De I. VNER VEW D Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope

172 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE.
and less graceful than on young trees. Forest-grown trees carry a short but
otherwise similar crown and have trunks clear of branches for 80 or 100 feet
or more. Like those of the yellow cypress, trunks often have one or two slight
bends and a broad, rapidly contracted base, which is somewhat flattened,
hollowed or slightly fluted in places. The trunk form, however, is round and
full above. The bark bears only a general resemblance to that of yellow
cypress. This resemblance is due to the numerous narrow, diagonal ridges
which connect the larger ridges, as in the yellow cypress. It is conspicuously
thick-6 to 8 inches or more at the base of old trunks-but thinner higher up.
Deep, narrow seams divide an apparently separate outer layer of bark into
narrow, rather loose ridges, which separate into long strips, showing a dark
red-brown underlayer of bark, which is strong and little broken. The color
of the outer bark is similar, but subdued by weathering.
The minute scale-like leaves, on peculiarly fiat sprays (figs. 66, 67), are
soft to the touch, in strong contrast with the prickly feeling of yellow cypress
leaves, and their points are shorter and blunter than those of yellow cypress.
The leaves are closely pressed to the twigs, except on young trees and on main
branchlets. The small berry-like cones (fig. 67) mature in one season, in the
latter part of September or early in October. They are clear, dark russetbrown
when they open in October. Some of them remain on the tree until
the following spring. Two (occasionally 1) to 4 pale reddish brown seeds
(fig. 67, b, c) are borne under each perfect cone-scale. The seeds have little
buoyancy and are carried by the wind but a short distance from the mother
tree. Seed-leaves are 2 and opposite, about three-eighths of an inch long,
flat, one-sixteenth of an inch wide, pointed, and spreading. The succeeding
leaves of the young seedling are similar, but narrower and sharper, and stand
out from the slender stem at regular intervals. During the first or second
season shorter, closely pressed, scale-like leaves appear on tiny branchlets,
followed shortly by foliage of adult form.
Wood somewhat lighter than yellow cypress wood, very fine-grained, and
faint yellowish white, with the slightest tinge of red. The wood has a most
distinct, though faint, rose-aromatic odor, strong in green wood and fainter in
seasoned wood and due to a resin.a It is rather hard and firm wood, works
as easily as the choicest pine, and is very durable, without protection, under
all sorts of exposure. In spite of its commercial excellence, the supply is so
limited that it can hardly last long or find use outside of a restricted region.
Owing to the large clear sizes obtainable, it furnishes the best of saw-timber
and is a forest tree of the first importance.
LONGEVITY.-Few age determinations have been made of this tree, which is
undoubtedly long-lived. Trees from 16 to 20 inches in diameter are from 186
to 225 years old. The largest trees would very probably be at least 500 or 600
years old.
RANGE.
Coast of southwestern Oregon from Coos Bay southward, within fog belt, to Mad
River (near Humboldt Bay), Humboldt County, Cal., extending from within a few miles
of sea to from 10 to 40 miles inland and reaching 5,000 feet elevation on seaward slopes
of Coast Range. Noted at Crescent City, Cal., and in Humboldt County, on west side
of Hoopa Valley, on Wilson Creek slope; on trail between Hoopa Valley and Arcata,
about 4 miles west of Hoopa, at 1,800 feet; farther west, in damp gulch between Redwood
Creek and Blue Lake. A few outlying stations occur farther inland, as In Siski-
d Continued inhaling of the odor from freshly cut timber produces an aggravated diuretic
effect upon the system.