FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 433 



3 to 6 inches long and three-fourths inch to 3 inches wide. The perfectly bisex- 

 ual, minute, cream-colored, fragrant flowers are densely packed in spherical, 

 long-stemmed heads (fig. 206, a), which grow chiefly in threes from the ends 

 of the branchlets. Likewise, the minute, long (inversely conical), grooved 

 lruits are densely packed in spherical, dark brown heads (fig. 206, b) : as the 

 fruiting heads fall to pieces late in autumn or winter each little dry. pod-like 

 fruit splits upward from its base into from 2 to 4 one-seeded parts. Wood of 

 tree forms has not been studied; that of shrubby stems is light brown, with 

 reddish tinge, hard, moderately heavy, and fine-grained. Rare occurrence of tree 

 forms prevents the wood from being of more than incidental use. 



Longevity. — Xo records of the age attained by tree forms are available. 



RANGE. 



Lowlands in the water from southeastern Canada, Florida, westward to eastern 

 Nebraska and Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, extending south to 

 Cuba and Mexico. 



OCCURRENCE. 



Borders of lowland streams, marshes, and ponds: in moist and wet sandy, gravelly, and 

 mucky soils ; sometimes in dry streambeds within gray pine belt. Forms extensive 

 pure thickets, interspersed with willows and other moisture-loving plants. Occasionally 

 a small tree in river bottoms (Sacramento and San Joaquin i. 



Climatic Conditions. — Similar to those of sandbar willow. 



Tolerance. — Endures considerable shade in wet soil, but iequires top light for best 

 growth. 



Reproduction. — Prolific seeder ; young plants abundant in shade and open. 



Family CAPRIFOLIACEJE. 



Caprifoliaeere is popularly called the honeysuckle family. Representatives 

 are especially abundant in the temperate parts of the northern half of the 

 world ; there are a few in the warmer regions. Small trees and shrubs, those 

 occurring in the United States being unimportant. . Well known and principal 

 members of the family are the bush and climbing honeysuckles, snowberries, 

 elderberries, and the familiar snowball. Of the 1U known genera. 2, Sambucus 

 and Viburnum, contain tree species. Sambitcua alone is represented in the 

 Pacific region. Common characters of the family are their opposite leaves and 

 small, often juicy, berry-like fruits. 



SAMBUCUS. ELDERBERRIES. 



The elderberries are small unimportant trees and shrubs represented by 

 about 13 species, 5 of which occur in the United States. Two of the latter are 

 arborescent and inhabit the Pacific region. They are commonly known as 

 elderberries, and are distinguished by the large, soft pith of their twigs and 

 branches, their large opposite (compound) leaves consisting of one main stem 

 and several pairs of (leaf-like) leaflets, with an odd one at the end. and by their 

 large, flat-topped, dense, branched clusters of small flowers, which produce 

 similar conspicuous clusters of small, juicy, berry-like fruits with from 3 to ." 

 seed-like, stony nutlets, each 1-seeded. Most of them grow best in moist, rich 



soils with plenty of light, but oi r two grow in dry soils. Our tree species 



occur too rarely and are of too small size to be of economic use, save for local 

 domestic purposes. 



