Cryptomeria description

C. fortunei
C. japonica

Cryptomeria D.Don. 1841

Common Names

Taxonomic notes

"The structure of cotyledons and of primary and adult foliage led de Ferré (1952) to the conclusion that in the genus Cryptomeria ontogenic evolution was much more rapid than in other genera of the same family. Cotyledons have 2 resin ducts each, juvenile leaves 3 and adult leaves 1 resin duct each. Stomata appear on both surfaces of the leaf, which is typical for rapid evolution" (1).

Description

"Evergreen trees. Crown conical. Branches in whorls, spreading. Bark reddish-brown, peeling off in long strips. Buds small, not scaly. Leaves needle-like, spirally arranged in 5 ranks, sickle shaped, directed towards the end of the shoot, the lateral leaves somewhat flattened, triangular to quadrangular. Male flowers in catkin-like clusters, axillary and terminal on young shoots, composed of a large number of sporophylls; female flowers in conelet-like inflorescences which are globose, solitary on the tips of short shoots. Fruit globose, brown conelet which matures in the first season and does not disintegrate. Cone scales 20-30, woody, cuneate, the upper side broadened into a disc with a curved point in the centre and with 3-5 pointed processes at the apex. Seeds 2-5 on each scale, which are triangular-oblong and somewhat flattened, narrowly winged. Cotyledons 2-3(4). Chromosomes n = 11" (1).

Range

Big Tree

Oldest

Dendrochronology

Ethnobotany

Observations

Remarks

Name is derived from the Greek kryptos, hidden, and meros, part (1). The meaning of this is unknown to me.

Citations

(1) Vidakovic 1991.