Comments

A visit to see California's conifers is well worthwhile (its only other gymnosperms, several species of Ephedra, are of more arcane interest). The state is home to 58 gymnosperm species, including the largest (Sequoiadendron giganteum), tallest (Sequoia sempervirens) and oldest (Pinus longaeva) known trees. California is the center of diversity for Cupressus (10 taxa, mostly endemic except for a little sprawl into southern Oregon and northern Baja). It has one of the rarest firs (Abies bracteata) and spruces (Picea breweriana). There are also a remarkable 20 species of pines, including the largest (Pinus lambertiana) and two of the rarest (Pinus radiata and P. torreyana) species. The state is second only to New Caledonia in conifer endemism,having 17 endemic species. Several other species are found only in immediately adjacent parts of Oregon, Nevada or Baja California Norte, and there are also several endemic varieties of species having a larger distribution.

Citations

• Arno & Gyer 1973 (Lovely woodcuts by Jane Gyer).
• Muir 1894 (Chapter 8 is a superbly written piece on all of the big conifers of the Sierra Nevada).
• 'The Conifers of California" by Ronald M. Lanner (1999), an exceptionally well-written and -illustrated work.
• A forthcoming (late 2000?) book on Forest Giants of Western North America by Robert Van Pelt, which will have fine drawings of many individual very large trees (see Sequoia sempervirens for an example).

Species List

This page is from the Gymnosperm Database
URL: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/2285/topics/caltrees.htm
Edited by Christopher J. Earle
E-mail:earlecj@earthlink.net
Last modified on 19-Jan-2000