169. PlNUS COULTERI BlG-CONE PlNE, COULTER PlNE. 49 



more in length, but finally retracing more than half, bracts fringed ; branchlets 

 very thick Flowers appear laterally upon the branchlets at a little distance 

 from the terminal bud, the staminate aments ovate-oblong rather more than one 

 inch in length ; anthers crested. Fruit lateral cones reflexed or spreading, very 

 large and heavy being 10-15 in. long and weighing often (5 or 8 pounds (the 

 heaviest cones known), long-oval, pointed, somewhat oblique, occurring one, two 

 or three together, yellowish brown with very thick scales terminating in a very 

 strong incurved point, like bear's claws, sometimes 2 in. or more in length. 

 (During the first year these prickles lie closely imbricated.) These ponderous 

 cones generally persist upon the branches for several years after liberating their 

 seeds at maturity, which are f in. long, oval, black, and furnished with wings 

 1 to H in. in length ; cotyledons 11-14. 



(Species named in compliment to its discoverer, Dr. Thos, Coulter an English 

 botanist. ) 



The Big-Cone Pine is a tree generally of medium stature (for Cali- 

 fornia), but occasionally surpasses 100 ft. (30 in.) in height, and has a 

 trunk sometimes 4 ft. (1.20 m.) or more in diameter. The bark of 

 trunk is of a dark reddish-brown color, cleft into large, irregular, 

 scaly plates. The habit of the tree is to form a rather broad and 

 more or less irregular pyramidal top with long lower branches in- 

 clining downward. Its foliage in large tufts at the ends of the 

 branchlets is not sufficiently dense to entirely obstruct vision. Hang- 

 ing here and there near the ends of the branches are its ponderous 

 remarkable cones, perhaps still containing seed, and towards the 

 trunk are old weather-beaten cones persisting long after opening and 

 the seeds have taken wing, sometimes till their bases become partly 

 embedded in the growing wood. 



HABITAT. California, among the coast ranges from Mount Diablo 

 southward nearly to the southern border of the state, along dry ridges 

 and slopes from 2,000 to 6,000 ft. elevation. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood light, soft, brittle, not strong, very 

 resinous, and with rather coarse grain. It is of a pinkish buff color, 

 with lighter sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0.4133; Percentage of 

 Ash, 0.37; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.4118; Coefficient of 

 Elasticity, 114108; Modulus of Rupture, 761; Resistance to Longi- 

 tudinal Pressure, 367 ; Resistance to Indentation, 92 ; Weight of a 

 Cubic Foot in Pounds, 25.76. 



USES. Timber useful for general construction purposes when its 

 resinous and brittle nature are not objectionable, but with the abund- 

 ance of more valuable woods in California it is not extensively used. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. The only medicinal properties which may 

 be expected of this species are those of turpentine, etc., common to 

 the genus. 



