158 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



broadleaf maples, black Cottonwood, western birch, red and Sitka alders, and occasionally 

 with yellow cedar ; hemlock a common associate. 



Climatic Conditions. — Climate, humid, mild, and uniform throughout commercial 

 range and within constant influence of ocean fogs ; but at high altitudes it endures (as a 

 shrub) a severe climate with short summers, long winters, and low temperatures (some- 

 times —35° F.). 



Tolerance. — Very tolerant ; tolerance varies with age, altitude, latitude, soil, moisture, 

 and climatic conditions. Grows well in dense shade during earlier life, and even reaches 

 maturity and old age in shade, but growth is retarded in proportion to density of shade, 

 for although the shade is tolerated to high degree it is not required. Tolerance greatest 

 under best conditions for growth and toward south and lower limits. Here the tree 

 maintains a dense crown-cover throughout life and commonly forms an understory, 

 mainly with western hemlock, alone or with redwood, Douglas fir, grand fir, western 

 white pine, and other species. 



Reproduction. — Prolific seeder, with specially heavy seed years. Seed has high rate 

 of germination, but only transient vitality. Seed usually germinates the autumn it is 

 shed, and seedlings establish themselves before winter. Germination abundant, and best 

 on moist duff, litter, moss, decayed logs, stumps, etc., both in^open and in densest shade. 

 Under dense shade seedlings hold their ground with remarkable power. Does not repro- 

 duce itself readily where fires have destroyed ground cover and forest cover to such an 

 extent that soil moisture is materially reduced. 



CUPRESSUS. CYPRESSES. 



The trees of the cypress group, to which belongs the cypress tree (Cupressus 

 sempervirens Linn.) of the Egyptians and Romans, are closely related to the 

 species of Chama>cyparis. They differ from the latter group essentially, how- 

 ever, in having quadrangular branchlets instead of flat ones and in having them 

 arranged not in one plane, but irregularly disposed. The overlapping minute, 

 scale-like leaves of both groups are arranged in alternately opposite pairs, but 

 those of Cupressus are minutely toothed on their margins, while in Chamsecypa- 

 ris the margins are entire or smooth. Leaves of each season's growth remain 

 on the trees from three to four years. Flowers are similarly arranged in both 

 groups (see Chanuecyparis). The cones of Cupressus mature at the end of the 

 second season, instead of in one season, as in Chanuecyparis, and bear about 

 15 to 20 seeds under each fertile cone scale, instead of only 4 or 5 seeds to one 

 scale, as in Chaimeeyparis. The seeds of Cupressus (native species) have 

 narrow, hard wings, in place of broad, gauzy wings, as in Charnrecyparis. 

 Seed leaves in Cupressus are 3 and only 2 in Cnaimecyparis. Wood of the 

 cypresses, which is strongly aromatic, is remarkably durable, but on account of 

 the usually small size and poor timber form of our native species the wood is 

 of little or no commercial value. The cypresses are, however, of considerable 

 importance to the forester in assisting to form protective cover on wind-swept, 

 sandy coasts or dry, arid slopes and little-wooded canyons. 



Four species inhabit the Pacific region, all confined to California. Trees of 

 this group are of ancient origin. Representatives once inhabited Greenland 

 and western Europe, where, however, they are now extinct. 



Monterey Cypress. 

 Cupressus macrocarpa Hartweg. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS. 



Monterey cypress owes its common name to its confined habitat near the Bay 

 of Monterey, California. It has a form in youth entirely different from its 

 mature habit. When young the trunk is sharply conical, and its crown of 

 rigidly straight, slender branches trending upward is a wide, sharp-pointed 

 pyramid which extends down to the ground. Such trees are from 40 to 50 feet 



