Forest Hill! (forming quite a large woods there). Rancheria Creek! Mendocino County. East of Salinas River, Monterey County. Dr. Canfield. East of San Diego!!
On the banks of Rancheria Creek, in the south-western part of Mendocino County, I found a small colony of this handsome tree. The largest were about forty to sixty feet high and two to three feet in diameter. Judging from the young after-growth, the tree seems likely to spread. I was informed that this is the only place in the county where it is to be found. In the latter part of September (1865) the tree had its aments strongly developed. Cones decidedly pendulous.
9. Cupressus macrocarpa, Hartw. (Monterey Cypress.)
Monterey! Tamal Pais (2,700 feet)! Mendocino City! and south-east of Clear Lake!
This species seems to be extremely variable. At Monterey, about two miles from the coast, I saw, upon exposed granite rocks, but slightly disintegrated, specimens only six inches high, bearing perfect cones. Going westward, at the same distance from the ocean, I found specimens in a depression associated with Pinus muricata, from ten to fifteen feet high, full with cones; and extending my walk to Cypress Point, a distance of three to four miles, I was surprised to find a large grove of this species, containing mostly large trees of great beauty and perfection. The average height may be from forty to sixty feet, and as they were (right at the point) almost all alike in thickness, I measured but three, finding their circumference to be one hundred and nineteen, one hundred and four, and one hundred and twenty inches, about four feet above the ground. At this point these trees are almost daily enveloped in a dense fog. Their branches are very densely imbricated and depressed, retaining the moisture to such an extent that the thick clusters of cones are quite mouldy. Between the cones and little dense branchlets settles a great deal of rubbish, which is almost dripping wet. It is undoubtedly owing to this very fact that so many seeds of this species, collected there, prove abortive.
Seeing so great a variation at Monterey, I do not hesitate to refer all specimens, seen at the other localities mentioned above, to this species at present.
On the plain near Mendocino City, that species exhibited about the same gradations, although not so strikingly as at Monterey.
10. Torreya Californica, Torr. (California Nutmeg.)
Paper Mill! Marin County. Ukiah! Mendocino City! Forest Hill!