88 The Sequoias 



face covered with loose fibrous scales, light brownish red, often purplish on the 

 outer surface; the bark of younger trees is very much thinner. The twigs are 

 stout, pendulous, the lateral ones much branched and flattened, densely clustered ; 

 they are dark bluish green; after the leaves faU they become somewhat scaly and 

 brownish red or purplish. The leaves are lanceolate or ovate, 3 to 6 mm. long, 

 appressed-decurrent at the base, spreading at the sharp-pointed apex, concave 

 within, convex and ridged on the outer side ; on vigorous shoots they are more awl- 

 shaped, and often 12 mm. long. The staminate flowers are numerous and cover 

 the entire surroundings with their profuse yellowish pollen; they are about 6 mm. 

 long, and composed of 20 to 25 stamens. The pistillate flowers are oblong, 

 about 8 mm. long, consisting of 25 to 40 yellow keeled scales, each bearing 3 to 7 

 ovules. The cone is broadly oblong, 5 to 8 cm. long, 3.5 to 6 cm. wide, reddish 

 brown, opening but little and changing very httle ia shape after shedding the seed; 

 the scales, 15 to 20 mm. long, are quite thick and woody, somewhat expanded 

 at the apex, deeply impressed and often provided with a minute reflexed bristle. 

 Seeds 3 to 7 under each scale, hnear-lanceolate, 3 to 6 mm. long, flattened, light 

 brown, and surrounded by wings shghtly broader than the body and notched at 

 the apex. 



The wood is soft, weak and brittle, coarse-grained and bright red ; its specific 

 gravity is about 0.29. It is very durable, and is made into boards, shingles, and 

 fencing. 



It is frequently cultivated in Europe, but while it grows very rapidly for a time, 

 it gives no promise of ever attaining the great size and age for which it is famous 

 in its home. In the eastern United States it is very unsatisfactory in cultivation, 

 climatic conditions being imsuited to its growth. 



2. REDWOOD — Sequoia sempervirens (Lambert) Endlicher 

 Taxodium sempervirens Lambert. Sequoia gigatUea Endlicher 



This gigantic tree is also called Sequoia, Coast redwood, and California red- 

 wood, and occurs only in the coast region from southwestern Oregon to San Luis 

 Obispo county, California, probably never more than 25 miles from the coast and 

 not at greater elevations than about 1000 meters. Its maximum height is about 

 105 meters, with a trunk diameter of over 8 meters. 



The trunk is much buttressed and swollen at the base, tapering upward, some- 

 what fluted, and usually devoid of branches for 20 meters or more. The branches 

 of younger trees are slender, curved downward below, but erect toward the top, 

 forming a slender open cone. The lower branches disappear before the tree reaches 

 full size, and the upper ones become stouter, forming a small irregular compact 

 head very much out of proportion to the tree's general massiveness. The bark is 

 1.5 to 3 dm. thick, the ridges often 6 to 9 dm. broad; it separates on the surface 

 into elongated narrow fibrous strips of a dark brown color, and often is broken 

 crosswise, exposing the lighter brownish red inner layers. The twigs are slender. 



