Trees of yew York Sluh 10 L 



PINACEAE 



Clianiaci'vpuns thyoides (L.) B. S. and 1'. | Chaiiiaecvparis spliaoroidca Spacli.; 

 Cupressus thyoides L.] 



White Cedar, Coast White Cedar 



Habit — Usually a small tree from 20-50 feet in height witli a trunk diam- 

 eter of 1/2 foot, under favorable conditions sometimes attaining a height 

 of 80-90 feet. Crown narrowly conical, consisting of slender horizontal 

 branches with deciduous laterals, the latter commonly arranged in fan- 

 shaped sprays. 



Leaves — Opposite, keeled, often glandular, dark blue-green, dull. On normal 

 twigs they are ovate, acuminate, appressed, imbricated, glandular, 

 1/16-% of an inch long. The thrifty shoots have spreading, awl-shaped, 

 often remote and eglandular leaves, usually about % of an inch long. 



Flowers — Appearing in March and April, monoecious, borne in cones on dif- 

 ferent sprays. Staminate cones terminal, solitary, about % of an inch 

 long, oblong, 4-sided, consisting of 4^6 pairs of stamens with yellow 

 pollen sacs. Ovulate flowers terminal, usually solitary, 1/16-% of an 

 inch long, subglobose, consisting of 6 peltate spreading scales, liver- 

 colored at pollination. 



Friiit — -A globose, glaucous, nearly sessile, inconspicuous, bluish purple cone, 

 about 1^ of an inch in diameter, turning dark reddish brown at the end 

 of the first season, opening in the autumn and persisting on the sprays. 

 Cone-scales peltate, the outer face marked by a slight projection. Seeds 

 grajash brown, about % of an inch long, wdth a dark brown wing as broad 

 as the body. 



Winter characters — Branchlets arranged in fan-shaped sprays Avhich diverge 

 at various angles, at first bluish green from the decussate imbricated 

 leaves, during the first -winter becoming reddish brown, at length dark 

 brown, slowly losing their leaves and marked by the scars of the deciduous 

 laterals, with small papery scales. Buds minute, without scales, pro- 

 tected by the appressed scale-like leaves. Mature bark liglit reddish 

 brown, %-l inch tliick, fibrous consisting of narrow anastomosing ridges 

 separated by shallow fissures. 



Habitat — Thrives along the Atlantic and Gulf seaboards in cold, wet swamps 

 which are inundated for long periods each year, in the north forming pure 

 stands, farther south intermingled witli Bald Cypress. Rarely far from 

 the coast. 



Range — ■ Southern Maine, southward to northern Florida, westward along 

 the Gulf Coast into Mississippi. Zone A. 



Uses — An important timber tree, especially in that it thrives in regions 

 unsuitable for other species. Wood light soft, weak, rather close- 

 grained, slightly fragrant, light reddish brown -with thin pale sapwood. 

 Verj' durable in contact with the soil. Used for fence posts, poles, shin- 

 gles, railroad ties, etc. The Coast White Cedar is one of the most 

 beautiful of the eastern conifers and is grown extensively for ornament. 

 There are numerous horticultural forms. 



