Chamaecyparis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chamaecyparis |
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| Chamaecyparis pisifera foliage and cones | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cupressoideae |
| Genus: | Chamaecyparis Spach |
| Type species | |
| Chamaecyparis sphaeroidea (Spreng.) Spach
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Chamaecyparis is a special genus of evergreen conifer trees. People often call them false-cypresses. They belong to the famous cypress family, which scientists call Cupressaceae. These trees are related to true cypress trees. Their name comes from the Greek words khamai, meaning on the earth, and kuparissos, meaning cypress.
These neat native trees grow naturally in parts of eastern Asia and North America. In Asia, you can find them in Japan and Taiwan. In the United States, they grow along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
Contents
What Are False-Cypresses and How Do They Grow?
False-cypresses are medium to large evergreen trees. They usually grow between 20–70 m (66–230 ft) tall. Their branches spread out in wide, flat sprays of greenery.
These trees have two different types of leaves during their lives. Very young seedlings start with soft, needle-like juvenile leaves. As the tree grows past its first year, it grows scale-like adult leaves. These tiny green scales overlap each other tightly along the twigs.
Cones and the Plant Life Cycle
The cones of a false-cypress are small and rounded like little wooden balls. Each cone has eight to fourteen scales. These scales grow in opposite pairs that cross each other neatly.
Under each scale, the cone protects two to four tiny seeds. When the cones dry out in the wind, they pop open. The wind carries the tiny seeds away to grow into brand-new trees.
Different Types of False-Cypress Trees
Scientists recognize several living species of false-cypress across the world. Each one has its own special home:
- Chamaecyparis formosensis – This huge tree grows in the mountains of Taiwan.
- Chamaecyparis lawsoniana – Also called the Port Orford cedar, it lives in California, Oregon, and Washington.
- Chamaecyparis obtusa – Known as the Japanese cypress, it is a famous forest tree in Japan.
- Chamaecyparis pisifera – Known as the Sawara cypress, it lives on the Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu.
- Chamaecyparis taiwanensis – Another rare cypress type found on the island of Taiwan.
- Chamaecyparis thyoides – Often called the Atlantic white cedar, it grows from Mississippi all the way to Maine.
Changing Scientific Names
Scientists sometimes group trees differently when they study their family trees. Some botanists think the Fujian cypress, known as Fokienia or Fokienia hodginsii, belongs right inside Chamaecyparis.
Long ago, people also placed a tree called Chamaecyparis nootkatensis in this group. After studying its genes, experts moved it to the genus Xanthocyparis as Xanthocyparis nootkatensis. Later, scientists placed it into another genus called Callitropsis nootkatensis. This tree is very closely related to the genus Hesperocyparis.
Ancient Relatives in the Fossil Record
False-cypresses have lived on our planet for millions of years! Scientists have found pieces of ancient trees preserved in stone as a fossil.
- †Chamaecyparis eureka lived during the Eocene epoch on Axel Heiberg Island in northern Canada.
- †Chamaecyparis linguaefolia lived during the Oligocene epoch in what is now Colorado.
Wildlife, Garden Uses, and Fragrant Wood
In nature, false-cypresses provide great homes and food for wildlife. Many insects rely on these trees to survive. The hungry caterpillars of several Lepidoptera species, such as the juniper pug and the pine beauty moth, munch happily on their leaves.
Beautiful Trees for Parks and Gardens
Gardeners love to plant these evergreens as an ornamental tree. People have bred hundreds of garden varieties, known as a cultivar. Some cultivars stay very small like tiny bushes. Others have golden yellow, bright blue, or silvery foliage. Some keep their soft baby needles forever, while others have fun, weeping, thread-like branches.
Sometimes, microscopic soil pests called Phytophthora can harm these trees by causing root rot. The Port Orford cedar suffers the most from a disease-causing mold named Phytophthora lateralis.
Sweet-Smelling Wood
The wood of false-cypress trees smells wonderful and resists rotting in wet weather. People value this timber very highly, especially in Japan. Builders there have used this clean, fragrant wood for centuries to build beautiful temples and shrines.
