Cupressus funebris Endl.

Tree: evergreen; erect; 35 m maximum height; monoecious. Trunk: 0.6 m maximum diameter. Bark: grey, red, or brown; peeling off in strands, furrowed, or smooth – scaly. Crown: rather open; columnar to narrowly or widely conical (pyramidal). Branches: ascending, horizontal, or drooping. Ultimate branchlets: 0.5–1.5 mm wide; 4–12 mm long; arranged in one plane; flattened in cross-section; without white or glaucous marking.

Leaves: adult and juvenile leaves on adult plants; needle-like (linear: flattened in cross-section), or scaly. Needle leaves: 4–10 mm long; 0.5–1.2 mm wide; arranged oppositely; arranged in 4 rows; spreading; bright – dark green, or green with whitish coating (somewhat bluish); tip acute. Scale leaves: 1–3 mm long; 0.8–1.2 mm wide; arranged oppositely; bright green, or green with coating (somewhat bluish); apically spreading, or closely appressed; two types of leaves (differentiation in lateral and facial leaves = dimorphic); tip acute; with inconspicuous or without glands; without white resin; dorsal side keeled; tip curved out- or inwards. Lateral leaves: 1.2–2 mm long; facial and lateral leaves more or less equal in length; not visibly adjoined (facial leaves are overlapping). Facial leaves: 0.8–1.5 mm long.

Male cones: 3–7 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; solitary; 10–24 male cone scales; 6–12 male cone scale whorls; ovoid, or oblong; yellow or bright brown. Male cone scales: arranged oppositely; 2–6 pollen sacs per male cone scale.

Female cones: 8–15 mm long; 8–13 mm wide; 6–12 cone scales; globose, depressed-globose or 2-lobed; cone-like (open after maturity); woody; not disintegrating after maturity; dark, or bluish; young cones greenish. 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: 2.5–3.5 mm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; 24–40 seeds per cone; red, bright – dark brown, or black; 3–7 seeds per female cone scale; flattened; tubercled; with conspicuous hilum. Seed wings: 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: Asia: Bhutan, China, India, Nepal. IUCN Red List: not listed. Synonyms: Chamaecyparis funebris (Endl) Franco, Cupressus funebris Endl. var. gracilis Carrière, Cupressus pendula Abel. Common names: Weeping Cypress (ENG), Mourning Cypress (ENG), Chinese Weeping Cypress (ENG), Funebral Cypress (ENG), Funereal Cypress (ENG), Funeral Cypress (ENG).