Cedrus atlantica

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Cedrus atlantica
Cedrus atlantica.jpg
Atlas cedar (Ifrane, Morocco)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Cedrus
Species:
C. atlantica
Binomial name
Cedrus atlantica
(Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière
Cedrus atlantica range.svg
Distribution map
Synonyms

C. libani subsp. atlantica(Endl.) Batt. & Trab.

Cedrus atlantica, the Atlas cedar, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae, native to the Rif and Atlas Mountains of Morocco (Middle Atlas, High Atlas), and to the Tell Atlas in Algeria. [2] A majority of the modern sources [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] treat it as a distinct species Cedrus atlantica, but some sources [11] [12] consider it a subspecies of Lebanon cedar (C. libani subsp. atlantica).

Contents

Description

Cedrus atlantica foliage and mature female cone Cedrus libani ssp. atlantica 'Glauca' cone 02 by Line1.jpg
Cedrus atlantica foliage and mature female cone
Male cones beginning to shed pollen Cedrus atlantica male cones.jpg
Male cones beginning to shed pollen

Fully grown, Atlas cedar is a large coniferous evergreen tree, 30 to 35 m (98 to 115 ft) (rarely 40 m) tall, with a trunk diameter of 1.5 to 2 m (4.9 to 6.6 ft). It is very similar in all characters to the other varieties of Lebanon cedar; differences are hard to discern. The mean cone size tends to be somewhat smaller (although recorded to 12 cm, [2] only rarely over 9 cm long, compared to up to 10 cm in C. brevifolia, and 12 cm in C. libani), though with considerable overlap (all can be as short as 6 cm). The Cedrus atlantica leaf length (10–25 mm) is similar that of C. libani subsp. stenocoma, on average longer than C. brevifolia and shorter than C. libani subsp. libani, but again with considerable overlap. [2] [8] [13]

Ecology

Atlas cedar form forests on mountainsides at 1,170 to 2,200 m (3,840 to 7,220 ft), often in pure forests, or mixed with Algerian fir - Abies numidica, Juniperus oxycedrus , holm oak - Quercus ilex, and Acer opalus . These forests can provide habitat for the endangered Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), a primate that had a prehistorically much wider distribution in northern Morocco and Algeria. [14]

Currently, Morocco has the highest total surface of Atlas cedar in the world, and it forms vast forests in the humid zones of the country, around the Middle-Atlas range, the oriental and Northern High-Atlas range, and in the Western and Central Rif mountain range. The current total area is around 163,000 hectares, of which around 115,000 hectares (80%) are situated in the Middle-Atlas mountains. The species is in danger from human use, wood harvesting and fires. Data that go back to 1927 show higher number of Atlas cedars (more than 150,000 hectares) in the Middle-Atlas mountains only. The Rif mountains had one of the largest cedar forests in the past, but forests nowadays are much smaller, 15% of the total cedar forests in Morocco. Recently massive reforestation campaigns have taken place in the region of Ifrane Province.[ citation needed ]

In Algeria, the Atlas cedar has been in significant decline. According to data from 1966 the species inhabited 23,000 hectares, forming forests around the Djurdjura Mountains in Kabylie and Aures Mountains. However, it is expected that it currently inhabits fewer than 15,000 hectares owing to extensive fires and human use.

Cultivation and uses

An old Cedrus atlantica tree in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco Moroccan Atlantic cedar.jpg
An old Cedrus atlantica tree in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Landscape

C. atlantica is common in cultivation as an ornamental tree in temperate climates. In garden settings, often the glaucous forms are planted as ornamental trees, distinguished as the Glauca group, a cultivar group. Also, fastigiate, pendulous, and golden-leaf forms are in cultivation. The Atlas cedar is useful in cultivation because it is more tolerant of dry and hot conditions than most conifers.[ citation needed ]

Many of the cultivated trees have glaucous (bluish) foliage, more downy shoots, and can have more leaves in each whorl; young trees in cultivation often have more ascending branches than many cultivated C. atlantica specimens. [15]

In the UK the following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017): [16]

An Atlas cedar is planted at the White House South Lawn in Washington, DC. President Carter ordered a tree house built within the cedar for his daughter Amy. The wooden structure was designed by the President himself, and is self-supporting so as not to cause damage to the tree. [20]

Forestry

A C. atlantica glauca (Blue Atlas cedar) at the Orland E. White Research Arboretum in Virginia, United States Blue Atlas cedar.jpg
A C. atlantica glauca (Blue Atlas cedar) at the Orland E. White Research Arboretum in Virginia, United States

Cedar plantations, mainly with C. atlantica, have been established in southern France for timber production.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cedrus</i> Genus of plants (coniferous trees)

Cedrus, with the common English name cedar, is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altitudes of 1,500–3,200 m (4,900–10,500 ft) in the Himalayas and 1,000–2,200 m (3,300–7,200 ft) in the Mediterranean.

<i>Cedrus libani</i> Species of cedar tree from the Eastern Mediterranean

Cedrus libani, commonly known as cedar of Lebanon, Lebanon cedar, or Lebanese cedar, is a species of tree in the genus Cedrus, a part of the pine family, native to the mountains of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. It is a large evergreen conifer that has great religious and historical significance in the cultures of the Middle East, and is referenced many times in the literature of ancient civilisations. It is the national emblem of Lebanon and is widely used as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens.

<i>Pinus mugo</i> Species of plant

Pinus mugo, known as dwarf mountain pine, mountain pine, scrub mountain pine, Swiss mountain pine, bog pine, creeping pine, or mugo pine, is a species of conifer, native to high elevation habitats from southwestern to Central Europe and Southeast Europe.

<i>Pinus nigra</i> Species of conifer

Pinus nigra, the Austrian pine or black pine, is a moderately variable species of pine, occurring across Southern Europe from the Iberian Peninsula to the eastern Mediterranean, on the Anatolian peninsula of Turkey, Corsica and Cyprus, as well as Crimea and in the high mountains of Northwest Africa. The world's oldest black pine, located in the Banaz district of Uşak, Türkiye, is estimated to be 1000 years old. This makes it significant in the country, which is known for a very dry climate, inhospitable for most trees. It has a length of 11 meters, a diameter of 3 meters and a circumference of 9.60 meters.

<i>Chamaecyparis lawsoniana</i> Species of conifer

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, known as Port Orford cedar or Lawson's cypress, is a species of conifer in the genus Chamaecyparis, family Cupressaceae. It is native to Oregon and northwestern California, and grows from sea level up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) in the valleys of the Klamath Mountains, often along streams.

<i>Thuja occidentalis</i> Species of evergreen coniferous tree

Thuja occidentalis, also known as northern white-cedar, eastern white-cedar, or arborvitae, is an evergreen coniferous tree, in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is native to eastern Canada and much of the north-central and northeastern United States. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is not to be confused with Juniperus virginiana.

<i>Picea abies</i> Species of plant

Picea abies, the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone pine</span> Species of pine tree

The stone pine, botanical name Pinus pinea, also known as the Italian stone pine, Mediterranean stone pine, umbrella pine and parasol pine, is a tree from the pine family (Pinaceae). The tree is native to the Mediterranean region, occurring in Southern Europe and the Levant. The species was introduced into North Africa millennia ago, and is also naturalized in the Canary Islands, South Africa and New South Wales.

<i>Picea omorika</i> Species of conifer

Picea omorika, commonly known as the Pančić spruce or Serbian spruce, is a species of coniferous tree endemic to the Drina River valley in western Serbia, and eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a total range of only about 60 ha, at 800–1,600 m (2,600–5,200 ft) altitude. It was originally discovered near the Serbian village of Zaovine, on Mount Tara, in 1875, and named by the Serbian botanist Josif Pančić; the specific epithet omorika is simply the Serbian word for the tree.

<i>Pinus heldreichii</i> Species of conifer

Pinus heldreichii, the Bosnian pine or Heldreich's pine, is a species of pine native to mountainous areas of the Balkans and southern Italy.

<i>Chamaecyparis obtusa</i> Tree, a species of cypress

Chamaecyparis obtusa 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 ornamental qualities, with many cultivars commercially available.

<i>Chamaecyparis pisifera</i> Species of conifer

Chamaecyparis pisifera is a species of false cypress, native to central and southern Japan, on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū.

<i>Cedrus deodara</i> Species of plant

Cedrus deodara, the deodar cedar, Himalayan cedar, or deodar, is a species of cedar native to the Himalayas.

<i>Abies pinsapo</i> Species of plant in the family Pinaceae

Abies pinsapo, Spanish fir, is a species of tree in the family Pinaceae, native to southern Spain and northern Morocco. Related to other species of Mediterranean firs, it appears at altitudes of 900–1,800 metres (3,000–5,900 ft) in the Sierra de Grazalema in the Province of Cádiz and the Sierra de las Nieves and Sierra Bermeja, both near Ronda in the province of Málaga. In Morocco, it is limited to the Rif Mountains at altitudes of 1,400–2,100 metres (4,600–6,900 ft) on Jebel Tissouka and Jebel Tazaot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abietoideae</span> Subfamily of the conifer family Pinaceae

Abietoideae is a subfamily of the conifer family Pinaceae. The name is from the genus Abies (firs), which contains most of the species in the genus. Six genera are currently assigned to this subfamily: Abies, Cedrus, Keteleeria, Nothotsuga, Pseudolarix, and Tsuga.

<i>Abies cilicica</i> Species of conifer

Abies cilicica, also known as Cilician fir or Taurus fir, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is found in Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. Abies cilicica and Cedrus libani, together with Acer hyrcanum subsp. tauricolum and Sorbus torminalis subsp. orientalis, are the predominant trees in the phytocoenosis Abeti-Cedrion, a type of forest of the middle and eastern Taurus Mountains of Turkey. These forests occur between 800 and 2,100 meters elevation. Over 5,000 years of logging, burning, and grazing have reduced these forests to enclaves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests</span>

Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests is an ecoregion, in the temperate coniferous forest biome, which occupies the high mountain ranges of North Africa. The term is also a botanically recognized plant association in the African and Mediterranean literature.

<i>Cedrus libani <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> brevifolia</i> Species of conifer

Cedrus libani var. brevifolia, the Cyprus cedar, is a species of conifer in the genus Cedrus. It is native to the Troödos Mountains of central Cyprus. It grows in the Cedar Valley in Pafos State Forest.

<i>Rhododendron decorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Rhododendron decorum, the great white rhododendron is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae. It is an evergreen shrub native to high forested regions of northern Myanmar and Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan, China growing at altitudes of 1,800–4,000 m (5,900–13,100 ft). Depending on the growing environment it can be found as a shrub or small tree of 1–6 m (3.3–19.7 ft), with leathery leaves that are oblong, oblong-ovate or oblong-elliptic in shape and between 5–19 cm in length and 3–11 cm in width. Flowers are borne in trusses, white to pale pink, with a yellow throat, large and very fragrant.

References

  1. Thomas, P. (2013). "Cedrus atlantica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T42303A2970716. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42303A2970716.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Gaussen, H. (1964). Genre Cedrus. Les Formes Actuelles. Trav. Lab. For. Toulouse T2 V1 11: 295-320
  3. Gymnosperm database Cedrus.
  4. GRIN Taxonomy for Plants Cedrus Archived 2009-01-20 at the Wayback Machine .
  5. NCBI Taxonomy Browser Cedrus.
  6. Flora of China vol. 4
  7. Qiao, C.-Y., Jin-Hua Ran, Yan Li and Xiao-Quan Wang (2007): Phylogeny and Biogeography of Cedrus (Pinaceae) Inferred from Sequences of Seven Paternal Chloroplast and Maternal Mitochondrial DNA Regions. Annals of Botany100(3):573-580. Available online
  8. 1 2 Farjon, A. (1990). Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN   3-87429-298-3.
  9. Farjon, A. (2008). A Natural History of Conifers. Timber Press ISBN   0-88192-869-0.
  10. Christou, K. A. (1991). The genetic and taxonomic status of Cyprus cedar, Cedrus brevifolia (Hook.) Henry. Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece.
  11. Güner, A., Özhatay, N., Ekim, T., & Başer, K. H. C. (ed.). 2000. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 11 (Supplement 2): 5–6. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN   0-7486-1409-5
  12. Eckenwalder, J. E. (2009). Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference. Timber Press ISBN   0-88192-974-3.
  13. Schwarz, O. (1944). Anatolica. Feddes Repertorium 54: 26-34.
  14. C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Archived August 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  15. Walters, W. M. (1986). European Garden Flora Vol 1. ISBN   0-521-24859-0.
  16. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 16. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  17. "RHS Plantfinder - Cedrus atlantica 'Aurea'". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  18. "RHS Plantfinder - Cedrus atlantica (Glauca Group) 'Glauca'". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  19. "RHS Plantfinder - Cedrus atlantica (Glauca Group) 'Glauca Pendula'". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  20. "The White House Historical Association > Picturing the President's House". Archived from the original on 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2009-04-15.