FAMILIES OF PLANTS 
23 
cones are small and often remain on the tree for many years. For¬ 
merly extensively used by the Indians for tepee poles and now often 
utilized for fence posts, telephone poles, and railroad ties. 
Engelmann spruce ( Picea engelmannii) .—This is the only kind of 
spruce in the park and is readily recognized by the harsh, sharp- 
pointed leaves which are scattered, one in a place, and are four¬ 
angled, almost square in cross section. The cones are more or less 
oval in shape and about 2 inches long. 
Alpine fir ( Abies Jasiocarpa) .—This is the only kind of tree in the 
park that bears its cones upright like so many candles. The leaves 
Figure 5a.—Limber pine. Photograph by George Grant, National Park Service. 
are scattered like those of the spruce, but they are soft and flat. This 
is a timberline tree and is found in many places in the higher parts 
of the park. It extends down to about 7,000 feet. 
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia) .—This is one of the most valu¬ 
able lumber trees in the world. The leaves are similar to those of 
the alpine fir, but the cones are pendulous and very distinctive. 
Three-toothed bracts protrude from between the scales and give the 
cones a fringed appearance. This tree is common at Mammoth and 
Tower Falls, but is not commonly found in the higher parts of the 
park. 
