Fitzroya cupressoides (Molina) I. M. Johnst.

Shrub, or tree: evergreen; erect; 48.8 m maximum height; monoecious, or dioecious. Trunk: 9.2 m maximum diameter. Bark: red, or brown; peeling off in strands, or furrowed. Crown: dense, or rather open; widely conical (pyramidal). Branches: horizontal, or drooping. Ultimate branchlets: arranged 3-dimensionally; triangular or roundish in cross-section.

 

Leaves: only adult leaves on adult plants; needle-like (linear: flattened in cross-section). Needle leaves: 1–5 mm long; 1–2 mm wide; arranged in whorls of 3; slightly spreading, or spreading; dark green, or green with whitish coating (somewhat bluish); tip blunt, or acute; with two white stripes.

 

Male cones: 4–6 mm long; solitary; 15–24 male cone scales; 5–8 male cone scale whorls; oblong; yellow or bright brown. Male cone scales: arranged in whorls of 3; 4–7 pollen sacs per male cone scale.

 

Female cones: 3–9 mm long; 6–15 mm wide; 4–9 cone scales; globose, depressed-globose or 2-lobed; cone-like (open after maturity); woody; not disintegrating after maturity; bright; young cones greenish. Female cone scales: arranged oppositely or in whorls of 3; inserted at the same level 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, or near the tip. Columella: 2–6 mm long; apart (2-/3-/4-lobed, 2-/3-/4-partite).

 

Seeds: 1–5 mm long; 1–5 mm wide; 6–25 seeds per cone; red, or bright – middle brown; 1–6 seed(s) per female cone scale; flattened. Seed wings: 0.5–2 mm wide; 3, or 2 (almost) equal wings.

 

Supplement: maturity in the first year; 2–8 cotyledones; 11 chromosomes (1n). Cultivation: cultivated in Germany; cultivated outdoor in the Ruhr Area (hardiness zone 7); Distribution: South America: Argentina, Chile. IUCN Red List: rare. Synonyms: Abies cupressoides (Molina) Poir., Cupresstellata patagonica (Hook. f.) J. Nelson, Fitzroya patagonica Hook. f. ex Lindl., Libocedrus tetragona (Hook.) Endl., Pinus cupressoides Molina [1782], Thuja tetragona Hook. Common names: Alerce (GER), Alerce (SPA), Patagonische Zypresse (GER).