FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 163 



California coast region in an interrupted belt from Mendocino County to San Diego 

 County; sea-level to nearly 3,000 feet. Extends from Ukiah and plains of Mendocino 

 County to mountains at southern boundary of the State. Ascends canyons in central 

 California coast mountains to nearly 3,000 feet. Sonoma County: Noted in western part 

 of Green Valley on road between Sebastopol and Camp Meeker (about 3 miles east of 

 Meeker) ; Dutch Bill Gulch, a little below Camp Meeker, on road from Meeker to Monte 

 Rio. Lake County: East side of Mount St. Helena, on road from Toll House to Middle- 

 town, extending from an altitude of about 1,500 feet down to valley level for about 5 

 miles south of Middletown ; few miles northwest of Middletown on gulch slope north of 

 road to Cobb Valley. Marin County: West end crest of Mount Tamalpais. Alameda 

 Counti/: Cedar Mountain. Monterey County: Small grove on north side of Huckleberry 

 Hill (Monterey Peninsula, near Monterey), at 300 to 350 feet (probably type locality of 

 species). Sandy barrens and rocky slopes of Santa Lucia Mountains, at 1.000 to 3,000 

 feet, only near Los Burros, and extending over summit. San Luis Obispo National Forest, 

 from Cerro Alto southeastward, as well as in main canyons trending eastward, at 1,100 

 to 2,500 feet elevation. San Diego County: In .Tamul Valley between El Nido and Dul- 

 zura, near Mexican border (southern limit). 



OCCURRENCE. 



On sandy barrens or rocky slopes, canyons, and gulches, commonly in very dry soils of 

 poorest kind. On summits and low mountain slopes of central California coast region, 

 a shrub on dry, shallow soil overlying granitic or limestone rock ; largest near mountain 

 streams. 



Occurs scattered, as individuals, or in groves, and often in broken forest over extensive 

 tracts ; nowhere abundant. Associates on slopes with Coulter pine, and near streams 

 with Douglas fir and western yellow pine. 



Climatic Conditions. — Climate mild ; temperature, between 12° an 112° F., and annual 

 rainfall from 53 inches in north to 5 inches at south. Proximity to sea insures frequent 

 fogs and high humidity during most of year. 



Tulkhance. — Tolerates considerable shade, often growing in rather dense stands. 



Reproduction. — Prolific seeder, bearing cones abundantly when only 2 or 3 feet high. 

 Seed has moderately high rate of germination and persistent vitality. Reproduction 

 abundant near seed trees, where seedlings are often established in great numbers. 



Dwarf Cypress. 

 Cupre88U8 pygmaeu (Lemm.) Sargent. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS. 



Dwarf cypress, a small and unimportant species, was, until a dozen years ago, 

 considered only a dwarfed form of Gowen cypress, which it resembles so closely, 

 except in size and habit, that the casual or lay observer can not readily distin- 

 guish it. Stunted on extremely poor soil, it is bushy and bears cones when under 

 .', feet in height. In situations more favorable for growth it is from 10 to 2."> 

 feet high — very rarely 30 feet — and from 6 to 12 inches in diameter. The 

 trunk is conical, and the crown narrowly conical, with slender branches trend- 

 ing upward. The shallowly seamed bark of large trunks is thin, clear red- 

 brown, and differs from that of the (ioweti cypress in having its Hat ridges 

 divided into long, shreddy scales. In general appearance the scale like leaves 

 (fig. 03) resemble those of the Gowen cypress, but they differ from them dis- 

 tinctly in being entirely without the glandular pits on the back, which are 

 always found on some of the leaves of the other species. The cones (fig. 63) 

 mature by autumn of the second season and remain on the branches fur a long 

 time after their seeds are shed. They vary from five-eighths to seven-eighths 

 of an inch in the longer diameter; otherwise they are similar to the smaller 

 cones of Gowen cypress. Cone-scales range in number from to 10 (instead of 

 to 8, as in the Gowen cypress), while the smaller seeds (flg. 63, a ) are black 

 when mature, and only about 10 or fewer are borne under each perfect cone- 



