20 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



racemes, \ to 2 in. long. Fruit capsules 2 lines in diameter, smooth or some- 

 what wrinkled and neither crested nor deeply lobed. 



(The specific name is from the Greek <rwpos, a heap, alluding to the minute 

 roughness of the branchlets. ) 



This Ceanothus is generally considered a densely branched shrub, 

 as it really is over a large part of its range, but I have seen it in Mon- 

 terey County assuming the habit and stature of a tree 20 or 25 ft. 

 (7m.) in height, with symmetrical, rounded, twiggy top, and trunk, 10 

 or 12 inches (0.30 m.) in diameter, vested in quite smooth grayish- 

 brown bark, which finally becomes fissured into low firm ridges. 



HABITAT. The coast region of California from Mendocino Co. to 

 San Diego and seemingly attaining its greatest dimensions in canons 

 in the vicinity of Paso Robles. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood heavy, hard, strong, of very fine 

 structure with inconspicuous medullary rays, and susceptible of a 

 beautiful polish. It is of a rich brown color with lighter sap-wood and 

 is often marked with small dots and streaks of parenchymatous tissue. 

 Specific gravity, etc., have not been determined. 



USES. This is too uncommon a wood to be applied to any particu- 

 lar use, though its close, fine structure would suggest its appropri- 

 ateness for use in turnery. 



The tree is of ornamental value, in which respect it deserves more 

 general recognition than it has heretofore received, 



ORDER SAPINDACEJE : SOAPBERRY FAMILY. 



Leaves simple or compound. Flowers polypetalous, often irregular and mostly 

 symmetrical; sepals and petals each 4-5, imbricated in the bud, the petals inserted 

 with the 5-10 stamens on a perigynous or hypogynous disk: ovary 2-3-celled and 

 lobed, usually 1-2 ovules in each cell; embryo mostly convoluted; no albumen. 

 Fruit a membraneous, inflated pod, a leathery thick subspherical pod with nut- 

 like seeds, or a winged samara. 



GENUS ACER, TOURNEFORT. 



Leaves opposite, simple, palmately-veined, 5 or occasionally 3-lobed; stipules 

 none. Flowers small, in axillary racemes or corymbs, regular, polygamo- 

 dicecious, usually unsymmetrical; pedicels not jointed; sepals 5 (or 4-9), more or 

 less united, colored; petals sometimes wanting, but, when present, 5 (or 4-9), 

 equal and furnished with short claws; stamens commonly 8; ovary 2-lobed, 

 formed of 2 united carpels, each bearing 2 ovules, only one of which commonly 

 attains maturity; styles 2. long and slender, united only below and stigmatic 

 down the inside. Fruit a double samara, finally separating when mature and 

 ready to fall, the wings strengthened by a rib along one margin; cotyledons long 

 and thin. 



(The generic name, Acer, is the ancient Latin name of the Maple.) 



