Cupressus arizonica Greene var. montana (Wiggins) Little

Tree: evergreen; erect; 21.3 m maximum height; monoecious. Trunk: 1.15 m maximum diameter. Bark: grey, brown, or red; furrowed. Crown: dense; columnar to narrowly or widely conical (pyramidal). Branches: ascending, or horizontal. Ultimate branchlets: 1–2.1 mm wide; 8–20 mm long; arranged 3-dimensionally; roundish or quadrangular in cross-section.

 

Leaves: only adult leaves on adult plants; scaly. Scale leaves: 1.5–2.5 mm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; arranged oppositely; bright – dark green, or green with coating (somewhat bluish); apically spreading, or closely appressed; only one type of leaves (no differentiation in lateral and facial leaves = monomorphic); tip acute; with conspicuous white resin, or glands; dorsal side keeled; tip curved out- or inwards.

 

Male cones: 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; solitary; 8–14 male cone scales; 4–7 male cone scale whorls; oblong; yellow or bright brown. Male cone scales: arranged oppositely; 4–6 pollen sacs per male cone scale.

 

Female cones: 20–30 mm long; 15–20 mm wide; 8–12 cone scales; ovoid, globose, depressed-globose or 2-lobed; cone-like (open after maturity); woody; not disintegrating after maturity; bright; young cones greenish or green with bluish coating. Female cone scales: arranged oppositely; inserted on different levels in mature cones; without several small additional cone scales on the female cone; tip blunt; with small dorsal umbo; umbo more or less in the centre. Columella: absent.

 

Seeds: 3–4 mm long; 2.5–4 mm wide; 60–70 seeds per cone; bright – middle brown; 8–10 seeds per female cone scale; flattened; tubercled; with, or without conspicuous hilum. Seed wings: 0.8–1.2 mm wide; 2 (almost) equal wings.

 

Supplement: maturity in the second year; 3–5 cotyledones; 22 chromosomes (2n). Cultivation: cultivated in Germany; cultivated in greenhouse in the Ruhr Area (hardiness zone 7); Distribution: North America: Mexico, USA. IUCN Red List: vulnerable. Synonym: Cupressus montana Wiggins [1933]. Common names: San Pedro Martir Cypress (ENG), Arizona Cypress (ENG).