FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 57 



Coulter Pine; Bigcone Pine. 

 Finns coulteri Lambert. 

 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS. 



Although a smaller tree. Coulter pine remotely resembles in general appear- 

 ance young or middle-aged yellow pine, from which, however, its stiff, much 

 heavier foliage, stouter twigs, and huge cones distinguish it at once. Ordina- 

 rily it is from 40 to 60 feet high, with an irregularly open, heavy-branched 



crown. The clear trunk is short (from 10 to L~» feet), and from 18 to 30 inches 

 in diameter. Occasionally trees reach a height of nearly 75 feet ami a diameter 

 of 31 feet. The big lower branches are long, bending downward, often to the 

 ground, and with an upward curve at their ends; immense bunches of erect. 

 stiff leaves conceal their extremities. The bark is early roughly broken, even 

 on young trees. That of old trunks is roughly furrowed and ridged and of a 

 very dark or blackish brown: the ridges are wide, roughly scaly, and Irregularly 

 connected with one another. Leaves. .". in a bundle (fig. is. a), are from <ii to 

 about 12 inches long: as a rule, about !> inches. Many of the leaves begin 

 falling during the third summer, but they persist until the fourth summer. 

 They are a deep bluish-green. The horribly armed, extremely heavy cones 

 I fig. IS) distinguish this pine from all of its relatives and associates. Young 

 trees (from 20 to 30 years old i bear cones. The cones mature by August of the 

 second summer and are from it to about 14 inches long. During October the 

 cones open partly and continue to shed a few of their seed for several months 

 afterward. Some of the cones remain attached to the branches for five to six or 

 more years. The ends of the cone scales and their sharp, strong points are yel- 

 lowish clay-brown; the inner portions of the scales are dark purple-brown. 

 Seeds i !i-. 18, b) and their short narrow wings are a deep chocolate brown, the 

 latter often paler. Seed leaves. :i to 12, sometimes 13 or 11. Wood, light, soft, 

 coarse grained, and reddish brown: suitable for second-class lumber, but rarely 

 cut. A comparatively short-lived tree. 



Longevity. — Trees from 20 to :ir. inches in diameter are from lb) to 125 years 

 old. It probably does not reach a greater age than 200 years. Further study 

 of its longevity is required. 



BARGE. 



Southern California (coast and cross ranges) into northern Lower California. Only 

 on inner coast range from Monte Diablo to Monterey Bay, south of which on western 



coast ranges also, south to Ban In'ego County: generally between ::. > and 0,000 feet 



elevation. 



California. — Monte Diablo in places to crest of main ridge. Fremont Peak at north 

 end Gabilan Range (between Salinas and San Benito rivers) and on higher ridges of this 

 range a few miles south of Fremont Peak; formerly over whole summit of range. Santa 

 Lucia mountains at 550 to 4,600 ; Santa Lucia Peak nearly to summit and west in upper 

 Arroyo Sen. canyon, divide between head of latter and Milpitas Creek, Willow Creek 

 (tributary Arroyo Seco) from mouth to head of Tassajara Creek, Bear Valley, Carmel 

 River, Indian Creek, coast ridge near Sur River (above 3,600 feet), near Cone Peak 

 (southwest Santa Lucia Peak) from 2.500 to 4,000 feet, but not in Pine valley. Summit 

 of ridge west of Carisso Plains (San Luis Obispo County) at 1,500 to 2,750 feet. Santa 

 Barbara National Forest on summits and north slopes from /.tea Lake to Mansana Creek 

 (tributary Sisquoc River), on upper Sisqnoc River Basin, and on Big Pine Mountain and 

 Mount Medulce in San Rafael Mountains, at 1,500 to J. Too feet, and on summits of 

 Santa Inez Mountains: noted on Rancho Nuevo Creek. San Gabriel Mountains up to 

 6,000 feet in vicinity of Mount Gleason, .on Tujunga canyon .-it 3,300 to 1,000 feet, at 

 head of Alder Creek at 5,000 feet, in vicinity of Waterman Mountain at 5,500 to 0,000 

 feet, and on Strawberry Peak at 5,000 to 6,000 feet. Common in San Bernardino moun- 

 tains at 3,000 to 6,000 feet, sometimes dowu to o,500 and up to 0,700 feet, limited to 



