44 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



141. LIBOCEDRUS DECURRENS, TOUR. 

 CALIFORNIA WHITE CEDAR, POST CEDAR, INCENSE CEDAR. 



Ger., Calif ornianische Weisze Zeder ; Fr., Thuya blanc de Calif ornie ; 

 Sp., Thuya bianco de California. 



SPECIFIC CHAKACTERS. Leaves in two decussate pairs at each joint, closely ad- 

 nate excepting the short pointed tip, the lateral glandlesss and overlapping the 

 flattened obscurely pitted inner ones. Staminate flowers ovate, with 1 2-1(5 scales. 

 Fruit oblong cones, f-1 in. long and scaly-bracted at base, the lowest pair of scales 

 very short, and the second pair oblong, convex, obtuse at tip, fertile and closing 

 against a septum formed by the connate third pair of scales, all tipped with a short re- 

 curved mucro : seeds oblong-lanceolate, - in. long, with outer wing narrower than 

 the other which nearly equals the scale. 



(The specific name, decurrens, is a Latin word meaning running down, and perhaps 

 refers to the manner in which the leaves continue down upon the branchlet.) 



A stately tree of rather pyramidal habit of growth, with lax spreading 

 branches, and sometimes attaining the height of 150 ft. (45 m.) with a 

 columnar trunk 6 or 7 ft. (2 m.) in diameter. 



HABITAT. Oregon and southward along the western slopes of the 

 Cascade and. Sierra Nevada Mountains, and among the Coast Ranges to 

 southern California, mostly at from 3,000-8,500 ft. elevation. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood very light, soft, brittle, close-grained, 

 compact, odorous, durable in contact with the soil and with dark-colored 

 bands of summer cells. It is of a reddish-brown color, with lighter and 

 rather thin sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0.4017; Percentage of Ash, 0.08; 

 Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.4014; Coefficient of Elasticity, 

 84729; Modulus of Rupture, 682; Resistance to Longitudinal Pressure, 

 403; Resistance to Indentation, 98; Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 

 25.03. 



USES. A very useful timber for fencing, flumes, shingles, etc., and 

 also used for interior finishing. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES have not been discovered in this species. 



GENUS SEQUOIA: ENDLICHER. 



Leaves scattered or spirally arranged, decurrent, short-linear to ovate-lanceoiate 

 and appressed, carinate, scale-like and long persisting on the branchlet. Flowers 

 monoecious, in terminal or axillary globose-oblong aments on thd young shoots, and 

 with rather numerous spirally arranged scales. Staminate aments very numerous, 

 small, with an involucre of scale-like leaves, with ovate subpeltate connective scales, 

 beneath each of whiclTare 3-5 anther cells; pollen-grains simple. Pistillate aments 

 erect with spreading scales and 3-7 inverted ovules at the base of each. Fruit an 

 oval woody cone, maturing the second year, with scales diverging at right angles 

 from the axis, thick, wedge-shape and with rhotnboidal rugose, umbillicate, seta- 

 ceously macronate apex; seeds flat, oblong-obovate, with thick, spongy lateral wings; 

 cotyledons 4-6. 



A genus of two species of trees, both Oalifornian. of great economic value and 

 gigantic growth. The origin of the name, Sequoia, unfortunately not recorded by 



