![]() ![]() They’re unusually tall and long-lived for a cypress, often with descending branches and fibrous reddish-brown to grayish-brown bark. Nootka Cypress has undergone several genera changes, including its own genus Callitropsis, but was referred back to Cupressus by plant authorities who still accept both names. Native Area: Narrow micro endemic of Monterey County, CaliforniaĪverage Size at Maturity: 1 – 33 ft (to 164 ft), 1 – 12 ft spread It can be differentiated from the Monterey Cypress, which is another narrow endemic from the same region, by its smaller size, shorter scale-like leaves, and smaller seed cones with 3 – 5 scales instead of 6 – 14. Identifying Features: Gowan Cypress is a shrub or small tree with grayish fibrous bark and scale-like leaves on twigs arranged at right angles (decussate), with ultimate twigs slender (1 mm) and four-sided, plus grayish-brown 0.4 – 1” roundish seed cones with 3 – 5 pairs of scales with umbos that are nearly flat when mature. ![]() One of its botanical varieties is Critically Endangered, with less than 300 surviving individuals. In its native habitat, it is Endangered, with only 2300 specimens left in the wild. Seed cones are grayish-brown, not glaucous, rounded, 0.4 – 1” long, with 3 – 5 pairs of scales with an umbo that is nearly flat, and each fertile scale has numerous small seeds. ![]() Leaves are scale-like, green, not glaucous, without conspicuous glands, and have acute tips. Twigs are arranged at right angles to each other (decussate), they’re cylindrical but the ultimate ones become four-sided and slender (1 mm). It has an open to dense rounded to columnar crown and smooth gray bark becoming rough and fibrous with age. They’re shrubs or small trees whose height varies considerably with environmental conditions. Gowan Cypress has been reclassified as Hesperocyparis goveniana, but, for extra confusion, plant authorities still list both names as accepted. In that case, you will need to rely on cones or other features to assist in their identification. On Western Red Cedar, however, you can see visible bands of stomata on the lower side of the leaves in the shape of little butterflies.Īnd to complicate it further, some cypress (of the Chamaecyparis genus) have butterfly-like bands similar to Thuja. Western Red Cedar looks very similar to cypress trees with their flattened sprays of scale-like leaves. Some cypresses have stomatal bands in characteristic shapes, like an ‘X’ or a ‘Y’ on their lower sides. They tend to have low-density inconspicuous stomata as an adaptation to prevent water loss, having evolved more in warm temperate and Mediterranean climates than the cool climates of other conifers. ![]() Many cypress trees have no visible stomatal lines on their leaves. These pores are often coated with wax, and in many conifer trees, these produce visible lines or bands of multiple thin lines that can be used to help identify them at both the genus and the species level. Stomata are small pores or openings in the leaf surfaces that allow for gas exchange with the atmosphere, which is necessary for photosynthesis. Rarely, some cypress trees (of the Chamaecyparis genus) also have butterfly-shaped stomatal bands, in which case the egg-shaped hooked seed cones (see cones below) in clusters in the Thuja genus can usually differentiate the two. They can often be differentiated by the fact that Thuja typically has visible whitish bands of stomata on the lower side, usually in the shape of a butterfly, while cypress trees often have no visible bands, or they have ‘X’ or ‘Y’ shaped bands (see stomata below). When similar-looking, junipers can be distinguished by their berry-like seed cones (see cones below).Ĭypress trees are often confused with the related North American false cedars ( Thuja spp) that have very similar scale-like leaves in flattened shoots. Some junipers have awl-shaped leaves that are easier to distinguish from cypress, while others have scale-like leaves that tend to be four-ranked, look quite similar, or may appear more delicate and intricate-looking. The closely related juniper trees have variable leaves. Identifying Cypress From Other Trees With Scale-Like Leaves ![]()
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