416 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



largest in fresh, porous soils. Mixed, singly or in small groups, under Douglas fir, red- 

 wood, and western hemlock, with broadleaf and vine maple. Xuttall willow, red and , 

 white alders : sometimes under western yellow pine and sugar pine. Largest in heavy 

 Douglas fir forests of Puget Sound country. 



Climatic Conditions. — Similar to those of Douglas fir. 



Tolerance. — Very tolerant of dense shade. 



Reproduction. — Abundant annual seeder. Seed of medium high rate of germination 

 (but tardy) and of persistent vitality; requires constantly moist seed bed for good 

 germination. Seedlings scattered ; most abundant in deep shade or on moist stream 

 borders. 



Family GARRYACEJE. 



A small and little-known group of trees and shrubs represented in our Pacific 

 country, adjacent southern territory, and in the West Indies, by one genus, 

 Carina, which commemorates the name of Garry, who facilitated the early 

 northwestern explorations of David Douglas, discoverer of the type species. 

 The general aspect of these plants suggests close relationship to the cornels 

 (Cornacese), in which Garrya is usually placed: but the very different character 

 of the flowers aud fruit is good reason for separating Garrya from that family. 



GARRYA. 



About a dozen species (chiefly shrubs) comprise this group. Two of them 

 occur in the Pacific region, and one of them sometimes becomes a tree. Im- 

 portant characters of the group are opposite leaves and flowers (of two sexes) 

 borne on separate individuals (only the female individuals producing seed). 

 Other characters of the genus are given under the following tree species. 



Quinine Bush. 

 Garrya elliptica Douglas. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS. 



Quinine bush gets its name from its bitter bark, leaves, and, especially, fruit. 

 It is known also as "silk-tassel bush," and as " fringe-tree," in reference to the 

 tassel-like clusters of flowers and fruit. 



Ordinarily a low, evergreen chaparral shrub, but in parts of its northern 

 coastal range, sometimes a short-trunked tree from 20 to 30 feet high and from 

 6 to 20 inches through. Little is now known of its trunk and crown form, for 

 it is only rather recently that tree forms were first found." Mature leaves (fig. 

 199) are thick, leathery, smooth above and white-woolly beneath, the margins 

 particularly wavy. Mature fruit (fij;. 199), ripe in late summer or early au- 

 tumn, is berry-like, with a thin brittle case covering an acid, slightly bitter, 

 purplish pulp, in which there are 1 or 2 seeds. Male clusters of flowers (fig. 

 199) are from 3 to 5 inches long and fringe-like. Wood, not used commercially 

 because of its rarity. It has not been studied fully, but is known to be heavy, 

 dense, aud hard. 



As a shrub quinine bush assists, with manzanita and ceanothus brush, in main- 

 taining a scanty but tenacious cover on dry. gravelly, and rocky mountain slopes. 

 Nothing is known of its silvical characteristics as a tree in moist, rich soils. 



Longevity. — Age limits undetermined. 



"The late A. J. Johnson, a tireless explorer of Oregon forests, first brought this fact 

 to the writer's notice, and upon his statement the sizes here given are based. He re- 

 ported finding especially large trees in Coos County, Oreg., in 1889. 



