Widdringtonia description

Widdringtonia Endlicher 1842

Common Names

Cypress pine, African cypress.

Taxonomic notes

Syn: Pachylepis Brongn. 1833; Parolinia Endl. 1841 (Farjon 1998).

Description

Monoecious evergreen shrubs or trees. As with many other species in the family, the leaves have distinct juvenile and adult foliage, with needle-like, spirally arranged juvenile leaves, and scale-like adult leaves pressed tightly against the branchlets (decussate or alternate). Pollen cones are ca. 4 mm long, terminal on short spur-branchlets. Female cones are woody, 13-25 mm diameter, solitary or in clusters on elongated shoots. Cone scales are usually 4 of equal size, rarely 5 or 6, arranged in a whorl, the scales opening to allow pollination and then closing again. Each scale terminates in a thick, woody, smooth to warty face, or valve, and each has several ovules at the base. The seeds are ovoid with a papery wing. The wood is fragrant (Palgrave 2002). Palgrave (2002) also provides the following key:

1. a. Adult leaves on end branchlets ovate; valves (or faces) of the female cones conspicuously rough and warty 2

b. Adult leaves on end branchlets narrowly oblong; valves (or faces) of the female cones smooth, wrinkled or only slightly warty; fairly widespread in mountain areas W. nodiflora

2. a. Seeds oval, 3-cornered; wing comparatively small; occurring in the Cedarberg, Clanwilliam district W. cedarbergensis

b. Seeds rather flattened with a conspicuous wing; occurring in the Willowmore district W. schwarzii

Common Names

Taxonomic notes

Description

Range

Big Tree

Oldest

Dendrochronology

Ethnobotany

Observations

Remarks

Citations

See Also