FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



265 



alders. Under surface of leaves, including the prominent yellow midveins. their 

 branches, and the leaf steins, have very minute soft hairs. Mature cones 

 (fig. 116) vary from about one-half to nearly seven-eighths of an inch in length. 

 Most of them shed their mature seeds in midwinter, but a few shed them very 



Fig. 11G. — Ahius rhombifnlia: a, sood. 



late in the autumn. Ends of the cone scales, somewhat thickened, and with an 

 Intended lobe. The seeds have very thin hard borders (fig. 116, a). Flowers 

 open in midwinter, when the pendent male clusters are mosl conspicuous, 1', to 

 5£ inches long and as thick as a pipe-stem. Wood, pale yellOwish-brown ; of 



