Hesperocyparis goveniana

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Hesperocyparis goveniana
Cupressusgoveniana1.jpg
Hesperocyparis goveniana at the UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley, California
Status TNC G2.svg
Imperiled  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Cupressales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Hesperocyparis
Species:
H. goveniana
Binomial name
Hesperocyparis goveniana
((Gordon) Bartel
Cupressus goveniana range map 4.png
Natural range of Hesperocyparis goveniana ( sensu stricto )
Synonyms [3]
List
    • Callitropsis goveniana (Gordon) D.P.Little
    • Cupressus goveniana Gordon
    • Cupressus aromatica Gordon & Glend.
    • Cupressus attenuata Gordon & Glend.
    • Cupressus barkeri J.Dix
    • Cupressus bourgeaui Gordon
    • Cupressus californica Carrière
    • Cupressus cornuta Carrière
    • Cupressus goveniana var. attenuata (Gordon & Glend.) Carrière
    • Cupressus goveniana var. cornuta (Carrière) Carrière
    • Cupressus goveniana subsp. gibsonensis Silba
    • Cupressus goveniana var. glauca Carrière
    • Cupressus goveniana var. gracilis Carrière
    • Cupressus goveniana var. huberiana Carrière
    • Cupressus goveniana var. parva Lemmon
    • Cupressus goveniana var. pendula A.Henry
    • Cupressus goveniana var. viridis Carrière
    • Juniperus aromatica Carrière
    • Neocupressus goveniana (Gordon) de Laub.

Hesperocyparis goveniana commonly known as Californian cypress [4] and Gowen cypress, [5] is a species of western cypress that is endemic to a small area of coastal California near Monterey. It was formerly classified as Cupressus goveniana.

Contents

Distribution

The tree is endemic to the Monterey Peninsula in coastal Monterey County, located on the Central Coast of California, in the Western United States.

The tree is found in small, scattered populations, and not in large forests of its species. Hesperocyparis goveniana occurs with Hesperocyparis macrocarpa (Monterey cypress), in the two groves where the Monterey cypress occurs naturally, in Monterey County. [6] Outside of California, Hesperocyparis goveniana has been introduced to Robinson Crusoe Island in Chile. [7]

It is on the IUCN Red List of endangered species. [1]

Description

Hesperocyparis goveniana is an evergreen tree with a conic to ovoid-conic crown, very variable in size, with mature trees of under 1 m (3 ft 3 in) on some sites, to 50 m (160 ft) tall in ideal conditions. [8]

The foliage grows in dense sprays, dark green to somewhat yellow-green in color. The leaves are scale-like, 2–5 mm (0.08–0.20 in) long, and produced on rounded (not flattened) shoots.

The seed cones are globose to oblong, 11–22 mm (0.43–0.87 in) long, with 6 to 10 scales, green at first, maturing brown or gray-brown about 20–24 months after pollination. The cones remain closed for many years, only opening after the parent tree is killed in a wildfire, thereby allowing the seeds to colonize the bare ground exposed by the fire. The male cones are 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long, and release pollen in February/March.

Typically cones of H. goveniana are smaller than those of H. macrocarpa.

Taxonomy

Hesperocyparis goveniana was first described and given the scientific name Cupressus goveniana by George Gordon in 1849. [3] It was described from a specimen grown in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society from seed collected by Karl Theodor Hartweg. It was named by Gordon for the then secretary of the society, James Robert Gowen. [9] In 2009 genetic research into the relationships of Cupressus and Juniperus lead to the reclassification of almost all the new world species into a new genus, Hesperocyparis by Jim A. Bartel. [3] This move has been disputed, [10] but as of 2024 Plants of the World Online (POWO), [3] World Flora Online (WFO), [11] and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database (PLANTS) all list Hesperocyparis goveniana as the correct name. [12]

The varieties or subspecies, formerly included under Cupressus goveniana include:

Monterey County, strictly coastal, within 3 km (1.9 mi) of the coast and below 200 m (660 ft) altitude. Foliage dark green, not rough, with leaf tips not spreading; cones globose.
Mendocino and Sonoma counties, coastal, within 10 km (6.2 mi) of the coast and below 500 m (1,600 ft) altitude. [14]
Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, in the Santa Cruz Mountains 10–20 km (6.2–12.4 mi) inland and at 300–760 m (980–2,490 ft) altitude. With yellow–green foliage slightly rough-textured from the acute and slightly spreading leaf tips; cones often oval. [16]

Related Research Articles

Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the Cupressus genus of the Cupressaceae family, typically found in warm-temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America.

<i>Cupressus</i> Several genera of evergreen conifers

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 genus Cupressus is found in the subfamily Cupressoideae. The common name "cypress" comes via the Old French cipres from the Latin cyparissus, which is the latinisation of the Greek κυπάρισσος (kypárissos).

<i>Hesperocyparis macrocarpa</i> Species of conifer

Hesperocyparis macrocarpa also known as Cupressus macrocarpa, or the Monterey cypress is a coniferous tree, and is one of several species of cypress trees endemic to California.

<i>Callitropsis nootkatensis</i> Species of conifer

Callitropsis nootkatensis, formerly known as Cupressus nootkatensis, is a species of tree in the cypress family native to the coastal regions of northwestern North America. This species goes by many common names including: Nootka cypress, yellow cypress, Alaska cypress, Nootka cedar, yellow cedar, Alaska cedar, and Alaska yellow cedar. The specific epithet nootkatensis is derived from the species being from the area of Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. Both locations are named for the older European name Nootka, given the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation.

<i>Hesperocyparis arizonica</i> Species of conifer

Hesperocyparis arizonica, the Arizona cypress, is a North American species of tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. Populations may be scattered rather than in large, dense stands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern California coastal forests</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion in northern California and southwestern Oregon

The Northern California coastal forests are a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of coastal Northern California and southwestern Oregon.

<i>Hesperocyparis bakeri</i> Western North American species of conifer

Hesperocyparis bakeri, previously known Cupressus bakeri, with the common names Baker cypress, Modoc cypress, or Siskiyou cypress, is a rare species of western cypress tree endemic to a small area across far northern California and extreme southwestern Oregon, in the western United States.

<i>Hesperocyparis pygmaea</i> Californian species of western cypress

Hesperocyparis pygmaea, the Mendocino cypress or pygmy cypress, is a taxon of disputed status in the western cypress genus. It is endemic to certain coastal terraces and coastal mountain ranges of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties in northwestern California. It is a variable tree, and closely related to Hesperocyparis abramsiana and Hesperocyparis goveniana, enough to sometimes be considered conspecific with them.

<i>Hesperocyparis guadalupensis</i> Island endemic species of western cypress tree

Hesperocyparis guadalupensis, commonly known as Guadalupe cypress, is a species of western cypress from Guadalupe Island in the Pacific Ocean off the western coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. It was previously known as Cupressus guadalupensis until 2009. It is a medium-sized tree with fine green to blue-green foliage. In its native habitat it depends on water from the fogs that envelop high ground in the northern half of the island. It became an endangered species due to feral goats living on Guadalupe Island that – for more than a century – prevented new trees from growing. In 2005 the goats were finally removed from the tree's island home as part of an island restoration project. New trees are growing and other plants are beginning to recover, though the future of the species is not yet assured. Guadalupe cypress is closely related to the vulnerable Tecate cypress, which grows on the mainland in Baja California and southern California. It is used as an ornamental tree in Mediterranean climates, particularly in Europe, but has no other significant human uses.

<i>Hesperocyparis abramsiana</i> Californian species of western cypress

The Santa Cruz cypress is a species of North American tree within the cypress family. The species is endemic to the Santa Cruz Mountains within the Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties of west-central California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species on the Endangered Species Act in 1987 due to increasing threats from habitat loss and disruption of natural forest fire regimes. In 2016, the conservation status of the Santa Cruz cypress changed to Threatened. The cited reasoning was a decrease in threats against their habitat.

<i>Hesperocyparis lusitanica</i> Central American and Mexican species of western cypress

Hesperocyparis lusitanica, the Mexican cypress, cedar-of-Goa or Goa cedar, is a species of cypress native to Mexico and Central America. It has also been introduced to Belize, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, growing at 1,200–3,000 metres (3,900–9,800 ft) altitude.

<i>Hesperocyparis macnabiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Hesperocyparis macnabiana is a species of western cypress in from California that was previously named Cupressus macnabiana.

<i>Hesperocyparis sargentii</i> Californian species of western cypress tree

Hesperocyparis sargentii is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae known by the common name Sargent's cypress. It is endemic to California, where it is known from Mendocino County southwards to Santa Barbara County. This taxon is limited to the Coast Range mountains. It grows in forests with other conifers, as well as chaparral and other local mountain habitat, usually in pure stands on serpentine soils. It generally grows 10 to 15 meters tall, but it is known to exceed 22 meters. On Carson Ridge in Marin County, as well as Hood Mountain in Sonoma County, the species comprises a pygmy forest of trees which do not attain heights greater than 240–360 cm due to high mineral concentrations in the serpentine soil.

<i>Hesperocyparis forbesii</i> Western North American species of western cypress

Hesperocyparis forbesii, with the common names Tecate cypress or Forbes' cypress, is a nonflowering, seed bearing tree species of western cypress native to southwestern North America in California and Baja California. It was formerly known as Cupressus forbesii.

<i>Hesperocyparis stephensonii</i> Californian species of western cypress

Hesperocyparis stephensonii is a species of western cypress known as the Cuyamaca cypress that is found only in two very small areas in Southern California and northwestern Baja California.

<i>Hesperocyparis nevadensis</i> Californian species of western cypress

Hesperocyparis nevadensis is a species of western cypress tree with the common name Paiute cypress native to a small area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California in the western United States. It was formerly known as Cupressus nevadensis.

<i>Hesperocyparis</i> Genus of conifers

Hesperocyparis is a genus of trees in the family Cupressaceae, containing North American species otherwise assigned to the genus Cupressus. They are found throughout western North America. Only a few species have wide ranges, with most being restricted-range endemics.

<i>Hesperocyparis montana</i> Species of conifer

Hesperocyparis montana, commonly known as the San Pedro Mártir cypress or San Pedro cypress, is a species of conifer. It is a tree native to the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir of Baja California state in northwestern Mexico.

<i>Hesperocyparis revealiana</i> Species of conifer

Hesperocyparis revealiana is a rare Mexican species of conifer in the cypress family, is endemic to a small area of the State of Baja California in northwestern Mexico.

References

  1. 1 2 Farjon, A. (2013). "Cupressus goveniana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T42219A2962566. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42219A2962566.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. NatureServe (2024). "Cupressus goveniana". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Hesperocyparis goveniana (Gordon) Bartel". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  4. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  5. "Cupressus goveniana Gordon – (not an active name) – Gowen cypress". CalFlora. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  6. Hogan, C. Michael; Frankis, Michael P. "Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa)". iGoTerra.com. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  7. Greimler, Josef; Lopez, Patricio; Stuessy, Tod F.; Dirnbiick, Thomas (July 2002). "The Vegetation of Robinson Crusoe Island (Isla Masatierra), Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile". Pacific Science. 56 (3). University of Hawai'i Press: 263–284 [277]. doi:10.1353/psc.2002.0022 via Scholarspace.
  8. "Hesperocyparis goveniana (Gordon) Bartel". Jepson eFlora: Taxon page. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  9. Gordon, George (1849). "New Plants, Etc., From the Society's Garden". The Journal of the Horticultural Society of London. IV. London: 295–296. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  10. Mаеrki, Didier (31 January 2017). "Editorial: Recent developments in the taxonomy of the genus Cupressus and consequences for their conservation" (PDF). Bulletin of the Cupressus Conservation Project. 6 (1): 3–24. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  11. "Hesperocyparis goveniana (Gordon) Bartel". World Flora Online . Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  12. Hesperocyparis goveniana, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Profile, 8 February 2024
  13. Calflora Database: Hesperocyparis pygmaea
  14. Gymnosperm Database: C. goveniana var. pygmaea (Hesperocyparis pygmaea)
  15. CalFlora Database: Hesperocyparis abramsiana
  16. Gymnosperm Database: C. goveniana var. abramsiana (Hesperocyparis abramsiana)