''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress or hinoki; ja, 檜 or , ) is a species of

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...

native to central

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

, and widely cultivated in the

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 ...

northern hemisphere for its high-quality timber and ornamental qualities, with many

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

s commercially available.

Description

It is a slow-growing

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

which may reach tall with a trunk up to in diameter. The bark is dark red-brown. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are scale-like, long, blunt tipped (obtuse), green above, and green below with a white stomatal band at the base of each scale-leaf. The

cones A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...

are globose, in diameter, with 8–12 scales arranged in opposite pairs.

Related species

The plant is widespread in Japan. The related '' Chamaecyparis pisifera'' (sawara cypress) can be readily distinguished in its having pointed tips to the leaves and smaller cones. A similar cypress found on

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

is treated by different botanists as either a variety of this species (as ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' var. ''formosana'') or as a separate species ''

Chamaecyparis taiwanensis ''Chamaecyparis taiwanensis'' (Taiwan cypress; ) is a species of cypress, native to the mountains of Taiwan, where it grows at altitudes of 1300–2800 m.Rushforth, K. (1987). ''Conifers''. Helm . Description It is a slow-growing coniferous tr ...

''; it differs in having smaller cones (6–9 mm diameter) with smaller scales, and leaves with a more acute apex.

Timber

It is grown for its very high-quality timber in Japan, where it is used as a material for building

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

s, shrines, traditional ''

noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

'' theatres, baths,

table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

blades and masu. The wood is lemon-scented, light pinkish-brown, with a rich, straight grain, and is highly rot-resistant. For example, Horyuji Temple and

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Layout The main tower ...

are built from hinoki wood. The hinoki grown in Kiso, used for building

Ise Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and . The Inner ...

, are called 御神木 ''go-shin-boku'', or "divine trees".

Ornamental cultivation

It is also a popular

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

in parks and gardens, both in Japan and elsewhere in

climates, including

western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

and parts of North America. A large number of

s have been selected for garden planting, including dwarf forms, forms with yellow leaves, and forms with congested foliage. It is also often grown as

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 ...

Cultivars

Over 200

s have been selected, varying in size from trees as large as the wild species, down to very slow-growing dwarf plants under high. A few of the best known are listed below. Those marked have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

(confirmed 2017). * 'Crippsii' makes a broad conic golden-green crown with a vigorous leading shoot, growing to or more tall * 'Fernspray Gold' – , arching sprays of green/yellow branches * 'Kamarachiba' – spreading shrub, tall by wide, sprays of yellow-green * 'Kosteri' – sprawling dwarf to tall by wide, with brilliant green foliage * 'Lycopodioides' reaches up to tall, with somewhat fasciated foliage. * 'Minima' – under after 20 years with mid-green foliage * 'Nana' – dark green, rounded dwarf shrub to * 'Nana Aurea' – , golden tips to the fans and a bronze tone in winter * 'Nana Gracilis' – crowded fans of tiny branches producing richly textured effects; often cited as dwarf but has reached tall in cultivation in Britain * 'Nana Lutea' – compact, slow-growing, golden yellow selection which has become very popular; yellow counterpart to 'Nana gracilis' * 'Spiralis' is an erect, stiff dwarf tree * 'Tempelhof' growing to with green-yellow foliage that turns bronze in winter * 'Tetragona Aurea' grows to around tall, with a narrow crown and irregular branching, the scale leaves in 4 equal ranks and branchlets tightly crowded, green and gold * 'Tsatsumi Gold' – , contorted branches, yellow-green foliage

Chemistry

The

lignan The lignans are a large group of low molecular weight polyphenols found in plants, particularly seeds, whole grains, and vegetables. The name derives from the Latin word for "wood". Lignans are precursors to phytoestrogens. They may play a role ...

s chamaecypanones A and B, obtulignolide, and isootobanone can be found in the heartwood of ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' var. ''formosana''. The biflavones sciadopitysin, ginkgetin, isoginkgetin, podocarpusflavone B, 7,7''-''O''-dimethylamentoflavone, bilobetin, podocarpusflavone A, 7-''O''-methylamentoflavone,

amentoflavone Amentoflavone is a biflavonoid (''bis''-apigenin coupled at 8 and 3' positions, or 3′,8′′-biapigenin) constituent of a number of plants including ''Ginkgo biloba'', ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (hinoki), '' Hypericum perforatum'' (St ...

hinokinin Hinokinin is a dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan, derived from various species of plants. It is a potential :wikt:antichagasic, antichagonistic agent and has shown to possess neuroprotection, neuroprotective effects as well. It is also found to have ...

and hinokiflavone have been confirmed in the leaves of the plant.

Chamaecydin Chamaecydin is a chemical compound with the molecular formula C30H40O3. It is made up of three six-membered rings and two five-membered rings and has one polar hydroxyl functional group. It is well preserved in the rock record and is only found in ...

was first discovered in the seeds of ''C. obtusa''. The

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

of ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' contains a wide range of chemical compounds, including but not limited to the following:

sabinene Sabinene is a natural bicyclic monoterpene with the molecular formula C10H16. It is isolated from the essential oils of a variety of plants including Marjoram, holm oak (''Quercus ilex'') and Norway spruce (''Picea abies''). It has a strained ...

, elemol,

myrcene Myrcene, or β-myrcene, is a monoterpene. A colorless oil, it occurs widely in essential oils. It is produced mainly semi-synthetically from '' Myrcia'', from which it gets its name. It is an intermediate in the production of several fragrances. � ...

limonene Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the oil of citrus fruit peels. The -isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring ag ...

terpinen-4-ol Terpinen-4-ol is an isomer of terpineol with the chemical formula C10H18O. A primary constituent of tea tree oil, it is obtained as an extract from the leaves, branches, and bark of ''Melaleuca alternifolia'' Cheel. Despite considerable basic and ...

, eudesmols, α-terpinyl acetate,

α-terpinolene The terpinenes are a group of isomeric hydrocarbons that are classified as monoterpenes. They each have the same molecular formula and carbon framework, but they differ in the position of carbon-carbon double bonds. α-Terpinene has been isolat ...

, α-

terpineol Terpineol is any of four isomeric monoterpenoids. Terpenoids are terpene that are modified by the addition of a functional group, in this case, an alcohol. Terpineols have been isolated from a variety of sources such as cardamom, cajuput oil, p ...

3-carene 3-Carene is a bicyclic monoterpene consisting of fused cyclohexene and cyclopropane rings. It occurs as a constituent of turpentine, with a content as high as 42% depending on the source. Carene has a sweet and pungent odor, best described as a ...

α-pinene α-Pinene is an organic compound of the terpene class, one of two isomers of pinene. It is an alkene and it contains a reactive four-membered ring. It is found in the oils of many species of many coniferous trees, notably the pine. It is also ...

, γ-

terpinene The terpinenes are a group of isomeric hydrocarbons that are classified as monoterpenes. They each have the same molecular formula and carbon framework, but they differ in the position of carbon-carbon double bonds. α-Terpinene has been isolate ...

camphene Camphene is a bicyclic organic compound. It is one of the most pervasive monoterpenes. As for other terpenes, it is insoluble in water, flammable, colorless, and has a pungent smell. It is a minor constituent of many essential oils such as tur ...

, bornyl acetate, 1-methyladamantane, cuminol, eucarvone, 2-cyclopenten-1-one, 3,4-dimethyl-, 1,3-dimethyl-1-cyclohexene, calamenene, τ-muurolol,

borneol Borneol is a bicyclic organic compound and a terpene derivative. The hydroxyl group in this compound is placed in an '' endo'' position. The exo diastereomer is called isoborneol. Being chiral, borneol exists as enantiomers, both of which are foun ...

, α-cadinol, β-thujaplicin. Some of these compounds are fragrances or intermediates used in the fragrance industry. Thus, the ''C. obtusa'' essential oil is used in perfumery and personal care products, such as soaps, shampoos, cosmetics. Hinoki wood is used as a traditional Japanese stick incense for its light, earthy aroma. Essential oil distilled from its wood is uniquely scented and highly valued.

Pollen

Hinoki pollen can cause pollinosis, a specific type of

allergic rhinitis Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...

. ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'', along with ''

Cryptomeria japonica ''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae, formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' ( syn. ''Cupressus japonica'' L ...

'' (sugi, Japanese cedar), is the leading source of allergic pollen in Japan and a major cause of

hay fever in Japan is most commonly caused by pollen from ''Cryptomeria japonica'' (known as ''sugi'' in Japanese and often translated as "cedar" though it is not a member of the Cedrus genus) and Japanese cypress (known as ''hinoki''), two native Japanese tree sp ...

Gallery

File:Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana gracilis'.jpg, ''C. obtusa'' 'Nana Gracilis' File:Kyoto Toji Hiwadabuki C0990.jpg, Cypress bark is used as a traditional roofing material ('' hiwadabuki'') at

Tō-ji , also known as is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Minami-ku ward of Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 796, it was one of the only three Buddhist temples allowed in the city at the time it became the capital of Japan. As such it has a long history, h ...

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

File:Haeckel Coniferae Chamaecyparis obtusa.jpg, Illustration File:Chamaecyparis Obtusa bonsai.JPG,

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:Japanese cypress woods C032473.jpg, File:Chamaecyparis obtusa 01.jpg,

Tanzawa Mountains The are a mountain range in the Kantō region in Japan. The mountain range covers the northwestern part of Kanagawa Prefecture and touches the prefecture borders of Shizuoka Prefecture to the west and the Yamanashi Prefecture to the north. Mou ...

, Japan File:Chamaecyparis obtusa2.jpg, Foliage; underside showing white stomatal lines

References

External links

{{Authority control obtusa Endemic flora of Japan Trees of Japan Five sacred trees of Kiso Near threatened flora of Asia Garden plants of Asia Plants used in bonsai Ornamental trees