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

FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 189
the first of September of the second year, are in sharp contrast with the bluish
black, white-coated fruit of western juniper. The loose, exceedingly thin, papery
skin of the fruit, though covered with a white bloom like that of the
western juniper, is readily distinguished from the tough, thick covering of the
"berries " of the latter tree. The berries are smooth except at the top end,
where the tips of the female flower scales project slightly. The dry, mealy
pulp, sweet and somewhat fibrous, is without resin-cells, which are a prominent
feature of the other juniper's fruit. Seeds, from 1 to 2, are more or less
angular and often irregularly grooved and ridged (fig. 74, a), but lacking the
minute pits of western juniper. The minute, scale-like leaves have a glandular
pit on their back and are arranged 3 in a group on the roundish stout twigs
(fig. 74). The leaves of young, thrifty shoots and young seedlings, very keenly
pointed and spreading, are distinctly whitened on their top side. The 4, 5, or
6 seed-leaves common to this juniper distinguish it from western juniper,
which has only 2 seed-leaves. They are bristle-like, sharp-pointed, and rather
rigid. The later growth of the seedling and the form and arrangement of its
leaves are as described for the western juniper. Wood, hardly to be distinguished
from that of western juniper. Economically, its field of usefulness is
practically the same, while as a forest tree it merits special attention for its
remarkable ability to thrive on low, desert slopes and plains, where, with little
else but yuccas, pifion, and Sabine pines, it helps to form the only tree growth.
LONGEVITY.-No records of its age are available. It is believed, however,
that it attains an age of about 200 or 250 years. A thorough study of its
longevity is required.
RANGE.
Central California to northern Lower California. Inner California coast ranges southward
from lower Sacramento River Valley to Tehachapi Mountains; thence up western
foothills of Sierras a short distance northward to Kern River Valley, and eastward
through southern coast mountains to their desert slopes; southward to Cuyamaca Mountains,
and into northern Lower California; generally at 2,000 to 4,000 feet elevation.
CALIFORNIA.-North limit in Sacramento Valley unknown, but reported in Glenn
County (Stony Creek National Forest) on east slope of inner Coast Range along foothills
up to 4,000 feet; probably extends into Lake County. Locally noted on St. Johns and
Snow mountains and Copper Buttes, at 4,000 feet; Elk Creek foothills (northwest Colusa
County) from Sites to Stony Ford, and west of Fout Springs (base of Snow Mountain)
northward into Glenn County. Much more abundant south of San Francisco Bay
throughout coast ranges from Moraga Pass and Monte Diablo southward. Locally noted
as follows: San Benito County: On divide between Topa Valley and San Benito, at Hernandez
southward and eastward to New Idria Mine; Fresno County: Mountains of southwestern
boundary between Coalinga and Priest Valley; hills about Priest Valley (Monterey
County). San Louis Obispo County: On hills west of Carrizo Plain and along San
Juan Creek; Santa Barbara National Forest, in Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara,
Matilija, Piru-Sespe, Newhall, and Elizabeth river basins; most abundant on
desert (north) slopes, where, with pifion pine, it forms a belt around base and lower
ridges of mountains up to 5,000 feet. Occurs similarly in canyons of Tehachapi Mountains,
as in Tejon Canyon. Northward sparingly in chaparral and oak belts of Sierras to
Kern River Valley, where its northern limit is the vicinity of Kernville, or possibly Trout
Meadow, just south of Kern Lakes, on Kern River; southward on South Fork of Kern
River from point 7 miles south of Monacrne Meadow down to region of Walker Pass, at
elevations between 2,500 and about 5,100 feet. Reported in the Sabine pine belt of
western Sierras foothills in Mariposa County, at point about 3 miles north of Coulteryille
at top of Merced River Canyon along road from Coulterville to Mariposa, and near
mouth of Colton Creek. Locally noted on west slope of Piute Mountain just south of
Kern River gap, at 3,000 to 4,000 feet; at Havilah on Clear Creek (6 miles south of
Palmer Ranch) ; Caliente Creek to Piute post-office, at 2,000 to 5,000 feet; Walker
Basin. More abundant on desert slopes of San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains,
here, with pifion pine, forming a belt around base of mountains at 3,500 to 4,000 feet
elevation, extending down among tree yuccas of Mohave Desert, and southward to San
Gorgonio Pass (south of San Bernardino Mountains). On north slope of Sierra Liebre
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