Cupressus sempervirens L.
Tree: evergreen; erect; 45.7 m maximum
height; monoecious. Trunk: 0.95 m maximum diameter. Bark: brown,
or grey; furrowed, or smooth – scaly. Crown: dense; columnar to narrowly
or widely conical (pyramidal). Branches: ascending, or horizontal. Ultimate
branchlets: 0.8–1.5 mm wide; 5–30 mm long;
arranged 3-dimensionally; roundish or quadrangular in cross-section.
Leaves: only adult leaves on adult plants;
scaly. Scale leaves: 0.8–1.5 mm long; 0.5–1.2 mm wide; arranged
oppositely; medium – 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: 2.5–7 mm long; 1.5–2 mm
wide; solitary; 12–22 male cone scales; 6–11 male cone scale whorls; oblong;
yellow or bright brown. Male cone scales: arranged oppositely; 2–6
pollen sacs per male cone scale.
Female cones: 20–35 mm long; 20–30 mm
wide; 6–14 cone scales; ovoid, oblong, or globose; cone-like (open after
maturity); woody; not disintegrating after maturity; 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: 3–7 mm long; 2–6 mm wide; 64–240 seeds
per cone; bright brown – black; 8–22 seeds per female cone scale; flattened;
not tubercled; with conspicuous hilum. Seed wings:
0–1 mm wide; 2 (almost) equal wings.
Supplement: maturity in the second
year; 2 cotyledones; 22 chromosomes (2n). Cultivation:
cultivated in