Tear cypress
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Teardrop cypress ( Cupressus pendula ) |
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| Cupressus pendula | ||||||||||||
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The tears cypress ( Cupressus pendula , syn .: Cupressus funebris , Chamaecyparis funebris ) is an evergreen tree from the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ).
description
Habitus
The straight-stemmed trees reach heights of growth of 12 to 20 meters, in exceptional cases up to 30 meters, and chest height diameters of 60 to 70 centimeters. The crown consists of clearly drooping branches. Young trees have a narrow and conically pointed crown. As it ages, it widens and takes on a compact pyramid shape. Old trees have a flattened to flat crown. The branches are wide. The branches are first upright on the branches before they bend down. The numerous thin branches branch out on the same level. This gives the teardrop cypress a Thujen- like appearance.
Foliage
The teardrop cypress has different types of leaves . At the branch tips are 3 to 4 millimeters long, opposite leaves. The bases lie on the branch axis. The blunt leaf tips stick out. On the branches themselves there are about 1 millimeter long leaves that are arranged crosswise against each other. They overlap like roof tiles and the sharp points stick out. While the oval and flat-lying flat leaves often have a gland, the folded-back edge leaves are glandless. Seedlings form 0.5 to 1.0 centimeter long, pointed, needle-like primary leaves that protrude vertically from the shoot axis. They remain on the tree for several months. The smell of the leaves is similar to that of the Sade tree ( Juniperus sabina ).
Flowers, cones and seeds
The teardrop cypress is single-sexed ( monoecious ). The egg-shaped male cones are formed in large numbers. They are between 2 and 4 millimeters long and consist of 6 to 8 pairs of triangular scales, each with 4 to 5 pollen sacs. The spherical pollen is released towards the end of the winter half-year. The rounded female cones are terminally on short and straight branches. They reach a diameter of about 2 millimeters and are purple in color. They have 2 to 5 ovules per scale. The cones are initially blue-green and turn brown as they ripen. They stand individually or in groups. They reach a diameter of 10 to 20 millimeters and consist of 6 to 8 square or pentagonal, flat scales. There are 2 to 5 winged seeds at the base of each scale. The red-brown seeds are round and 3 to 3.5 millimeters long. The thousand grain weight is around 4 grams.
Wood and bark
Young trees have a fibrous, brown bark that later tears more and more into short, uneven, yellow-brown strips. The annual rings are difficult to see in fine-grained wood .
Chromosome number
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 22.
Distribution and location
The teardrop cypress is native to central China . Its distribution area extends over the provinces of Zhejiang , Anhui , Henan , Hubei , Jiangxi , Hunan , Sichuan and Guizhou . It mostly runs along the Yangtze River . The species has been recorded in New Zealand since 1868. At the end of the last century the species was introduced to Nepal , Sikkim , India and Bhutan . In Europe and the USA the species is planted as an ornamental wood.
It occurs at altitudes from 300 to 2000 m . In Central Europe the species is not hardy. It inhabits slopes and ridges. Clay and loam soils are considered optimal soils. It forms mixed stands with the Chinese cork oak ( Quercus variabilis ) and the Japanese chestnut oak ( Quercus acutissima ).
use
The wood is used as construction, scaffolding and ship wood . In their homeland, the branches are used to smoke pork and the ashes are used to pickle duck eggs. Since it is considered a sacred tree, it is often grown near Buddhist temples , monasteries, and tombs. In Europe and the USA, the species is grown as an ornamental wood and as a windbreak because of its attractive growth. Along the Yangtze River , an area of over 70,000 hectares was reforested with this species as an erosion protection.
Diseases and pests
It has proven to be largely resistant to the pathogen Seiridium cardinale that causes cypress cancer . For Seiridium unicorne , another cattle parasites, but it is susceptible.
Systematics
The exact taxonomic position of the teardrop cypress has been controversial for a long time. Today it is mostly placed in the genus of cypresses ( Cupressus ) and no longer to the false cypresses ( Chamaecyparis ). It is controversial whether the newly described species Cupressus torulosa , Cupressus pendula and Cupressus cashmeriana in China , India , Bhutan and Nepal in the last century on the basis of just a few trees are separate species or belong to the species of the teardrop cypress. According to WCSP, all of these three types are different from one another.
swell
- Schütt, Weisgerber, Schuck, Lang, Stimm, Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 161-166 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Tropicos. [1]
- ^ Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Cupressus. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved March 23, 2019.
Web links
- Cupressus funebris inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species n2013.1. Posted by: Xiang, Q., Christian, T. & Zhang, D, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2013.