Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Torreya californica
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| Califoria nutmeg in Yosemite Valley. Image by Charles Webber © 1998 California Academy of Sciences. |
Introductory
SPECIES: Torreya californica
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION:
Howard, Janet L. 1992. Torreya californica. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/torcal/all.html [].
Updates: On 01 Janurary 2018, the common name of this species was changed in FEIS from: California torreya
to: California nutmeg. Pictures were also added.
ABBREVIATION:
TORCAL
SYNONYMS:
Tumion californicum (Torr.) Greene
SCS PLANT CODE:
TOCA
COMMON NAMES:
California nutmeg
California torreya
stinking cedar
stinking nutmeg
stinking yew
TAXONOMY:
The currently accepted scientific name of California nutmeg is Torreya
californica Torr.; it is in the yew family (Taxaceae) [12,16]. There
are no subspecies, varieties, or forms [3].
LIFE FORM:
Tree
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:
No special status
OTHER STATUS:
NO-ENTRY
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Torreya californica
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:
California nutmeg is endemic to California. Its range has two distinct
parts: one in the Coast Ranges and one in the Cascade-Sierra Nevada
foothills. In the Coast Ranges, it is distributed from southwest
Trinity County south to Monterey County. In the Cascade-Sierra Nevada
foothills, it is distributed from Shasta County south to Tulare County
[8]. Although not rare, it is not an abundant species. Local
occurrence is widely scattered throughout its range [3], and trees are
often infrequent in these localities [8].
 |
| Distribution of California nutmeg. Map from USGS: 1971 USDA, Forest Service map provided by Thompson and others [30]. |
ECOSYSTEMS:
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES24 Hemlock - Sitka spruce
FRES27 Redwood
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
STATES:
CA
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS:
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:
K001 Spruce - cedar - hemlock forest
K005 Mixed conifer forest
K006 Redwood forest
K007 Red fir forest
K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K025 Alder - ash forest
K029 California mixed evergreen forest
K030 California oakwoods
K033 Chaparral
SAF COVER TYPES:
207 Red fir
213 Grand fir
221 Red alder
224 Western hemlock
229 Pacific Douglas-fir
230 Douglas-fir - western hemlock
232 Redwood
234 Douglas-fir - tanoak - Pacific madrone
243 Sierra Nevada mixed conifer
244 Pacific ponderosa pine - Douglas-fir
245 Pacific ponderosa pine
246 California black oak
249 Canyon live oak
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES:
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES:
California nutmeg is plastic is its habitat requirements, and occurs in
many diverse plant communities. In the Coast Ranges, it grows in
chaparral and various coastal forests such as redwood (Sequoia
sempervirens). It is associated with canyon live oak (Quercus
chrysolepis) and California bay (Umbellularia californica) woodlands in
both coastal and inland foothill regions [10]. Inland populations are
most commonly found in the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) belt [3,8].
It is rare in chaparral communities of the Cascade-Sierra Nevada. It is
not a dominant or indicator species in community or vegetation typings.
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Torreya californica
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE:
Commercial harvesting of California nutmeg is almost nonexistent due to
scant availability. It was logged on a limited basis in the past,
especially where growing in association with redwood, but was never an
important timber species. The fine-grained yellow-brown wood is,
however, highly attractive and of good quality. It is strong and
elastic, smooth in texture, polishes well, and emits a fragrance similar
to that of sandalwood [3]. It is highly durable. Trees cut over 100
years ago have been found lying on the ground with little rot [17]. The
wood was historically used for making cabinets, wooden turnware, and
novelty items; and for fuel and fenceposts [3].
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:
Various animals eat California nutmeg seeds [21].
PALATABILITY:
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE:
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:
California nutmeg provides watershed protection and increases wildlife
habitat diversity [3,21]. Sites where it has been eliminated or reduced
in numbers would benefit from repopulation. Historical records of such
sites are sparse, but a few are known. Logging during the early 1900's
eliminated California nutmeg from the Vaca Mountains of Napa and Solano
counties, and considerably reduced populations in the Santa Cruz
Mountains and lower Russian River area of Sonoma County [3]].
OTHER USES AND VALUES:
California nutmeg is sometimes planted as an ornamental, but the
disagreeable odor of the needles detracts from its desirability. The
seed oil has potential use in cooking, being similar in quality to olive
and pine-nut oils. Seeds of a related Asian species, Torreya nucifera,
are harvested in Japan for rendering into high-quality cooking oil.
California nutmeg seeds are edible, reportedly tasting somewhat like
peanuts [4].
The seeds were a highly esteemed food of California Indians. In
addition, Indians used the tree roots for making baskets [4], and the
wood for making bows [18].
Unlike Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia), a related species, California
nutmeg is not harvested as a source of taxol [1] because it produces
taxol in only extremely small quantities. It is used as a control,
however, when testing other species with potential for taxol production
[22].
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
If thinning of California nutmeg stands is necessary, care should be
taken to preserve both male and female trees as near to each other as
possible in order to facilitate natural regeneration [24]. Favorable
sites for potential natural regeneration such as canyon bottoms and
lowland flats are unlikely to support seedlings if there is heavy
logging or other disturbance above catchment areas [3].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Torreya californica
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
California nutmeg is a dioecious native evergreen tree, typically from
16.5 to 90 feet (5-30 m) tall and 8 to 20 inches (20-51 cm) in diameter
[16,21]. A record tree growing near Fort Bragg measured 141 feet (43 m)
in height and 14.8 feet (4.5 m) in d.b.h. until cut by timber thieves
[17]. The crown is pyramidal to irregular in shape [10,19]. Needles
persist for many years. The bark is thin, from 0.3 to 0.5 inch (0.8-1.3
cm) on mature trees [19]. Roots are described as "deep" [14]. The
large, heavy seeds are from 1 to 1.4 inches (2.5-3.0 cm) long, enveloped
by a drupelike aril [16,21].
 |
| CAlifornia nutmeg arils. Image by Robert Potts © 2001 California Academy of Sciences. |
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM:
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES:
Male California nutmeg bear their microsporophylls within strobili. In
contrast, the ovules of female trees are not contained within strobili
but are solitary [16]. Male strobili begin growth the year prior to
flowering, while females trees develop ovules in one growing season
[21]. Torreyas are wind pollinated [16]. Male trees must normally be
within 75 to 90 feet (23-27 m) of female trees in order to effect
pollination [24]. Seed production is erratic. Good seed crops may be
followed by crop failure the following year [10]. Seeds mature in 2
years [19]. Being heavy, seeds usually fall near the parent plant; wind
dissemination is rare [17]. Seed predation by Steller's and scrub jay
is high [10]. Seeds require a 9- to 12-month stratification period
before germination [21]. In one study, seeds stratified for 3 months
before planting took an additional 9 months to germinate under
greenhouse conditions. Ninety-two percent of seedlings germinated at
that time. [15]. Temperature regimes during the stratification period
were not noted. Seeds sometimes germinate without stratification but do
so slowly [21].
Growth of trees in the understory is slow [10]. Sudworth [24] reported
trees from 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm) in diameter were 60 to 110 years of
age, while those from 12 to 18 inches (30-46 cm) in diameter were 170 to
265 years old. The growth rate needs further study, however, as rates
of over 1 foot (30 cm) per year have been reported in cultivars [3].
Preliminary data obtained from tree-ring counts of saplings on the El
Dorado National Forest shows some trees attained heights of 4.8 feet
(1.5 m) in 28 years [10].
California nutmeg sprouts from the roots, root crown, and bole
following damage to aboveground portions of the tree [3,10,19]. Some
nutmegs reproduce by layering [21], but the layering capacity of
California nutmeg is unknown.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS:
California nutmeg grows in diverse sites such as streambanks, shaded
slopes, hot dry canyons, canyon floors, and lowland flats [3]. Best
growth occurs on moist sites. Trees in Colusa County grow in serpentine
soil [8].
The climate is mediterranean, characterized by hot, dry summers and
cool, wet winters. Summer climate is moderated in the outer Coast
Ranges by cool marine air and fog [29].
California nutmeg grows at elevations from 3,000 to 7,000 feet
(914-2,134 m) [16].
Plant associations: Common overstory associates not listed under
Distribution and Occurrence include tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflora),
Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), California bay (Umbellularia
californica), bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), white alder (Alnus
rhombifolia), and bishop pine (Pinus muricata). Understory associates
include cascara (Rhamnus purshiana), ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.),
manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron
macrophyllum), California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), California red
huckleberry (V. parvifolium), and Pacific bayberry (Myrica californica)
[12,28].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:
California nutmeg is very shade tolerant [9] and is found in late seral
and climax communities [3]. Following disturbance such as fire or
logging, sprouts growing from surviving perennating buds appear in
initial communities [10].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Stamens and arils are produced from March through May [16,21]. Seeds
ripen from August until October and are released from September through
November [15,21,27].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Torreya californica
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:
California nutmeg sprouts from the roots, root crown, and bole
following top-kill by fire [5,10,19].
FIRE REGIMES:
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY:
Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/root sucker
Geophyte, growing points deep in soil
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Torreya californica
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT:
Fire usually top-kills all size classes of this thin-barked species. A
few large trees have survived fire but were badly scarred [10].
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE:
California nutmeg sprouts from the roots, root crown, and bole
following fire [5,10,19]. Rate of recovery is not recorded in the literature.
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
NO-ENTRY
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Torreya californica
REFERENCES:
1. Bailey, C. D. pers. comm. 1992
2. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
[434]
3. Burke, J. G. 1975. Human use of the California nutmeg tree, Torreya
californica, and other members of the genus. Economic Botany. 29:
127-139. [19267]
4. Chestnut, V. K. 1900. Plants used by the Indians of Mendocino Co.,
California. Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herberium. 7(1): 305-306. [19268]
5. Conard, S. G. pers. comm. 1992
6. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
7. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
8. Griffin, James R.; Critchfield, William B. 1972. The distribution of
forest trees in California. Res. Pap. PSW-82. Berkeley, CA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and
Range Experiment Station. 118 p. [1041]
9. Hamilton, Ronald C. 1991. Single-tree selection method: An uneven-aged
silviculture system. In: Genetics/silviculture workshop proceedings;
1990 August 27-31; Wenatchee, WA. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Timber Management Staff: 46-84. [16562]
10. Hunter, J. pers. comm. 1992
11. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
12. Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native
and naturalized). Agric. Handb. 541. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 375 p. [2952]
13. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession
following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall
Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council
fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No.
14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373. [1496]
14. Maino, E.; Howard, F. 1955. Ornamental trees. Berkeley, CA: University
of California Press. [19271]
15. Mirov, N. T.; Kraebel, C. J. 1937. Collecting and propagating the seeds
of California wild plants. Res. Note No. 18. Berkeley, CA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, California Forest and Range
Experiment Station. 27 p. [9787]
16. Munz, Philip A. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press. 1905 p. [6155]
17. Murray, M. D. 1985. The California nutmeg. American Forests. 91: 40-51.
[19266]
18. Peattie, D. C. 1953. A natural history of western trees. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin Co. 751 p. [19269]
19. Preston, Richard J., Jr. 1948. North American trees. Ames, IA: The Iowa
State College Press. 371 p. [1913]
20. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
21. Roy, Douglass F. 1974. Torreya Arn. Torreya. In: Schopmeyer, C. S.,
ed. Seeds of woody plants in the United States. Agriculture Handbook No.
450. Washington: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service:
815-816. [7768]
22. Snader, K. pers. comm. 1992
23. Stalter, Richard. 1990. Torreya taxifolia Arn. Florida torreya. In:
Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., technical coordinators. Silvics
of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agric. Handb. 654. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 601-603. [13420]
24. Sudworth, G. B. 1908. Forest trees of the Pacific Slope. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 441 p. [19270]
25. Trush, William J.; Connor, Edward C.; Knight, Allen W. 1989. Alder
establishment and channel dynamics in a tributary of the South Fork Eel
River, Mendocino County, California. In: Abell, Dana L., technical
coordinator. Proceedings of the California riparian systems conference:
Protection, management, and restoration for the 1990's; 1988 September
22-24; Davis, CA. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-110. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range
Experiment Station: 14-21. [13509]
26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573]
27. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States,
their erosion-control and wildlife values. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]
28. Westman, W. E.; Whittaker, R. H. 1975. The pygmy forest region of
northern California: studies on biomass and primary productivity.
Journal of Ecology. 63: 493-520. [8186]
29. Zinke, Paul J. 1977. The redwood forest and associated north coast
forests. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Major, Jack, eds. Terrestrial
vegetation of California. New York: John Wiley and Sons: 679-698.
[7212]
30. Thompson, Robert S.; Anderson, Katherine H.; Bartlein, Patrick J. 1999.
Digital representations of tree species range maps from "Atlas of United
States trees" by Elbert L. Little, Jr. (and other publications), [Online].
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important trees and shrubs in North America. Denver, CO: U.S. Geological
Survey, Information Services (Producer). Available: esp.cr.usgs.gov/data/little/
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FEIS Home Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/torcal/all.html
