Taxodium distichum
Taxodium
bald cypress
bald cypress, cypress
terete.
alternate, in 2 ranks or not.
divergent to strongly appressed, linear or linear-lanceolate to deltate, generally flattened, free portion to ca. 17 mm;
abaxial glands absent.
in pendent panicles to ca. 25 cm, 2–3 mm, conspicuous in winter prior to pollination.
with 10–20 sporophylls, each sporophyll with 2–10 pollen sacs.
cones 1.5–4 cm.
cones maturing and shattering in 1 season, nearly globose;
scales falling early, 5–10, valvate, ± peltate, thin and woody.
system conspicuously dimorphic, long shoots indeterminate, bearing individually abscising, linear to lanceolate leaves, short shoots determinate, abscising in autumn with their leaves, variable, intergrading, at one extreme pendent to horizontally spreading, bearing decurrent, narrowly linear and laterally divergent leaves in 2 rows, at other extreme strictly ascending to occasionally pendent, bearing short-lanceolate to deltate and tightly appressed leaves.
roots commonly producing erect, irregularly conic to rounded "knees" in periodically flooded habitats.
= 11.
Taxodium distichum
Taxodium
The two varieties recognized in the flora are indistinguishable in reproductive characteristics and continuously intergrading in morphologic and phenologic characteristics, although pure populations of the extremes appear morphologically and ecologically distinct. Unlike the varieties in the flora, var. mexicanum is annually cladoptosic, with determinate short shoots abscising concomitantly with expansion of shoots of the following year. Specimens from juvenile individuals, stump sprouts, fertile branchlets, terminal vegetative branchlets, or late-season growth may not be determinable to variety.
Taxodium distichum (baldcypress) is the state tree of Louisiana.
Varieties 3 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The pollen cones are usually borne at the base of alternate leaves, forming pendent axillary panicles; they occur less commonly singly or in racemes.
Taxodium is variously treated as one to three species but treated here as one polymorphic species with two varieties in the flora. A third taxon tentatively accorded varietal rank--- Taxodium distichum (Linnaeus) Richard var. mexicanum Gordon (= Taxodium mucronatum Tenore)—and recognized by some authors as occurring within our range, appears to differ only in minor phenological characters. Whether or not populations from farther south in Mexico and Guatemala differ sufficiently for formal taxonomic recognition at any rank has yet to be determined.
Species 1(–3) (1 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Determinate short shoots with leaves mostly in 2 ranks, pendent to horizontally spreading; leaves mostly narrowly linear, ca. 5-17 mm, laterally divergent, free portion contracted and twisted basally. | var. distichum |
1. Determinate short shoots with leaves not in 2 ranks, mostly ascending vertically; leaves mostly narrowly lanceolate, ca. 3-10 mm, appressed and overlapping, free portion not contracted and twisted basally. | var. imbricarium |
OR
Flora NW
IL Wildflowers
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
MO Plants
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
