Cupressus chengiana S. Y. Hu var. jiangensis (N. Zhao) Silba

Tree: evergreen; erect; 27 m maximum height; monoecious. Trunk: 1 m maximum diameter. Bark: grey, red, or brown; peeling off in strands, or furrowed. Crown: dense; columnar to narrowly or widely conical (pyramidal). Branches: ascending. Ultimate branchlets: 1.1–2 mm wide; arranged 3-dimensionally, or in one plane; roundish in cross-section.

 

Leaves: only adult leaves on adult plants; scaly. Scale leaves: 1–1.5 mm long; 0.5–1.5 mm wide; arranged oppositely; medium – dark green, or green with coating (somewhat bluish); closely appressed; only one type of leaves (no differentiation in lateral and facial leaves = monomorphic); tip blunt; with conspicuous, inconspicuous, or without glands; without white resin; dorsal side rounded or keeled; tip curved inwards.

 

Male cones: 2–4 mm long; solitary; 12–16 male cone scales; 6–8 male cone scale whorls; oblong; yellow or bright brown. Male cone scales: arranged oppositely; 2–6 pollen sacs per male cone scale.

 

Female cones: 10–12 mm long; 5–10 mm wide; 12 cone scales; depressed-globose, 2-lobed, globose, ovoid, or oblong; cone-like (open after maturity); woody; not disintegrating after maturity; reddish, or dark; young cones 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 near the tip. Columella: absent.

 

Seeds: 3–5 mm long; 2–4 mm wide; 10–240 seeds per cone; bright – middle brown; 6–20 seeds per female cone scale; flattened. Seed wings: 1–2 mm wide; 2 (almost) equal wings.

 

Supplement: maturity in the second year; 2 cotyledones; 22 chromosomes (2n). Cultivation: not cultivated in Germany. Distribution: Asia: China. IUCN Red List: endangered. Synonyms: Cupressus jiangensis N. Zhao [1980]. Common names: Jiange Cypress (ENG), Pine Cypress (ENG), Cheng Cypress (ENG).