CALIFORNIA TREE NOVELTIES 



857 



MONTEREY CYPRESS ON THE SEA COAST 



While these trees are true native sons of California, growing only around the Bay of Monterey, they have become generally known to the public 

 as "cedars of Lebanon." In this article is exi>lained the interesting origin of this misnomer. These old trees are the mecca for most sight- 

 seers along the California coast. 



although three of the six extend down into lower Cali- 

 fornia. Their range is from the limber pine at timber 

 line down to the pinon pine of the desert regions. In 

 character of growth and appearance the range is as 

 equally great. From the southern Sierras southward On 

 arid slopes and mesas into northern Mexico is the 

 dwarf single leaf or pinon pine. Of all the American 

 species, no other pine has single leaves. The tree is 

 further distinguished by the large size of the seeds which 

 are known as pinon nuts, and have long been used by the 

 Indians for food. The transcontinental traveler on 

 the Santa Fe trains can buy these pine nuts from the 

 Indians or at the stations, as peanuts are bought in the 

 East. Another nut pine, which is less common, has four 

 needles or leaves, which is also an unusual arrangement. 

 The true white pines have five needles in a cluster and 

 yellow pines two and three, so there are, out of the sev- 

 enteen species, all arrangements of needles from one 

 to five. 



Another characteristic of the California pine is found 

 in the various kinds of cones. They range in size from 

 the enormous fruit of the coulter pine to the diminutive 

 .seed pod of the pinon or lodgepole, and from a smooth 

 symmetrical shape and surface to a bristly, heavy cone 

 which protects and hides its seeds until nature sees fit 

 to open the scales. The bristlecone, lodgepole and knob- 

 cone pines, have very persistent cones, the latter often 

 holding successive crops of cones indefinitely. They ad- 



here to the trunk and branches and are often found im- 

 bedded in the wood, and rarely do the cones open until 

 the tree is killed by fire or cut; yet some of the seeds 

 remain fertile during all these years. The knobcone pine 

 k the most conspicuous conifer on the intermediate 

 .slopes of the mountains back of Los Angeles, San Ber- 

 nardino and Santa Barbara, and the persistent clusters 

 of old cones can be readily seen. 



Hardwood trees are not abundant on the Pacific coast. 

 I'here are comparatively few broad-leaved trees of com- 

 mercial value, and as a rule these are an inconspicuous 

 feature of the landscape except along streams at the lower 

 elevations. A sycamore very similar in appearance to 

 the Eastern species is common along streams throughout 

 the State, while in all of the foothills are a number of 

 oaks, some of which retain their leaves the year round. 

 These low-growing, round-topped oaks are an attractive 

 feature along many roads and trails below the range of 

 the conifers. For example the Ojai valley near Santa 

 Barbara is made attractive by its oak trees, while along 

 many streams, even back in the mountains, a fringe or 

 belt of broad-leaved species breaks the monotony of the 

 view. On the higher slopes and along the coast in the 

 redwood country, tan bark oak is in many places quite 

 abundant. Here are also found chinquapins which are 

 similar to the Eastern chestnut, and under favorable con- 

 ditions become large trees, although in the higher moun- 

 tains forming low shrub. Maples, buckeye, ash and other 



