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ciprés monterrey, Monterey cypress

Macnab cypress, Macnab's cypress

Habit Trees to 25 m; crown generally broadly spreading, especially on exposed headlands, fairly sparse, often composed of few major limbs from near ground, more upright in sheltered locations.
Bark

rough, fibrous.

rough, furrowed, fibrous.

Branchlets

decussate, 1.5–2 mm diam.

comblike, 0.5–1 mm diam.

Leaves

without gland or sometimes with inconspicuous, shallow, pitlike, abaxial gland that does not produce drop of resin, not glaucous.

with conspicuous, pitlike, abaxial gland that produces drop of resin, sometimes glaucous.

Pollen cones

4–6 × 2.5–3 mm;

pollen sacs 6–10.

2–3 × 2 mm;

pollen sacs 3–5.

Seed(s)

cones oblong, 2.5–4 cm, grayish brown, not glaucous;

scales 4–6 pairs, smooth, umbo nearly flat at maturity.

cones globose, mostly 1.5–2.5 cm, brown or gray, not glaucous;

scales 3–4 pairs, smooth except for erect conic umbos, 2–4 mm.

Shrubby

trees to 12 m;

crown broadly conical, dense.

2n

= 22.

Cupressus macrocarpa

Cupressus macnabiana

Habitat Coastal bluffs Chaparral and foothill woodland, often on serpentine
Elevation 5–35 m (0–100 ft) 300–850 m (1000–2800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

The geographically most restricted taxon recognized here, Cupressus macrocarpa is confined today to two picturesque groves near Monterey, but it is also known from fossils to have been in other regions. It is much planted and commonly naturalized near the coast from central California north to Washington and in warm temperate and subtropical regions worldwide.

Of conservation concern.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In the inner north Coast Ranges Cupressus macnabiana and C. sargentii produce the only known natural hybrids in Cupressus (L. Lawrence et al. 1975).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Cupressaceae > Cupressus Cupressaceae > Cupressus
Sibling taxa
C. arizonica, C. bakeri, C. goveniana, C. guadalupensis, C. macnabiana, C. sargentii
C. arizonica, C. bakeri, C. goveniana, C. guadalupensis, C. macrocarpa, C. sargentii
Name authority Hartweg: J. Hort. Soc. London 2: 187. (1847) A. Murray bis: Edinburgh New Philos. J. ser. 2, 1: 293, plate 11. (1855)
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