Cypress is a common name for various

conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...

ous trees or shrubs of northern

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions that belong to the family

Cupressaceae Cupressaceae is a conifer family, the cypress family, with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27–30 genera (17 monotypic), which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130–140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdio ...

. The word ''cypress'' is derived from

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

''cipres'', which was imported from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''cypressus'', the latinisation of the Greek κυπάρισσος (''

kyparissos In Greek mythology, Cyparissus or Kyparissos (Ancient Greek: Κυπάρισσος, "cypress") was a boy beloved by Apollo or in some versions by other deities. In the best-known version of the story, the favorite companion of Cyparissus was a tam ...

''). Cypress trees are a large classification of conifers, encompassing the trees and shrubs from the cypress family (Cupressaceae) and many others with the word “cypress” in their common name. Many cypress trees have needle-like, evergreen foliage and acorn-like seed cones.

Species

Species that are commonly known as cypresses include: Most prominently: *Cypress (multiple species within the genus ''

Cupressus ''Cupressus'' is one of several genera of evergreen conifers within the family Cupressaceae that have the common name cypress; for the others, see cypress. It is considered a polyphyletic group. Based on genetic and morphological analysis, the ge ...

'') Otherwise: *African cypress ('' Widdringtonia'' species), native to Southern Africa *Bald, Pond, and Montezuma cypresses (''

Taxodium ''Taxodium'' is a genus of one to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The generic name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning " yew", and the Greek ...

'' species), native to North America *Chinese swamp cypress (''

Glyptostrobus pensilis ''Glyptostrobus pensilis'', known in Chinese as 水松 (Shuǐ sōng), and also Chinese swamp cypress, is an endangered conifer, and the sole living species in the genus ''Glyptostrobus''. Description It is a medium-sized to large tree, reaching ...

''), Vietnam, critically endangered *Cordilleran cypress (''

Austrocedrus chilensis ''Austrocedrus'' is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family ( Cupressaceae). It has only one species, ''Austrocedrus chilensis'', native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and the adjacent drier steppe-forests of central-southern ...

''), native to Chile and Argentina *Cypress-pines (''

Actinostrobus ''Actinostrobus'' is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). Common names include cypress, sandplain-cypress and cypress-pine, the last of these shared by the closely related genus '' Callitris''. Species There are th ...

'' species), southwestern Australia *Cypress-pines (''

Callitris ''Callitris'' is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are 16 recognized species in the genus, of which 13 are native to Australia and the other three (''C. neocaledonica, C. sulcata'' and ''C. p ...

'' species), Australia and New Caledonia *False cypress (''

Chamaecyparis ''Chamaecyparis'', common names cypress or false cypress (to distinguish it from related cypresses), is a genus of conifers in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia (Japan and Taiwan) and to the western and eastern margins of th ...

'' species), Asia and North America. *Fujian cypress (''

Fokienia hodginsii ''Fokienia'' is a genus of conifer tree belonging to the cypress family. In its characteristics, ''Fokienia'' is intermediate between the genera of ''Chamaecyparis'' and ''Calocedrus''. Genetically ''Fokienia'' is much closer to ''Chamaecyparis'' ...

''), southeastern China *Guaitecas cypress (''

Pilgerodendron uviferum ''Pilgerodendron'' is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family Cupressaceae. It has only one species, ''Pilgerodendron uviferum'', which is endemic to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and Magellanic subpolar forests of southern Ch ...

''), western Patagonia and

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla G ...

*Japanese cypress (''

Chamaecyparis obtusa ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress or hinoki; ja, 檜 or , ) is a species of cypress native to central Japan in East Asia, and widely cultivated in the temperate northern hemisphere for its high-quality timber and orna ...

''), East Asia *Patagonian cypress (''

Fitzroya cupressoides ''Fitzroya'' is a monotypic genus in the cypress family. The single living species, ''Fitzroya cupressoides'', is a tall, long-lived conifer native to the Andes mountains and coastal of southern Chile, and only to the Andes mountains Argentina, ...

''), southern Chile and Argentina *Mediterranean cypress (''

Cupressus sempervirens ''Cupressus sempervirens'', the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine), is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region, in northeast Libya, southern Albania, sou ...

''), famous for its longevity, popular garden plant *Monterey cypress (''

Cupressus macrocarpa ''Hesperocyparis macrocarpa'' is a coniferous tree. It is commonly known as the Monterey cypress and is one of several species of cypress trees endemic to California. The Monterey cypress is found naturally only on the Central Coast of Califor ...

''), native to the Monterey Peninsula, California *Nootka cypress (''

Cupressus nootkatensis ''Callitropsis nootkatensis'', formerly known as ''Cupressus nootkatensis'' ( syn. ''Xanthocyparis nootkatensis'') is a species of trees in the cypress family native to the coastal regions of northwestern North America. This species goes by many ...

''), native to the Pacific Northwest of North America *Siberian cypress (''

Microbiota decussata ''Microbiota'' is a monotypic genus of evergreen coniferous shrubs in the cypress family Cupressaceae, containing only one species, ''Microbiota decussata'' (Siberian carpet cypress, Russian arbor-vitae). The plant is native and endemic to a lim ...

'') *Summer cypress ('' Bassia scoparia''), in the family

Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it ...

*Western red cedar ('' Thuja plicata''), native to North America. The family

also contains 13–16 other genera (not listed above) that do not bear ''cypress'' in their common names. File:Actinostrobos arenarius fruits murchison.JPG, ''

Actinostrobus arenarius ''Actinostrobus arenarius'' is a species of conifer in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. Its common names include sandplain cypress,Eckenwalder, J.E. 2009. ''Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference''. Timber Press. p. 123 Bruce cypress, B ...

'' File:Austrocedrus chilensis por pabloendemico - 001.jpg, ''

'' File:Slender Cypress-pine.jpg, ''

Callitris preissii ''Callitris preissii'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae, endemic to Rottnest Island, Australia. Common names include Rottnest Island pine, Murray pine, maroong, southern cypress pine, or slender cypress pine. The Noongar peop ...

'' File:Chamaecyparis Pisifera bonsai.JPG, ''

Chamaecyparis pisifera ''Chamaecyparis pisifera'' (Sawara cypress or Sawara ja, サワラ , translit=Sawara) is a species of false cypress, native to central and southern Japan, on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū.Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae and ...

'',

bonsai Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of ''penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produce ...

File:Lone Cypress Sunset.JPG, ''

'', Monterey Peninsula, California File:Nootka Cypress.jpg, ''

'' File:Flickr - lo.tangelini - i.jpg, ''

'' (Mediterranean Cypress),

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

File:Fokienia hodginsii - Kunming Botanical Garden - DSC03140.JPG, ''

'' File:Fitzroya cupressoides (da Silvio Rossi).jpg, ''

'' File:Glyptostrobus pensilis 2007.06.28 10.10.35-p6280031.jpg, ''

'' foliage File:Pilgerodendron uviferum.jpg, ''

'' File:Taxodium ascendens in the Black Water, Okefenokee.jpg, '' Taxodium ascendens'', Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia (USA) File:Widdringtonia whytei Mulanje Malawi.jpg, ''

Widdringtonia whytei ''Widdringtonia whytei'', the Mulanje cedar or Mulanje cypress, is a species of conifer native to Malawi, where it is endemic to the Mulanje Massif at altitudes of 1,830–2,550 m. It has become endangered as a result of over-harvesting for its ...

'', Malawi

References

{{Plant common name Cupressaceae Symbols of Hades

Species

See also

References