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Description

Cypress trees typically reach heights of up to 25 metres (82 ft) and exhibit a pyramidal form, particularly in their youth. Many are characterised by their needle-like, evergreen foliage and acorn-like seed cones. Some species develop flattened, spreading heads at maturity, while certain variants may manifest as shrubs, standing at less than 6 metres (20 ft). The bark of cypress trees varies, with some species having smooth surfaces, while most exhibit bark that separates into thin plates or strips, often shedding over time. Leaves of young cypress trees are spreading and awl-shaped, and are typically small, scale-like formations that tightly adhere to older branches. They are usually aromatic, with glandular pits on the outer surface, and cover the stem in opposite pairs, giving the branchlet a four-sided appearance.²

Species

Cypress is any of the twelve species of ornamental and timber evergreen conifers constituting the genus Cupressus of the family Cupressaceae. Many resinous, aromatic evergreen trees called cypress belong to other genera of the same family, especially species of false cypress and cypress pine. The name cypress is occasionally used for some species of fustic and for bald cypress, and it often denotes jack pine in eastern Canada.³

Species that are commonly known as cypresses include:

• Cypress (multiple species within the genus Cupressus):
  • Cupressus sempervirens, a common cypress also referred to as Italian cypress and Mediterranean cypress.⁴ It is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Iran.
  • Hesperocyparis lusitanica, commonly known as the Mexican cypress, which is native to Mexico and Central America.⁵
• Chamaecyparis:
  • Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, known as the Lawson's cypress or Port Orford cedar.⁶ This is a native species to Oregon and northwestern California.⁷
• Taxodium:
  • Taxodium ascendens, commonly known as pond cypress⁸ and native to North America.
  • Taxodium distichum, commonly known as bald cypress and native to the southeastern United States.⁹
  • Taxodium mucronatum, commonly known as Montezuma cypress or Montezuma bald cypress.¹⁰ It is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and southern-central United States.¹¹
• Calocedrus:
  • Calocedrus decurrens, which has the common names bastard-cedar, incense-cedar and California incense cedar.¹² They are native to North America, specifically California, Oregon, Nevada, and Mexico.¹³
• Thuja:
  • Platycladus orientalis or Thuja orientalis,¹⁴ commonly known as Chinese thuja and native to China and Korea.¹⁵
• Thujopsis:
  • Thujopsis dolabrata, also known as asunaro and hiba.¹⁶ This is a native species of Japan.¹⁷

Other species include:

• African cypress (Widdringtonia species), native to Southern Africa¹⁸
• Bald, Pond, and Montezuma cypresses (Taxodium species), native to North America
• Chinese swamp cypress (Glyptostrobus pensilis), Vietnam, critically endangered¹⁹
• Cordilleran cypress (Austrocedrus chilensis), native to Chile and Argentina²⁰
• Cypress-pines (Actinostrobus species), southwestern Australia²¹
• Cypress-pines (Callitris species), Australia and New Caledonia²²
• False cypress (Chamaecyparis species), Asia and North America.²³
• Fujian cypress (Fokienia hodginsii), southeastern China²⁴
• Guaitecas cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum), western Patagonia²⁵ and Tierra del Fuego²⁶
• Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), East Asia
• Patagonian cypress (Fitzroya cupressoides), southern Chile and Argentina
• Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), famous for its longevity, popular garden plant
• Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), native to the Monterey Peninsula, California²⁷
• Nootka cypress (Cupressus nootkatensis), native to the Pacific Northwest of North America²⁸
• Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata)
• Summer cypress (Bassia scoparia), in the family Amaranthaceae
• Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), native to North America.

Etymology

The word cypress is derived from Old French cipres, which was imported from Latin cypressus, the latinisation of the Greek κυπάρισσος (kyparissos).²⁹³⁰

Symbology

In Greek mythology, Cyparissos, Cyparissus or Kyparissos (Ancient Greek: Κυπάρισσος, "cypress") was a male lover of Apollo,³¹ as well as other deities in other versions of mythology.

In the most prevalent version of the story, Cyparissus receives a stag as a gift from Apollo, which he accidentally kills with a spear while hunting in the forest. Cyparissus is overwhelmed by pain and sorrow, and asks Apollo to allow his tears to flow for eternity. Apollo transforms Cyparissus into a cypress tree, and the sap that typically drips down the tree's trunk represents Cyparissus' tears.³²³³

Consequently, the cypress emerged as a symbol of mourning, sadness, and loss in classical mythology, thereby serving an aetiological purpose in explaining its cultural significance.³⁴ Due to its connection to grief, the cypress became one of the symbols of Hades and has been planted in cemeteries since the classical era. During the Renaissance period, the myth of Kyparissos was revived, and is depicted in several works of art and poetry.³⁵

See also

• Cypress forest
• Hyrcanian forest
• Pine-cypress forest

References

1. "Cypress | Growing, Pruning & Planting Tips | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://www.britannica.com/plant/cypress ↩

2. "Cypress | Growing, Pruning & Planting Tips | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://www.britannica.com/plant/cypress ↩

3. "Cypress | Growing, Pruning & Planting Tips | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://www.britannica.com/plant/cypress ↩

4. "Cupressus sempervirens L. GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=12665 ↩

5. "Cupressus lusitanica Mill. var. lusitanica GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=318471 ↩

6. "Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murray bis) Parl. GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=10064 ↩

7. "Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murray bis) Parl. GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=10064 ↩

8. NRCS. "Taxodium ascendens". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2024-04-28. /wiki/Natural_Resources_Conservation_Service ↩

9. "Taxodium distichum (L". www.srs.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_1/taxodium/distichum.htm ↩

10. "Taxodium mucronatum Ten. GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=80068 ↩

11. "Taxodium mucronatum Ten. GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=80068 ↩

12. "Calocedrus decurrens (Torr.) Florin GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=8615 ↩

13. "Calocedrus decurrens (Torr.) Florin GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=8615 ↩

14. "Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=310211 ↩

15. "Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=310211 ↩

16. "Thujopsis dolabrata (Thunb. ex L. f.) Siebold & Zucc. GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=36596 ↩

17. "Thujopsis dolabrata (Thunb. ex L. f.) Siebold & Zucc. GRIN-Global". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=36596 ↩

18. Pauw, C.A.; Linder, H.P. (1997). "Widdringtonia systematics, ecology and conservation status". Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 123: 297–319. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1997.tb01421.x. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8339.1997.tb01421.x ↩

19. Thomas, P.; Yang, Y.; Farjon, A.; Nguyen, D. & Liao, W. (2011). "Glyptostrobus pensilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T32312A9695181. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T32312A9695181.en. Retrieved 9 January 2018. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/32312/9695181 ↩

20. Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4. 1-84246-068-4 ↩

21. "Actinostrobus". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government. https://web.archive.org/web/20160000000000/http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/online-resources/flora/stddisplay.xsql?pnid=57305 ↩

22. "Callitris". Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=382326 ↩

23. "Chamaecyparis". Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=382810 ↩

24. Thomas, P.; Yang, Y. (2013). "Chamaecyparis hodginsii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T32351A2815809. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T32351A2815809.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/32351/2815809 ↩

25. Luebert, Federico; Pliscoff, Patricio (2017) [2006]. Sinopsis bioclimática y vegetacional de Chile (in Spanish) (2nd ed.). Santiago de Chile: Editorial Universitaria. pp. 192–195 and 208–209. ISBN 978-956-11-2575-9. 978-956-11-2575-9 ↩

26. Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4. 1-84246-068-4 ↩

27. Hogan, C. Michael; Frankis, Michael P. (2009). "Monterey Cypress: Cupressus macrocarpa". GlobalTwitcher.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2017-03-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20170906035305/http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=62524 ↩

28. NRCS (2015). "Cupressus nootkatensis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). /wiki/Natural_Resources_Conservation_Service ↩

29. κυπάρισσος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dkupa%2Frissos ↩

30. "Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=cypress ↩

31. Parry, Katy (2022-01-14). "Cupressus sempervirens". Chelsea Physic Garden. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/cupressus-sempervirens/ ↩

32. Parry, Katy (2022-01-14). "Cupressus sempervirens". Chelsea Physic Garden. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/cupressus-sempervirens/ ↩

33. "24/7 Emergency Care in Cypress: Fairfield Emergency Room". Fairfield Emergency Room. Retrieved 2024-05-23. https://fairfieldemergencyroom.com/ ↩

34. Parry, Katy (2022-01-14). "Cupressus sempervirens". Chelsea Physic Garden. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/cupressus-sempervirens/ ↩

35. Parry, Katy (2022-01-14). "Cupressus sempervirens". Chelsea Physic Garden. Retrieved 2024-04-28. https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/cupressus-sempervirens/ ↩