''Chamaecyparis lawsoniana'', known as Port Orford cedar
or Lawson's cypress,
is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
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 sin ...
in the genus ''
Chamaecyparis'', family
Cupressaceae
Cupressaceae or the cypress family is a family of conifers. The family includes 27–30 genera (17 monotypic), which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130–140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or (rarely) dioecio ...
. It is
native to
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
and
northwestern California, and grows from sea level up to in the valleys of the
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains are a rugged and lightly populated mountain range in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the western United States. As a mountain system within both the greater Pacific Coast Ranges and the California Coast R ...
, often along streams.
Description
A large
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...
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, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...
, specimens mature up to tall or more (exceptionally to ),
with trunks in diameter, exceptionally .
The
bark
Bark may refer to:
Common meanings
* Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick
* Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog)
Arts and entertainment
* ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...
is silver-brown, vertically furrowed, and thick near the base.
The foliage is arranged in lacy, flat sprays with a feathery appearance,
usually somewhat
glaucous
''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), ...
(i.e. blue-green) in color. The leaves are scale-like, long, with narrow white markings on the underside, and produced on somewhat flattened shoots. The foliage gives off a rather pungent scent, not unlike
parsley
Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum''), is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to Greece, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. It has been introduced and naturalisation (biology), naturalized in Eur ...
. The seed
cones are globose, in diameter, with 6–10 scales, green at first, maturing brown in early fall, 6–8 months after
pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma (botany), stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or bu ...
. The male cones are long, dark red, turning brown after pollen release in early spring. The seeds fall quickly and can float on water.
Old specimens lack branches near the base and often have dead tops. They can live up to about 600 years of age.
Taxonomy
The species was first discovered (by European Americans) near
Port Orford, Oregon, and introduced into cultivation in 1854 by collectors working for
Charles Lawson
Quintin Charles Devenish Lawson (born 17 September 1959) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He is best known for playing Jim McDonald (Coronation Street), Jim McDonald on the long running ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''.
...
FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...
of the Lawson & Son nursery in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, Scotland, after whom it was named as Lawson's Cypress by the describing botanist
Andrew Murray. The
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
officially calls it by the name Port Orford cedar,
as do most people in its native area, but some botanists prefer to use the name Lawson's cypress (or in very rare instances Port Orford cypress) instead. The name "Lawson's cypress" is widely used in horticulture.
Distribution and habitat
The species is
native to southwestern
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
and
northwestern California, and grows from sea level up to
in the valleys of the
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains are a rugged and lightly populated mountain range in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the western United States. As a mountain system within both the greater Pacific Coast Ranges and the California Coast R ...
, often along streams. It fares best at the north end of its range.
Ecology
The thick bark provides resistance to wildfires, and the species regenerates well on disrupted land in a variety of soils, but requires consistent moisture. It is
shade tolerant
In ecology, shade tolerance is a plant's ability to tolerate low light levels. The term is also used in horticulture and landscaping, although in this context its use is sometimes imprecise, especially in labeling of plants for sale in nursery (ho ...
, but not so much so as competing species
western hemlock and
white fir.
The old-growth population near
Coos Bay
Coos Bay (Hanis language, Coos language: Atsixiis or Hanisich) is an estuary where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, the estuary is approximately 12 miles long and up to two miles wide. It is the largest estuary completely within Oregon sta ...
, Oregon, was wiped out by logging and wildfires in 1867–1868, and again by fire and root disease in 1936.
Disease
In the wild, the species is seriously and uniquely threatened by a root disease caused by the oomycete pathogen, ''
Phytophthora lateralis'', accidentally introduced in the early 1950s following the fungus's arrival to the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
on
nursery trees.
This disease is also a problem for horticultural plantings in some parts of North America. The tree is sometimes killed, though less often, by other species of ''
Phytophthora''.
''Phytophthora lateralis'' infection begins when mycelium, from a germinated spore, invade the roots. The infection then spreads through the inner bark and cambium around the base of the tree. Spread up the trunk is generally limited. Infected tissue dies and effectively girdles the tree. Large trees are more likely to be infected than small trees due to larger root areas (although all trees at the edges of infected streams will eventually succumb). However, large trees can often live with the infections for a longer duration (up to several years).
''C. lawsoniana'' in streamside populations are highly susceptible to ''P. lateralis'' infection. However, the rate of fungal spread through populations in dry upland areas appears to be slow. ''P. lateralis'' spreads through water via mobile spores (
zoospore
A zoospore is a motile asexual spore that uses a flagellum for locomotion in aqueous or moist environments. Also called a swarm spore, these spores are created by some protists, bacteria, and fungi to propagate themselves. Certain zoospores are ...
s). The fungus also produces resting spores (
chlamydospores) that can persist in soil for a long period of time. New infections generally begin when soil is transferred from an infected population to a non-infected population via water, human or animal movement.
After initial infection in streamside populations, secondary spread via zoospores quickly infects all downstream individuals.
Human facilitated spread is thought to be responsible for most new, and all long-distance, infections. Soil on vehicle tires, especially logging trucks and other off-road vehicles, is considered the most pressing problem due to the volume of soil that can be carried and the traffic rate in and between susceptible areas. Spread on boots and mountain bike tires has also been suggested and probably contributes to new infections locally. Animal-facilitated spread is thought to occur, but is localized.
The
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...
and
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
attempt to prevent ''Phytophthora'' spread through road closures, monitoring, research and education. Research has focused on determining the dynamics and mechanisms of spread, as well as attempts to breed resistant trees.
One solution against ''Phytophtera'' is known generically as
Mancozeb
Mancozeb is a dithiocarbamate non-systemic agricultural fungicide with multi-site, protective action on contact. It is a combination of two other dithiocarbamates: maneb and zineb. The mixture controls many fungal diseases in a wide range of fi ...
and also commercially known as Dithane (C).
Commercial preparations of the parasitic fungus ''
Pythium oligandrum'' are licensed for pest control, and documented to predate many species of ''Phytophthora''.
Similar species
The extinct
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
species ''
Chamaecyparis eureka'', known from fossils found on
Axel Heiberg Island in Canada, is noted as resembling ''C. lawsoniana'' and ''
C. pisifera''.
The associated genus ''
Calocedrus'' (incense-cedar) has thick orange-brown bark and the bark of ''
Thuja plicata
''Thuja plicata'' is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae, native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Its common name is western redcedar in the U.S. or western red cedar in the UK, and it is also called pacific re ...
'' (western redcedar) is comparatively thin; both have different foliage than Port Orford cedar.
Cultivation
''Chamaecyparis lawsoniana'' thrives best in well-drained but moist soils, in a fairly sheltered position in full sun. Several hundred named
cultivars
A cultivar is a kind of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those traits when propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue cult ...
of varying crown shape, growth rates and foliage color have been selected for planting in parks and gardens. In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(UK) the following 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 ...
's
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
It includes the full range of cultivated p ...
(confirmed 2017):
Uses
The species was discovered by Euro-Americans in the 1850s. The
wood
Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
is light yet has great strength and rot resistance, even after long exposure to salt water.
Its properties resemble those of
yellow-cedar, but was historically more available in the region.
On shores lacking docks, logs were transported via high-line cable directly onto ship decks. It was valued for boatbuilding.
The species was important to Oregon's lumber industry until the 1950s when it was crippled by disease.
It was preferred for
storage battery
A rechargeable battery, storage battery, or secondary cell (formally a type of energy accumulator), is a type of electrical battery which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, as opposed to a disposable or prim ...
cell separation,
Venetian blinds, and other uses.
Quality specimens eventually began to be shipped almost exclusively to
East Asia
East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
, where it is highly valued.
Large amounts have been exported to
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
where it is used in making coffins, shrines, and temples. Its
lumber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
is known for its highly fragrant ginger aroma, caused by an oil which repulses decay and insects, including termites; this oil has been used as an
insecticide
Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. The major use of insecticides is in agriculture, but they are also used in home and garden settings, i ...
.
Due to the straightness of its
grain
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...
, it is also one of the preferred woods for the manufacture of arrow shafts. It is also considered an acceptable, though not ideal, wood for construction of aircraft.
The wood is considered more than acceptable for use in stringed instruments. Its fine grain, good strength and tonal quality are highly regarded for soundboards in guitar making.
Gallery
File:LawsonsCypress.jpg, Foliage with cones: immature seed cones below, pollen cones above
File:Lawson cypress male cones.jpg, Male cones in spring with diagnostic red colour
File:Chamaecyparis lawsoniana.jpg, Mature female cones
File:Chamaecyparis lawsoniana imbricata pendula 01.jpg, Cultivar 'Imbricata Pendula', Rosemoor, Devon, UK
See also
*
Cedar wood
References
*Snyder, Gary. 1999. "The Gary Snyder Reader". Counterpoint.
Further reading
* Listed as Vulnerable (VU A1de+2e v2.3)
*Siskiyou National Forest has posted precautions for persons entering areas with Port Orford Cedar populations
.
*
*Hunt, J. 1959
''Phytophthora lateralis'' on Port-Orford-cedar.''Research Note'' 172: 1–6. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station.
*
*Torgeson, D. C., Young, R. A., & Milbrath, J. A. 1954. ''Phytophthora'' root rot diseases of Lawson cypress and other ornamentals. ''Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin''. 537: 1–18. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State College.
*
*
*Zobel, D. B., Roth, L. F., & Hawk, G. M. 1985. Ecology, pathology, and management of ''Chamaecyparis lawsoniana''. ''General Technical Report''. PNW-184: 1–161. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station.
*
External links
Jepson Manual treatment for ''Cupressus lawsoniana''*
*
{{Authority control
Chamaecyparis, lawsoniana
Trees of Northern America
Flora of the Klamath Mountains
Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
Garden plants of North America
Ornamental trees