208 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



ever, the leaflets may have minute clusters of tawny hairs underneath in the 

 angles formed by the veins. The spherical fruit (fig. 82) is a thinly covered 

 nut, with a very finely but perceptibly velvety surface. Divested of its thin 

 husk, the hard-shelled nut, its two ends appearing to be pressed together, is 

 indistinctly and irregularly grooved (fig. 82, a). 



Wood, rather heavy, dark brown, somewhat lighter-colored than that of the 

 eastern tree, but similarly rich in color and grain. It is usually moderately 

 coarse-grained, owing to the fact that it is mainly grown in the open. The tree 

 is too poorly formed and usually too small to furnish wood of much com- 

 mercial value except for local needs. When large enough for lumber it is 

 useful as. a cabinet wood on account of its handsome color and good working 

 qualities. 



As a forest tree it can be of only secondary importance, serving with a num- 

 ber of other riparian species in maintaining needful protective tree growth along 

 streams. 



Longevity. — Few records of its age are available. It is a very rapid-growing 

 tree in youth and gives evidence of being short-lived, probably not exceeding 

 150 years. Trees from 12 to 15 inches in diameter are 13 to 17 years old, 

 while one tree 15A inches through showed an age of 15 years. 



RANGE. 



California. — River courses of foothills and valleys of coast region usually 20 or 30 

 miles from the sea, from Lower Sacramento River (noted 2 miles north of Shingle 

 Springs, Eldorado County, at about 1,500 feet), Mount St. Helena (southern Lake 

 County), vicinity of San Francisco and Monte Diablo (northwest base), south in coast 

 ranges to south side of the Santa Ana (Orange County) and San Bernardino Mountains. 

 Santa Barbara National Forest common at 800 to 4,000 feet ; in watersheds of Santa 

 Maria, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara, Matilija, Piru-Sespe, and Newhall rivers. Santa 

 Monica Mountains and Puente Hills, near Los Angeles; frequent in foothills below 3,000 

 feet ; less so on south slopes of San Gabriel and Santa Ana Mountains ; noted locally 

 near Arroyo Seco west of Pasadena. San Bernardino Mountains south and west slopes 

 up to 3,000 feet and occasionally at some distance from foot of mountains ; locally noted 

 in Waterman Canyon at 2,000 feet. 



OCCURRENCE. 



On margins of perpetual and intermittent streams and bottoms, usually in rather 

 moist gravelly or sandy soil ; sometimes in dry situations. Much scattered or in small, 

 straggling groups. 



Climatic Conditions. — Similar to those of California sycamore. 



Tolerance. — Intolerant of shade. 



Reproduction. — Seeding habits undetermined. Seedlings scarce. Much of seed eaten 

 by rodents, and carried by flood waters to places unfavorable for germination. 



Family MYRICACE.ffi. 



The family characters of the trees of this group are thick, narrow, minutely 

 resinous-dotted leaves, which grow from the branches in alternate positions 

 (never in pairs, one leaf opposite the other), and the small berry-like fruit, 

 coated with minute grains of white waxy matter. The male and female flowers 

 are each borne either on different branches of the same tree or upon different 

 trees. 



MYRICA. WAX MYRTLES. 



Wax myrtles are small trees (or shrub-like) with willow-like leathery leaves, 

 the season's growth of which persists for about one year, when they begin to fall 

 a few at a time. The crushed foliage and twigs exhale a resinous aromatic 

 odor, somewhat perceptible even without bruising. The bud-like clusters of 

 male and female flowers (of Pacific species) are each borne singly on different 



