YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



ctnd are further characterized by 

 large, conspicuous veins. Mid-veins, 

 and often the slender round leaf 

 stems, are sometimes slightly hairy. 

 In the fall before dropping from the 

 tree the leaves assume a dull, yel- 

 lowish-brown color which, although 

 suffering by comparison with the fall 

 color of the California black oak and 

 Pacific dogwood, nevertheless adds 

 a note of interest to our fall color dis- 

 play. 



Perhaps its most interesting char- 

 acters are the flowers and seeds. 

 Staminate (male) and pistillate (fe- 

 male) flowers are borne on different 

 trees. The former, which bear the 

 pollen, are produced in great num- 

 bers in dense, pendent, tassel-like 

 clusters (aments) one to two inches 

 long. The latter, also borne in pen- 

 dent aments, are more loosely clus 



Vholo by Anderson 



Black cotfonu'ood in Yoscmite Valli- 



Vbolo by Bnnkmjii 



I oliagc ami svcih of blai k < u/ldiin <<<«,/ ( jnih njiiarcs on backfiroiniJ) 



