BROADLEAVED TREES OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



11 



Interesting at any time of the year 

 because of its many outstanding 

 characteristics, it is at its best in the 

 fall. At that time the sombre, green 

 clad mountainsides of the upper ele- 

 vations are enlivened by brilliant 

 patches of bright golden yellow and 

 orange as the foliage of the aspen 

 assumes its characteristic brilliant 

 shades preparatory to dropping from 

 the tree in anticipation of the winter 

 season. Fall arrives early at altitudes 

 frequented by the aspen, being at its 

 height in September with the first 

 signs of autumn occasionally being 

 evident as early as late August. 



As in the case of all members of 

 the willow family the staminate (male) 

 and pistillate (female) flowers of the 

 aspen are borne on separate trees, 

 occurring as pendent, tassel-like 

 clusters (aments). Staminate clusters 

 ore one and one-half to two and one- 

 half inches long; pistillate clusters 

 are four inches long at maturity, bear- 

 ing numerous elongated capsules 

 containing many tiny seeds attached 

 to conspicuous cottony filaments 

 which aid in the dissemination of the 

 seeds by the wind. 



It is one of the most widely distrib- 

 uted North American trees, occurring 



Photo by AnJerson 



Bark detail on aapeii 



from the northern-most extent of tree 

 growth from Labrador westward to 

 Alaska, and southward at progres- 

 sively higher elevations into the 

 southern Sierra Nevada and Rocky 

 Mountain regions. 



