64 Muhlenbergia, Volume 5 



ENGELMANN SPRUCE NEAR THE CALIFORNIA 



LINE 



By Willis L. Jepson 



Picea Engelmannii, the Engelmann Spruce, has never been 

 found in California, but one or two localities crowd the Califor- 

 nia line so closely that the finding of a station within the State 

 is now a possibility. On August 2, 1906, I found this species in 

 Oregon, growing in the canyon bottom of the east fork of Ash- 

 land creek between 5000 and 5800 feet, seven miles north of the 

 California-Oregon line. The canyon is a deep one in rough 

 country. The trees ranged from 80 to 160 feet, or possibly 200 

 feet, in height. A dead tree on the ground was 148 feet high 

 and 3 feet in trunk diameter. 



About one year since I received from Miss Laura McDer- 

 mott, of Virginia City, Nevada, what must be branchlets of 

 Engelmann Spruce. The specimen was collected on the north 

 slope of Mt. Rose, Washoe county, Nevada, at about 9000 feet 

 altitude near timber line, the only tree at greater altitudes being 

 Pinus albicaitlis in prostrate form. A cone was originally part 

 of the specimen but was lost in transit. In order that the ques- 

 tion of its occurrence in the region of western Nevada may be 

 definitely settled, fruiting or at least abundant foliage spec'mens 

 are very much desired. 



Berkeley, California. 



[We have visited the region above-mentioned man) limes, 

 and as yet have only discovered the alpine hemlock or Patton's 

 Spruce {Tsuga Mertensiana (Bong.) Can.) which is not uncom- 

 mon in groves at 9000 feet elevation. The alpine white pine 

 [Pinus albicaulis) is abundant at from 8000 to 9000 feet eleva- 

 tion, where the trunks reach a diameter of three to four feet. 

 At approximate elevations between 9000 and ioooofeet it forms 

 a low prostrate shrub frequently bearing cones. We hope this 

 summer to ascertain with absolute certainty ihe existence <>t~ 

 Engelmann's Spruce on the north side of Mt. Rose. — P. BEVER. 

 idge Kennedy.] 



