166. CUPRESSUS GOVENIANA NORTHWEST CoAST CYPRESS. 45 



back, appressed or slightly spreading at the pointed or rounded apex, margin 

 entire or denticulate; leaves on vigorous young shoots commonly awl-shaped or 

 linear-lanceolate and spreading ; branchlets not forming flat sprays. Flowers 

 appear in early spring, monoecious, in small catkins terminating the leafy branch- 

 lets; the staminate aments oblong or cylindrical, consisting of a few pairs of 

 decussately opposite, yellowish ovate or orbicular subpeltate scales attached to 

 the under sides of each of which are two to six subglobose pendulous anther- 

 cells opening by a longitudinal slit; pollen-grains simple. The pistillate flowers 

 terminate short branchlets, subglobose, scales thick, ovate acute and bearing 

 attached to their bases on the inner surface generally numerous, erect, orthotro- 

 pous bottle-shaped ovules. Fruit a subglobose, short-stalked, rugose woody cone, 

 generally maturing the second year, scales closely valvate peltate, polygonal in 

 outline at apex, flattened and bearing more or less prominent central bosses, at 

 maturity opening along their margins and persisting after liberating their numer- 

 ous irregularly compressed acutely angled thick-coated seeds, which are borne in 

 several rows on the base of the scale; embryo erect in fleshy albumen, coytledons 

 usually two. 



Genus consists of resinous trees with generally fragrant wood of considerable 

 economic value, especially in Japan. About a half dozen species are found in the 

 United States along the Pacific slope. 



(Cupressus is the classical name of the Cypress tree.) 



166. CUPRESSUS GOVENIANA, GORD. 

 NORTHWEST COAST CYPRESS, GOWEN CYPRESS. 



Ger., Cypresse von Gowen; Fr., Cypres de Gowen; Sp., Cipres de 



Gowen. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves as described for the genus, dark-green, from 

 -^ to in. long, dorsal glands wanting or obscure; the acicular leaves on young 

 shoots about ^ to ^ in. long. Flowers appear in very early spring, yellow, as 

 described for the genus; the scales of the pistillate catkins six or eight, slightly 

 spreading and about i in. long; branchlets slender. Fruit a subglobose or oblong 

 strobile, from to 1 in. in length, lustrous purplish brown, composed of six or 

 eight peltate or obpyramidal scales triangular to hexagonal or suborbicular in 

 outline and nearly flat, rounded or with short central bosses; seeds lustrous, 

 about in. long or less, irregularly compressed and angled and about twenty in 

 number under each scale. 



(The specific name, Goveniana, is in compliment to Jas. Robert Gowen, a dis- 

 tinguished horticulturist of England.) 



A small or medium-sized tree, occasionally attaining the height of 

 50 ft. (15 m.), with handsome symmetrical top, and trunk 18 in. (0.45 

 m.) in diameter. On the " plains " of Mendocino County, Cal., we 

 have seen it with free, straight stem, scarcely one foot in height, 

 mature and bearing its crop of fruit a handful of small persistent 

 ones which would quite equal the bulk of its scanty foliage. The 

 bark of trunk is fibrous, of a grayish-brown color, and fissured length- 

 wise into prominent ridges. It is often pitted with numerous small 

 holes, the work of woodpeckers, and in the bottom of these glisten the 

 amber-colored tears of the exuded gum. 



HABITAT. California, from Humboldt County southward, along 

 the coast and among the coast ranges into San Diego County, prefer- 



