growth exists. 



1 



