Widdringtonia cedarbergensis

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Widdringtonia cedarbergensis
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Widdringtonia
Species: W. cedarbergensis
Binomial name
Widdringtonia cedarbergensis
Marsh

Widdringtonia cedarbergensis (Clanwilliam Cypress) is a species of Widdringtonia native to South Africa, where it is endemic to the Cederberg Mountains northeast of Cape Town in Western Cape Province. It is threatened by habitat loss.[1][2][3]

It is a small evergreen tree growing to 5-7 m (rarely to 20 m) tall. The leaves are scale-like, 1.5 mm long and 1 mm broad on small shoots, up to 15 mm long on strong-growing shoots, and arranged in opposite decussate pairs. The cones are globose to rectangular, 2-3 cm long, with four scales.[1]

It was formerly often called "Clanwilliam Cedar" but has been renamed Clanwilliam Cypress to better reflect its botanical relationships.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4
  2. ^ Hilton-Taylor, C. et al. 1998. Widdringtonia cedarbergensis. Downloaded on 10 July 2007.
  3. ^ Pauw, C. A. & Linder, H. P. 1997. Widdringtonia systematics, ecology and conservation status. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 123: 297-319.
  4. ^ University of the Witwatersrand: Recommended English names for trees of Southern Africa
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