190 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



Range opposite west part of Antelope Valley, Cajon Pass up to 4,000 feet ; Soledad Pass, 

 at 2,700 feet ; also occasionally in interior and on southern slopes of these ranges, as 

 Cajon Pass, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Wash near Los Angeles, vicinity of Pasa- 

 dena, and Mill Creek (San Bernardino Mountains). Southward, it follows coast moun- 

 tains, occurring on both east and west slopes ; at Mexican line from near Mountain 

 Spring, at 2,700 feet; across Wagon Pass, at 3,117 feet, and down west side to Jacumba 

 Hot Springs, at 2,822 feet, and possibly farther west. 



Lower California. — Reported from both east and west sides of lower slopes of 

 Mount San Pedro Martir as far south as Trinidad Valley and Las Encinas (near San 

 Tomas). 



OCCURRENCE. 



On very dry mountain slopes and barrens, on canyon sides in rocky, gravelly, or 

 sandy soils. Frequent and most typical on seaward slopes of Coast Range. 



Sometimes in pure open stands, or predominating in nearly pure, very open stands 

 of limited extent or in groups, but often mingled with one-leaf pinon pine, Sabine pine, 

 mountain mahogany, and bigcone spruce, and occasionally with straggling western 

 yellow pine, Douglas oak, and tree yucca ; in Lower California, with pinon pine, mesquite, 

 manzanita, and yucca. 



Climatic Conditions. — Climate characterized by long, very dry summers, often lim- 

 ited or deficient precipitation, except for desert plants (mostly winter rain). Seasonal 

 temperature, about 15° to 100° F. 



Tolerance. — Little known of its tolerance, but apparently requires abundant light 

 throughout life. 



Reproduction. — Prolific seeder. Actual seeding habits undetermined. Seed germi- 

 nates on exposed mineral soil, but only when sufficiently buried by washing, or other 

 favorable accident, to be moist. Reproduction rather scanty. 



Family TAXACE^E. 



Trees (and shrubs) which belong to this family — yews or yew-like-trees — 

 differ from the cone-bearers in producing male flowers on one tree and female 

 flowers on another (very rarely both kinds of flowers on different parts of tho 

 same tree). Conifers have flowers of both sexes on different parts or branches 

 of the same tree.' There are fewer seed-bearing trees, therefore, since only trees 

 bearing female flowers have seed. Moreover, in thinning a stand of Taxaceous 

 trees care should be taken to preserve both male and female trees as near to 

 each other as possible if reseeding is expected to take place. Pollen of the male 

 flowers must be carried by the wind to the female flowers. If male trees are 

 distant more than 25 or 30 yards from the female tree, only the strongest 

 wind, blowing at the right time, will effect fertilization. 



The leaves are evergreen, flat, and narrowly lance-shaped, and appear to 

 grow (native species) in spreading lines on two opposite sides of the branches. 

 The fruit (seed) is different from that of conifers in being almost or entirely 

 enveloped in a pulpy covering. In the yews of this group it is a minute, berry- 

 like cup, bright colored, juicy and sticky when broken, while in other members 

 of the family the covering is firm, practically complete, and similar to an olive. 



TUMI0N. STINKING CEDARS. 



Stinking cedars are little-known trees which for many years were erroneously 

 classified under the generic name Torreya. Only a few years ago it was found 

 that this name had previously been applied to an entirely different plant. 

 " Torreya," " nutmeg," and " stinking cedar " are the common names for them. 

 They are characterized by their stiff, flat, lance-shaped, needle-pointed leaves 

 (fig. 75), which grow in two rows from opposite sides of the branches and are 

 somewhat spirally arranged, and by the pungently aromatic or ill-smelling 

 (fetid) odor of the leaves and of the green bark, the odor being most pro- 



°Dr. Edward L. Greene, Pittonia, II, 195, 1891. 



