6b FOREST TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 



bowed inwards, reversing the natural order of wintergreen 

 conifers and kindred trees, their boughs being oftener like 

 the bow on its back. This very common condition of the 

 dead limbs may have suggested the special name of Contorta, 

 however inapplicable it may be to its natural characteristics, 

 for this feature is too commonly observed everywhere, espe- 

 cially in slender sapp}^ limbs of very many alpine forest 

 trees, and therefore is not specific to this species at all; but, 

 what is worse than neutral, or meaningless, is rather mis- 

 leading. 



A two-leafed pine, needles one and a half to two inches 

 long, rather rigid, not very sharp-pointed, margins minutely 

 saw-toothed^ these short leaves densely cover all the smaller 

 twigs, and remotely suggests comparison with the New En- 

 gland Tamarack Larch (Larix Americana), in a general way. 

 as also from its swamp associations. The hue of the tree, 

 however, is more yellowish-green ; cones, elongated, egg- 

 shape, sharp-pointed, or often rounded, especially when 

 open, generally an inch or two in length; scales, (said to be 

 knobby?) prickly, like P. murica.ta, and other pine cones; 

 these may also sometimes be more thickened where most 

 exposed to bleak winds, as we see here — a result of habitat — 

 but not specific, nor varietal. On the coast the cones remain 

 closed, and persist for many years; but what is called variety 

 Jlurrayana (?), of the Sierras, open at maturity, scatter their 

 seed, and fall away the same season. 



Probably no timber in California ever so greatly disap- 

 pointed the early railroad builders as the Tortuous Tama- 

 rack Pine — misled by a famous name or otherwise; at all 

 events, if we remember rightly, it so decayed within two or 

 three years as to be totally discarded, notwithstanding they 

 had cut off and burned up all along their track far better 

 timber, and some more lasting than the cedars of Lebanon, 

 in serried hosts crowding to hand so very accessible. 



CALIFORNIA WHITE OAK. 



(Quereus lobata.) 



" Jove's own sovereign tree."' — Virgil. 



TREES of summer-green foliage, in colder climes, con- 

 tribute a large share to the thrilling joy and surprise 

 of spring-tide — as one awakening from a sweet sleep, 

 refreshed, w T ith the dew of his youth upon his brow in all 

 tranquillity — serenely embosomed in that innocent Aurora 



