16 
BULLETIN 604, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Fig. 1.- 
-Relative form of the bole of incense cedar 
at various ages. 
lets and remain on the tree 
from 3 to 5 years. The 
leaves are opposite and 
four-ranked like those of 
other species, which are 
related but are character- 
ized by their long bases, 
which extend from one- 
eighth to one-half inch 
along the branch. They 
are also keeled, and each is 
provided with a small resin 
gland, which accounts for 
the pungent aromatic odor 
so noticeable when the leaf 
is bruised. The younger 
branchlets have the ap- 
pearance of being jointed, 
as two pairs of leaves oc- 
cur together, at right 
angles to each other, and 
overlap slightly the four 
leaves above. 
In the seedling stage in- 
cense cedar is character- 
ized by three kinds of 
leaves (PL III), which 
serve to distinguish it at 
once from its common as- 
sociates. The first to ap- 
pear are the two seed 
leaves, which measure from 
1 to 1 J inches long by one- 
eighth inch broad. These 
are followed shortly by one 
or more branches bearing 
awl - shaped transitional 
leaves, which grade off 
eventually into the normal 
scalelike foliage. On 
thrifty, fast-growing seed- 
lings normal leaves are 
produced the first year. 
On slower-growing seed- 
lings they do not appear 
