Cupressus torulosa D. Don

Tree: evergreen; erect; 50 m maximum height; monoecious. Trunk: 3.6 m maximum diameter. Bark: grey, or brown; peeling off in strands. Crown: dense; widely conical (pyramidal). Branches: ascending, or horizontal. Ultimate branchlets: 0.5–1.5 mm wide; 5–60 mm long; arranged in one plane; roundish or quadrangular in cross-section.

 

Leaves: only adult leaves on adult plants; scaly. Scale leaves: 1–2 mm long; 0.5–1 mm wide; arranged oppositely; bright – dark green; closely appressed; only one type of leaves (no differentiation in lateral and facial leaves = monomorphic); tip blunt, or acute; with inconspicuous or without glands; without white resin; dorsal side rounded; tip curved inwards.

 

Male cones: 3–6 mm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; solitary; 12–16 male cone scales; 6–8 male cone scale whorls; globose, or ovoid; yellow or bright brown. Male cone scales: arranged oppositely; 2–6 pollen sacs per male cone scale.

 

Female cones: 13–20 mm long; 10–20 mm wide; 6–12 cone scales; ovoid, or globose; cone-like (open after maturity); woody; not disintegrating after maturity; reddish, or dark; young cones green with bluish coating, greenish, or reddish. 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 dorsal depression, or with small dorsal umbo; umbo more or less in the centre. Columella: absent.

 

Seeds: 3–5 mm long; 3–5 mm wide; 48–80 seeds per cone; red, bright – dark brown, or black; 6–8 seeds per female cone scale; flattened; not tubercled; with, or without conspicuous hilum. Seed wings: 1–2 mm wide; 2 (almost) equal wings.

 

Supplement: maturity in the second year; 2–3 cotyledones; 22 chromosomes (2n). Cultivation: cultivated in Germany; cultivated outdoor in the Ruhr Area (hardiness zone 7); Distribution: Asia: China, India, Nepal. IUCN Red List: not listed. Synonyms: Cupressus doniana hort. ex Hook. f., Cupressus karnaliensis Silba, Cupressus karnaliensis Silba var. mustangensis Silba, Cupressus sempervirens L. var. indica Royle ex Parl., Cupressus tongmaiensis Silba, Cupressus tongmaiensis Silba var. ludlowii Silba, Cupressus tonkinensis Silba, Cupressus whitleyana Carriθre, Cupressus austrotibetica Silba. Common names: Himalayan Cypress (ENG), Himalaya-Zypresse (GER), Twisted Cypress (ENG), Bhutan Cypress (ENG).