| Chamaecyparis formosensis | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Chamaecyparis formosensis
|
||||||||||||||
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Chamaecyparis formosensis Matsum. |
Chamaecyparis formosensis (Formosan Cypress; Chinese: 紅檜/红桧 hong gui) is a species of Chamaecyparis, endemic to Taiwan, where it grows in the central mountains at moderate to high altitudes of 1000–2900 m. Chamaecyparis is genus of conifers in the family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia and western and eastern North America Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. It is threatened by habitat loss and over-cutting for its valuable timber. Habitat destruction is the process in which natural Habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species originally present [1][2][3]
It is a slow-growing, but long-lived and ultimately large to very large coniferous tree growing to 55–60 m tall with a trunk up to 7 m in diameter. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or The bark is red-brown, vertically fissured and with a stringy texture. Bark, also known as periderm is the outermost layer of stems and Roots of Woody plants such as Trees It overlays the Wood and consists The foliage is arranged in flat sprays; adult leaves are scale-like, 1–3 mm long, with pointed tips, green both above and below with only an inconspicuous stomatal band at the base of each scale-leaf; they are arranged in opposite decussate pairs on the shoots. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. In Botany, a stoma (also stomate; plural stomata) is a tiny opening or pore found mostly on the underside of a Plant Leaf The juvenile leaves, found on young seedlings, are needle-like, 4–8 mm long, soft and glaucous bluish-green. The cones are ovoid-oblong, 6–12 mm long and 4–8 mm diameter, with 8–16 scales arranged in opposite pairs, maturing in autumn about 7–8 months after pollination. A cone (in formal botanical usage Strobilus, plural strobili is an organ on Plants in the division Pinophyta ( Conifers [1]
It is most closely related to the Japanese Chamaecyparis pisifera (Sawara Cypress), which differs in smaller globose cones 4–8 mm long with 6–10 scales. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Chamaecyparis pisifera ( Sawara Cypress or Sawara ( Japanese: サワラ Sawara) is a species of cypress, native to central [1]
The wood is soft, very resistant to decay, and strongly scented; it is highly valued in traditional Chinese building, particularly for temples and shrines. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used This has led to excessive harvesting, resulting in the species now being endangered. A small number of the oldest and largest specimens are protected as national monuments, but much of the general population of the species still remains unprotected. [1]
References
- ^ a b c d Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4
- ^ Flora of China: Chamaecyparis formosensis
- ^ Conifer Specialist Group 2000: Chamaecyparis formosensis