51 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



central channel, the leaves on the upper cone-bearing branches being shorter, 

 broader, thicker, falcate and crowded along the upper side of the branchlet. 

 Cones oblong-cylindrical, mostly 2 to 4 inches in length, and about H in. in 

 diameter, pale green until mature ; scales rounded above, slightly pubescent, 

 convex, one inch or rather more in width, furnished with a curved peduncle 

 i in. long ; bracts small in. long, lanceolate, acuminate ; seeds elongated, tri- 

 angular, with a light purple oblique wing, broadest above and as long as wide. 



Var. Lowiana, Lemmon. Representatives of this species in California from the 

 Siskiyou Mountains and Mt. Shasta southward throughout the Sierra Nevada 

 and coast ranges have rather longer leaves with fewer stomata (hence darker) 

 above, cones more cylindrical and bark grayer, and are considered by some 

 botanists as constituting a distinct variety (var. Lowiana). Murray has even 

 given them specific rank, which latter view, however, is not generally con- 

 curred in by most botanists. 



(Concolor is the Latin for of the same color.) 



The White Fir is a large tree of handsome pyramidal habit 

 of growth, sometimes attaining the height of 150 ft. (45 m.), with 

 trunk 4 or 5 ft. or more (1.5 m.) in diameter, and vested in a thick 

 whitish or gray bark (sometimes darker outside, but always whitish 

 within), with firm longitudinal ridges. The bark on young trunks is 

 smooth and covered with numerous ' ' blisters, ' ' out of which pitch of 

 crystal clearness issues when punctured. 



HABITAT. From southern Oregon southward among the mountains 

 to the San Bernardino arid San Jacinto Mountains, and eastward to 

 southern Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, growing along the 

 moist slopes of canons from 3,000 to 9,000 ft. elevation. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood very light, soft, not strong, coarse- 

 grained, compact, and of a light buff-brown color, with sap-wood 

 scarcely distinguishable. Specific Gravity, 0.3638; Percentage of 

 Ash, 0.85; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.3607; Coefficient of 

 Elasticity r , 90889; Modulus of Rupture, 703; Resistance to Longi- 

 tudinal Pressure, 390 ; Resistance to Indentation, 78 ; Weight of a 

 Cubic Foot in Pounds, 22.67. 



USES. A peculiarly appropriate wood for butter-tubs and boxes, 

 packing cases, etc. , where a scentless wood is required. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES are those of turpentine, which may be 

 obtained from the tree. 



174. ABIES MAGNIFICA, MURRAY. 

 CALIFORNIA RED FIR, SHASTA FIR, MAGNIFICENT FIR. 



Ger. , Californische Rothe Tanne; Fr. , Sapin rouge de Calif ornie; 

 Sp., Abeto Colorado de California. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves short, often only from \ to f in. in length 

 thick, rigid, quadrangular, only slightly, if at all, wider than thick, obtuse at 

 apex, whitish beneath, curved upward closely along the sides and thickly crowded 



