Alaska Cedar. t hamaccyparis noot katensis. 
Leaves similar to western red cedar, but tinged bluish 
and showing the points of the tiny leaflets. Leaf scales 
more pointed and wider spread. The cones, which 
require two years to mature, are ashy gray and less than 
one-half inch in diameter, rounder and harder than red 
cedar. Bark ash gray and lacking the brown tinge of 
the red cedar. Wood a distinctive sulphur yellow with 
a sweet aromatic odor and taste, fine-grained and easy 
to work, extremely durable and taking a beautiful 
finish. Alaska cedar is used locally for cabinet work 
and telephone poles. Logs cut into 13-foot lengths are 
occasionally exported to Japan, where they are made 
into panels. 
Alaska cedar is found scattered or in small groups 
with western red cedar, Sitka spruce, and western hem- 
lock, or, on higher slopes or muskegs, with mountain 
hemlock. It extends from Prince William Sound east 
and south along the coast from sea level to timber line. 
Pacific Yew. Taxus brei ifolta. 
The yellow-green leaves are lance shaped and soft, 
glossy above, pale beneath. A twist at the base gives 
them an even comblike appearance. Fruit a bright 
red berry containing one seed. Bark ridged and fluted. 
Although the wood is valuable, being fine grained, 
elastic, and durable, it is too scarce to be commercially 
important. 
The yew is seldom over 30 feet tall and 6 to 12 inches 
in diameter; usually very much smaller, with a straight 
conical trunk. It has been definitely identified only 
in the vicinity of Annette, Mary, and Gravina Islands, 
and southern Prince of Wales Island as far north as 
55°, but it undoubtedly grows in other parts of south- 
eastern Alaska. It is exceedingly scattered and occurs 
only where birds have dropped the seed. Very 
tolerant of shade, it grows slowly at (he heads of streams 
and moist canyons. 
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