Gowen Cypress 



99 



2. GOWEN CYPRESS — Cupressus Goveniana Gordon 



This handsome tree occurs sparingly in western California from Mendocino 

 county southward to San Diego county, often reaching an altitude of 900 meters 

 in mountain canons. It is very variable, from a vigorous tree 15 meters high, 

 with a trunk diameter of 6 dm., to a small shrub. It is also called Mountain 

 cypress and North coast cypress. 



The trunk is short and much branched. The branches are slender, the lower 

 spreading, forming an open head. The bark is 6 to 12 mm. thick, irregularly 

 broken into nearly flat, low ridges, which spUt up into persistent oblong, dark red- 

 dish brown scales; the iimer bark 

 is much hghter in color. The 

 twigs are slender, smooth, orange 

 brown, becoming reddish brown 

 or often purplish, but finally 

 grayish. The leaves are dark 

 green, ovate, 1.5 to 3 mm. long, 

 sharp or rounded, closely ap- 

 pressed, faintly glandular pitted 

 or glandless. On young, vigor- 

 ous plants or on strong shoots the 

 leaves are more spreading, needle- 

 like, and twice as long. The 

 flowers, which open in early 

 spring, are yellow, the staminate 

 oblong, 4-sided, 3 or 4 mm. long, 

 composed of 6 to 8 stamens, their 

 connectives peltate and somewhat 

 broader than long; the pistillate 

 flowers are 3 mm. long, their 

 scales sharp-pointed and somewhat spreading. The cones are nearly globular or 

 short-oblongj 1.5 to 2 cm. in diameter, reddish brown or purplish, and shining, 

 composed of 6 to 8 scales with blunt or sometimes sharp-pointed low and broad 

 central projections. The seeds, usually about 20 on each fertile scale, are light 

 brown and shining, irregularly 4-angled, and about 3 mm. long. 



The wood is soft, brittle, and weak, close-grained and Ught brown; its specific 

 gravity is about 0.47. 



It is seldom cultivated in America, but in Europe is known in several garden 

 forms. 



Fig. 74. — Gowen Cypress. 



