241. CHAMAECYPAKIS LAWSONIANA PORT ORFORD CEDAR. 41 



241. CHAMAECYPARIS LAWSONIANA (MURR.) PARL. 

 PORT ORFORD CEDAR. LAWSON CYPRESS. MATCH-WOOD. 



Ger., Cypresse von Lawson Fr., Cypres de Lawson Sp., Cipres 



de Lawson. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves about T V in. long, acute, bright green, con- 

 spicuously glandular on the back, closely appressed and forming a flattened 

 branchlet, on leading shoots they are often from \ to \ in. long, with points 

 more spreading at apex, and on seedlings they are \ to | in. long, linear- 

 lanceolate and spreading. Flowers in very early spring, at the ends of lateral 

 branchlets, the staminate with bright red connectives, bearing usually each 2 or 

 3 pollen sacs; pistillate flowers darker colored and with more acute and spread- 

 ing scales. Fruit (Sept. to Oct.) globose cones about in. in diameter, usually 

 borne in profusion, reddish brown and often glaucous at maturity, with usually 

 8-10 rugose scales, with a weak central boss and bearing 2-4 shining brown seeds 

 TV to tV i n - l n g slightly compressed and with thick lateral wings each about 

 as broad as the seed. 



The specific name commemorates Sir Chas. Lawson, a distinguished Scottish 

 authority on the coniferous trees, and Lord Provost of Edinborough. 



The Port Orford Cedar occasionally attains the height of 200 ft. 

 (60 m.) with narrow pyramidal head of small horizontal and drooping 

 branches and straight massive trunk sometimes 12 ft. (3.50 m.) in 

 diameter, vested in a very thick dark reddish brown bark divided into 

 wide ridges which exfoliate in thin fibrous strips. It is one of the 

 most beautiful of our cone-bearing trees. 



HABITAT. Few trees of the United States are of as limited distribu- 

 tion it being found growing naturally only in southwestern Oregon, 

 in the vicinity of Coos Bay, and southward to the Klamath river in 

 California, ranging inland a distance of only thirty or forty miles. 

 It flourishes on sandy ridges and the sand dunes of the sea shore, and 

 was early reported to have been found on the southern slopes of 

 Mt. Shasta where, however, it has not been found in recent years. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood light, rather hard and strong, very 

 close grained, easily worked and durable in contact with the soil. It 

 is of a light yellow color with lighter sap-wood, and with a pleasant 

 resinous fragrance. Specific Gravity, 0.4621; Percentage of Ash, 

 0.10; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.4616; Coefficient of 

 Elasticity, 121772; Modulus of Rupture, 888; Resistance to Longi- 

 tudinal Pressure, 466; Resistance to Indentation, 82; Weight of a 

 Cubic Foot in Pounds, 28.80. 



USES. One of the most valuable timber trees of North America 

 in the excellence of its lumber for interior finishing, flooring, boat- 

 building, railway ties, fence posts, etc., and is used extensively in the 

 manufacture of matches. In the last mentioned use its identity is at 

 once asserted by the characteristic fragrance of the smoke of the burn - 

 ing match. 



