Cypress
Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}}Template:Distinguish 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.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DescriptionEdit
Cypress trees typically reach heights of up to Template:Convert and exhibit a pyramidal form, particularly in their youth. Many are characterised by their needle-like, evergreen foliage and acorn-like seed cones. Some species develop flattened, spreading heads at maturity, while certain variants may manifest as shrubs, standing at less than Template:Convert. The bark of cypress trees varies, with some species having smooth surfaces, while most exhibit bark that separates into thin plates or strips, often shedding over time. Leaves of young cypress trees are spreading and awl-shaped, and are typically small, scale-like formations that tightly adhere to older branches. They are usually aromatic, with glandular pits on the outer surface, and cover the stem in opposite pairs, giving the branchlet a four-sided appearance.<ref name=":0" />
SpeciesEdit
Cypress is any of the twelve species of ornamental and timber evergreen conifers constituting the genus Cupressus of the family Cupressaceae. Many resinous, aromatic evergreen trees called cypress belong to other genera of the same family, especially species of false cypress and cypress pine. The name cypress is occasionally used for some species of fustic and for bald cypress, and it often denotes jack pine in eastern Canada.<ref name=":0" />
Species that are commonly known as cypresses include:
- Cypress (multiple species within the genus Cupressus):
- Cupressus sempervirens, a common cypress also referred to as Italian cypress and Mediterranean cypress.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Iran.
- Hesperocyparis lusitanica, commonly known as the Mexican cypress, which is native to Mexico and Central America.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Chamaecyparis:
- Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, known as the Lawson's cypress or Port Orford cedar.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> This is a native species to Oregon and northwestern California.<ref name=":2" />
- Taxodium:
- Taxodium ascendens, commonly known as pond cypress<ref>Template:Cite PLANTS</ref> and native to North America.
- Taxodium distichum, commonly known as bald cypress and native to the southeastern United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Taxodium mucronatum, commonly known as Montezuma cypress or Montezuma bald cypress.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and southern-central United States.<ref name=":3" />
- Calocedrus:
- Calocedrus decurrens, which has the common names bastard-cedar, incense-cedar and California incense cedar.<ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> They are native to North America, specifically California, Oregon, Nevada, and Mexico.<ref name=":4" />
- Thuja:
- Platycladus orientalis or Thuja orientalis,<ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> commonly known as Chinese thuja and native to China and Korea.<ref name=":5" />
- Thujopsis:
- Thujopsis dolabrata, also known as asunaro and hiba.<ref name=":6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> This is a native species of Japan.<ref name=":6" />
Other species include:
- African cypress (Widdringtonia species), native to Southern Africa<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Bald, Pond, and Montezuma cypresses (Taxodium species), native to North America
- Chinese swamp cypress (Glyptostrobus pensilis), Vietnam, critically endangered<ref>Template:Cite iucn</ref>
- Cordilleran cypress (Austrocedrus chilensis), native to Chile and Argentina<ref name=farjon>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Cypress-pines (Actinostrobus species), southwestern Australia<ref>Template:Flora of Australia Online</ref>
- Cypress-pines (Callitris species), Australia and New Caledonia<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- False cypress (Chamaecyparis species), Asia and North America.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Fujian cypress (Fokienia hodginsii), southeastern China<ref>Template:Cite iucn</ref>
- Guaitecas cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum), western Patagonia<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Tierra del Fuego<ref name=farjon/>
- Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), East Asia
- Patagonian cypress (Fitzroya cupressoides), southern Chile and Argentina
- Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), famous for its longevity, popular garden plant
- Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), native to the Monterey Peninsula, California<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Nootka cypress (Cupressus nootkatensis), native to the Pacific Northwest of North America<ref>Template:Cite PLANTS</ref>
- Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata)
- Summer cypress (Bassia scoparia), in the family Amaranthaceae
- Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), native to North America.
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- Actinostrobos arenarius fruits murchison.JPG
Actinostrobus arenarius
- Austrocedrus chilensis por pabloendemico - 001.jpg
Austrocedrus chilensis
- Slender Cypress-pine.jpg
Callitris preissii
- Chamaecyparis Pisifera bonsai.JPG
- Lone Cypress Sunset.JPG
Cupressus macrocarpa, Monterey Peninsula, California
- Nootka Cypress.jpg
Cupressus nootkatensis
- Fokienia hodginsii - Kunming Botanical Garden - DSC03140.JPG
Fokienia hodginsii
- Fitzroya cupressoides (da Silvio Rossi).jpg
Fitzroya cupressoides
- Glyptostrobus pensilis 2007.06.28 10.10.35-p6280031.jpg
Glyptostrobus pensilis foliage
- Pilgerodendron uviferum.jpg
- Taxodium ascendens in the Black Water, Okefenokee.jpg
Taxodium ascendens, Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia (USA)
- Widdringtonia whytei Mulanje Malawi.jpg
EtymologyEdit
The word cypress is derived from Old French cipres, which was imported from Latin cypressus, the latinisation of the Greek κυπάρισσος (kyparissos).<ref>κυπάρισσος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
SymbologyEdit
In Greek mythology, Cyparissos, Cyparissus or Kyparissos (Ancient Greek: Κυπάρισσος, "cypress") was a male lover of Apollo,<ref name=":7">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as other deities in other versions of mythology.
In the most prevalent version of the story, Cyparissus receives a stag as a gift from Apollo, which he accidentally kills with a spear while hunting in the forest. Cyparissus is overwhelmed by pain and sorrow, and asks Apollo to allow his tears to flow for eternity. Apollo transforms Cyparissus into a cypress tree, and the sap that typically drips down the tree's trunk represents Cyparissus' tears.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Consequently, the cypress emerged as a symbol of mourning, sadness, and loss in classical mythology, thereby serving an aetiological purpose in explaining its cultural significance.<ref name=":7" /> Due to its connection to grief, the cypress became one of the symbols of Hades and has been planted in cemeteries since the classical era. During the Renaissance period, the myth of Kyparissos was revived, and is depicted in several works of art and poetry.<ref name=":7" />