Forest trees of the Pacific slope . sionally rootwhere they touch the ground, and are covered with moss or leaf mold. It rarelystands erect with a straight trunk. Trunks usually from 15 to 20 feet high andfrom .3 to 6 inches thick. Often shrub-like. At best, in moist, rich bottoms andmountain flats, from 25 to 30 feet high and from 8 to 10 inches through. Thelargest trunks are slightly seamed near the base, but elsewhere the bark issmooth, thin, and dull grayish brown, tinged with red. The crowns are irregular,open, with slender, crooked or crumpled limbs and twigs. The shapeless form ofthis t
Forest trees of the Pacific slope . sionally rootwhere they touch the ground, and are covered with moss or leaf mold. It rarelystands erect with a straight trunk. Trunks usually from 15 to 20 feet high andfrom .3 to 6 inches thick. Often shrub-like. At best, in moist, rich bottoms andmountain flats, from 25 to 30 feet high and from 8 to 10 inches through. Thelargest trunks are slightly seamed near the base, but elsewhere the bark issmooth, thin, and dull grayish brown, tinged with red. The crowns are irregular,open, with slender, crooked or crumpled limbs and twigs. The shapeless form ofthis tree is probably due to its growth mainly under dense shade, of which it isextremely toleraut, where it can produce only long, weak stems, which, annually 390 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE, bent to the ground by the heavy snows iirevaleut in its range, struggle each yearto grow erect, giving the stems many curious crooks. In the open and on bordersof forests it is apt to be shorter and more erect. Mature leaves (figs. 183, 184),. Fig. 183.—Acer circinatum. rose red when young, are smooth above; minute tufts of hairs only in the anglesof the veins on the paler, lower surfaces; in the fall beautifully colored reddishyellow or bright scarlet. The ripe seeds (fruit) (figs. 183, 184) are light yel- FOBEST TREES OP THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 39] low-browu iu early autumn: earlier the wings are bright rose-red, a short timebefore falhng. Wood very pale brown to almost white, with thick sapwoodvery flne-grained dense, and hard, checking badly in drying. Locally used fo •fuel, for which it is excellent, and for some minor don>estic purposes; of no com-mercial use.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectforestsandforestry
