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Sargent cypress

ciprés monterrey, Monterey cypress

Habit Trees to 25 m, but often shrubby and less than 10 m; crown broader than tall or columnar, dense or open. 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, furrowed, fibrous.

rough, fibrous.

Branchlets

decussate, (1.5–)2–2.5 mm diam.

decussate, 1.5–2 mm diam.

Leaves

usually with inconspicuous, shallow, pitlike, abaxial gland that usually does not produce drop of resin, often glaucous.

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

Pollen cones

mostly 3–4 × 2 mm;

pollen sacs 3–4.

4–6 × 2.5–3 mm;

pollen sacs 6–10.

Seed(s)

cones usually globose, mostly 2–2.5 cm, brown or gray, not glaucous;

scales mostly 3–4 pairs, with scattered resin blisters, umbos inconspicuous or to 4 mm.

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

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

2n

= 22.

Cupressus sargentii

Cupressus macrocarpa

Habitat Chaparral, foothill woodland, and lower montane forests, on serpentine Coastal bluffs
Elevation 200–1100 m (700–3600 ft) 5–35 m (0–100 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.)

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. macrocarpa
C. arizonica, C. bakeri, C. goveniana, C. guadalupensis, C. macnabiana, C. sargentii
Synonyms C. sargentii var. duttonii
Name authority Jepson: Fl. Calif. 1: 61. (1909) Hartweg: J. Hort. Soc. London 2: 187. (1847)
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