Cupressus guadalupensis
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| Cupressus guadalupensis S.Watson |
Cupressus guadalupensis is a species of cypress native to Guadalupe Island off Baja California, Mexico, and scattered north to southernmost California in the United States; it is always found in small, scattered populations.
It is an evergreen tree with a conic to ovoid-conic crown, variable in size, with mature trees reaching 10-20 m tall. The foliage grows in dense sprays, dark green to gray-green in color. The leaves are scale-like, 2-5 mm long, and produced on rounded (not flattened) shoots. The seed cones are globose to oblong, 12-35 mm long, with 6 to 10 scales, green at first, maturing gray-brown to gray about 20-24 months after pollination. The cones remain closed for many years, only opening after the parent tree is killed in a wildfire, thereby allowing the seeds to colonise the bare ground exposed by the fire. The male cones are 3-5 mm long, and release pollen in February-March.
There are two varieties, treated as distinct species by some botanists:
- Cupressus guadalupensis var. guadalupensis - Guadalupe Cypress - Conservation status: Critical.
- Guadalupe Island, at altitudes of 1000-1280 m. Foliage dark green, cones large (25-35 mm long).
- Cupressus guadalupensis var. forbesii (C. forbesii) - Tecate Cypress - VU.
- Northern mainland Baja California, and San Diego and Orange Counties, California, at altitudes of 450-1000 m. Foliage gray-green, cones smaller (12-25 mm).
[edit] References
- Conifer Specialist Group (2000). Cupressus guadalupensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU B1+2a v2.3)
