172 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



and less graceful than on young trees. Forest-grown trees carry a short but 

 otherwise similar crown and have trunks clear of branches for 80 or 100 feet 

 or more. Like those of the yellow cypress, trunks often have one or two slight 

 bends and a broad, rapidly contracted base, which is somewhat flattened, 

 hollowed or slightly fluted in places. The trunk form, however, is round and 

 full above. The bark bears only a general resemblance to that of yellow 

 cypress. This resemblance is due to the numerous narrow, diagonal ridges 

 which connect the larger ridges, as in the yellow cypress. It is conspicuously 

 thick — 6 to 8 inches or more at the base of old trunks — but thinner higher up. 

 Deep, narrow seams divide an apparently separate outer layer of bark into 

 narrow, rather loose ridges, which separate into long strips, showing a dark 

 red-brown underlayer of bark, which is strong and little broken. The color 

 of the outer bark is similar, but subdued by weathering. 



The minute scale-like leaves, on peculiarly flat sprays (figs. 66, 67), are 

 soft to the touch, in strong contrast with the prickly feeling of yellow cypress 

 leaves, and their points are shorter and blunter than those of yellow cypress. 

 The leaves are closely pressed to the twigs, except on young trees and on main 

 branchlets. The small berry-like cones (fig. 07) mature in one season, in the 

 latter part of September or early in October. They are clear, dark russet- 

 brown when they open in October. Some of them remain on the tree until 

 the following spring. Two (occasionally 1) to 4 pale reddish brown seeds 

 (fig. C»7. 6, c) are borne under each perfect cone-scale. The seeds have little 

 buoyancy and ;ire carried by the wind but a short distance from the mother 

 tree. Seed-leaves are 2 and opposite, about three-eighths of an inch long, 

 flat, one-sixteenth of an inch wide, pointed, and spreading. The succeeding 

 leaves of the young seedling are similar, but narrower and sharper, and stand 

 out from the slender stem at regular intervals. During the first or second 

 season shorter, closely pressed, scale-like leaves appear on tiny branchlets, 

 followed shortly by foliage of adult form. 



Wood somewhat lighter than yellow cypress wood, very fine-grained, and 

 faint yellowish white, with the slightest tinge of red. The wood has a most 

 distinct, though faint, rose-aromatic odor, strong in green wood and fainter in 

 seasoned wood and due to a resin." It is rather hard and firm wood, works 

 as easily as the choicest pine, and is very durable, without protection, under 

 all sorts of exposure. In spite of its commercial excellence, the supply is so 

 limited that it can hardly last long or find use outside of a restricted region. 

 Owing to the large clear sizes obtainable, it furnishes the best of saw-timber 

 and is a forest tree of the first importance. 



Longevity. — Few age determinations have been made of this tree, which is 

 undoubtedly long-lived. Trees from 16 to 20 inches in diameter are from 186 

 to 225 years old. The largest trees would very probably be at least 500 or 600 

 years old. 



RANGE. 



Coast of southwestern Oregon from Coos Bay southward, within fog belt, to Mad 

 River (near Humboldt Bay), Humboldt County, Cal., extending from within a few miles 

 of sea to from 10 to 40 miles inland and reaching 5,000 feet elevation on seaward slopes 

 of Coast Range. Noted at Crescent City, Cal., and in Humboldt County, on west side 

 of Hoopa Valley, on Wilson Creek slope ; on trail between Hoopa Valley and Areata, 

 about 4 miles west of Hoopa, at 1,800 feet; farther west, in damp gulch between Red- 

 wood Creek and Blue Lake. A few outlying stations occur farther inland, as in Siski- 



<• Continued inhaling of the odor from freshly cut timber produces an aggravated diu- 

 retic effect upon the system. 



