Cupressus macrocarpa Hartw. ex.
Gordon
Tree: evergreen; erect; 25 m maximum
height; monoecious. Trunk: 1.9 m maximum diameter. Bark: white,
grey, red or brown; smooth – scaly, or furrowed. Crown: rather open;
columnar to narrowly or widely conical (pyramidal). Branches: ascending,
horizontal, or drooping. Ultimate branchlets:
1–2 mm wide; 5–20 mm long; arranged 3-dimensionally; in cross-section roundish
or quadrangular.
Leaves: only adult leaves on adult plants;
scaly. Scale leaves: 1–3 mm long; 0.8–2 mm wide; arranged oppositely; bright
– dark green; closely appressed; only one type of
leaves (no differentiation in lateral and facial leaves = monomorphic); tip
blunt; with inconspicuous or without glands; without white resin; dorsal side
rounded; tip curved inwards.
Male cones: 4–6 mm long; 2.5–3 mm
wide; solitary; 6–14 male cone scales; 3–7 male cone scale whorls; oblong;
yellow or bright brown. Male cone scales: arranged oppositely; 6–10
pollen sacs per male cone scale.
Female cones: 20–40 mm long; 20–35 mm
wide; 8–14 cone scales; depressed-globose, 2-lobed, ovoid, or globose;
cone-like (open after maturity); woody; not disintegrating after maturity; reddish,
bright, or dark; 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: 3.5–6 mm long; 3.5–7 mm wide;
110–150 seeds per cone; red, bright – dark brown, or black; 15–25 seeds per
female cone scale; flattened; tubercled; with
conspicuous hilum. Seed wings: 0.8–2 mm wide; 2 (almost) equal wings.
Supplement: maturity in the second
year; 3–5 cotyledones; 22 chromosomes (2n), or 44
chromosomes (4n). Cultivation: cultivated in