SEQUOIA SEMPERVIRENS. 1 73 



Range and are not found in the hot valley of the San 

 Joaquin, but reappear in the Sierra Nevada mountains at 

 an altitude of three or four thousand feet above the sea 

 level, where they again come into almost the same condi- 

 tions of humidity and temperature as at the coast. 



The amount of light probably also exerts a great influ- 

 ence. The lower branches need more leaf surface be- 

 cause of the shade from the surrounding arboreal vegeta- 

 tion, while the upper boughs that rise above all the other 

 trees have for themselves alone all the light and sunshine 

 and so are not compelled to spread themselves out. Their 

 energies are bent to the reproduction of the species, and 

 with less nutrition economy is necessary. 



As the parts of the flower are but transformed leaves, 

 the same diversity might be expected. It is even greater. 

 The carpellary scales of the pistillate aments take many 

 forms. Plate xviii, figs. 2 and 3, show pistillate aments 

 from different trees, figs. 4, 5, 6 carpellary scales, It 

 will be noticed that in the same ament there is no uni- 

 formity, though the scales are longer and narrower in 

 some than in others. The scales of the staminate aments 

 range from the broad form shown in plate xviii, fig. 8, to 

 one much narrower and more pointed. The number of 

 pollen sacs is not invariable, three or four being the rule. 

 The cones are round or oblong, and vary in size irre- 

 spective of the height of the tree. The seeds when ripe 

 show many forms, figs. 9 and 11 being of one type, figs. 

 10 and 12 of another. 



The proliferous cone shown in plate xvi, fig. 3, is in- 

 teresting, as it illustrates the nature of the ament, a sub- 

 ject which has been discussed by many botanists. Such 

 cones are not uncommon. Engelman says of a similar 

 cone of Sequoia gigantea: "It seems to prove not only 

 that the fruit scale in this species (and consequently in 



