cypress

Cypress trees typically reach heights of up to {{Convert|25|m|ft}} 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 {{Convert|6|m|ft}}. 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.

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.

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.{{Cite web |title=Cupressus sempervirens L. GRIN-Global |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=12665 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Cupressus lusitanica Mill. var. lusitanica GRIN-Global |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=318471 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}}
• Chamaecyparis:
• Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, known as the Lawson's cypress or Port Orford cedar.{{Cite web |title=Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murray bis) Parl. GRIN-Global |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=10064 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}} This is a native species to Oregon and northwestern California.
• Taxodium:
• Taxodium ascendens, commonly known as pond cypress{{Cite PLANTS|symbol=TAAS|taxon=Taxodium ascendens|access-date=2024-04-28}} and native to North America.
• Taxodium distichum, commonly known as bald cypress and native to the southeastern United States.{{Cite web |title=Taxodium distichum (L |url=https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_1/taxodium/distichum.htm |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.srs.fs.usda.gov}}
• Taxodium mucronatum, commonly known as Montezuma cypress or Montezuma bald cypress.{{Cite web |title=Taxodium mucronatum Ten. GRIN-Global |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=80068 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}} It is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and southern-central United States.
• Calocedrus:
• Calocedrus decurrens, which has the common names bastard-cedar, incense-cedar and California incense cedar.{{Cite web |title=Calocedrus decurrens (Torr.) Florin GRIN-Global |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=8615 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}} They are native to North America, specifically California, Oregon, Nevada, and Mexico.
• Thuja:
• Platycladus orientalis or Thuja orientalis,{{Cite web |title=Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco GRIN-Global |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=310211 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}} commonly known as Chinese thuja and native to China and Korea.
• Thujopsis:
• Thujopsis dolabrata, also known as asunaro and hiba.{{Cite web |title=Thujopsis dolabrata (Thunb. ex L. f.) Siebold & Zucc. GRIN-Global |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=36596 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}} This is a native species of Japan.

Other species include:

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• African cypress (Widdringtonia species), native to Southern Africa{{cite journal|last1=Pauw|first1=C.A.|last2=Linder|first2=H.P.|year=1997|title=Widdringtonia systematics, ecology and conservation status|journal=Bot. J. Linn. Soc.|volume=123|pages=297–319|doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.1997.tb01421.x|doi-access=free}}
• Bald, Pond, and Montezuma cypresses (Taxodium species), native to North America
• Chinese swamp cypress (Glyptostrobus pensilis), Vietnam, critically endangered{{Cite iucn | author = Thomas, P. | author2 = Yang, Y. | author3 = Farjon, A. | author4 = Nguyen, D. | author5 = Liao, W. | name-list-style = amp | title = Glyptostrobus pensilis | volume = 2011 | page = e.T32312A9695181 | date = 2011 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T32312A9695181.en | access-date = 9 January 2018}}
• Cordilleran cypress (Austrocedrus chilensis), native to Chile and Argentina{{cite book|last=Farjon|first=A.|year=2005|title=Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys|publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|isbn=1-84246-068-4}}
• Cypress-pines (Actinostrobus species), southwestern Australia{{Flora of Australia Online|name=Actinostrobus|id=57305}}
• Cypress-pines (Callitris species), Australia and New Caledonia{{cite web|url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=382326|title=Callitris|work=Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families}}
• False cypress (Chamaecyparis species), Asia and North America.{{cite web|url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=382810|title=Chamaecyparis|work=Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families}}
• Fujian cypress (Fokienia hodginsii), southeastern China{{cite iucn |author=Thomas, P. |author2=Yang, Y. |date=2013 |title=Chamaecyparis hodginsii |volume=2013 |page=e.T32351A2815809 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T32351A2815809.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}
• Guaitecas cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum), western Patagonia{{cite book |last1=Luebert |first1=Federico |last2=Pliscoff |first2=Patricio |date=2017|orig-year=2006 |title=Sinopsis bioclimática y vegetacional de Chile|edition=2nd |location=Santiago de Chile |publisher=Editorial Universitaria |pages=192–195 and 208–209|isbn=978-956-11-2575-9 |language=es }} and Tierra del Fuego
• 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{{cite web|first1=C. Michael|last1=Hogan|first2=Michael P.|last2=Frankis|year=2009|url=http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=62524|title=Monterey Cypress: Cupressus macrocarpa|publisher=GlobalTwitcher.com|access-date=2017-03-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906035305/http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=62524|archive-date=2017-09-06|url-status=dead}}
• Nootka cypress (Cupressus nootkatensis), native to the Pacific Northwest of North America{{Cite PLANTS |date=2015 |symbol=CUNO|taxon=Cupressus nootkatensis}}
• 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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{{center|Plants named cypress}}

File:Actinostrobos arenarius fruits murchison.JPG|Actinostrobus arenarius

File:Austrocedrus chilensis por pabloendemico - 001.jpg|Austrocedrus chilensis

File:Slender Cypress-pine.jpg|Callitris preissii

File:Chamaecyparis Pisifera bonsai.JPG|Chamaecyparis pisifera, bonsai

File:Lone Cypress Sunset.JPG|Cupressus macrocarpa, Monterey Peninsula, California

File:Nootka Cypress.jpg|Cupressus nootkatensis

File:Flickr - lo.tangelini - i.jpg|Cupressus sempervirens (Mediterranean Cypress), Tuscany, Italy

File:Fokienia hodginsii - Kunming Botanical Garden - DSC03140.JPG|Fokienia hodginsii

File:Fitzroya cupressoides (da Silvio Rossi).jpg|Fitzroya cupressoides

File:Glyptostrobus pensilis 2007.06.28 10.10.35-p6280031.jpg|Glyptostrobus pensilis foliage

File:Pilgerodendron uviferum.jpg|Pilgerodendron uviferum

File:Taxodium ascendens in the Black Water, Okefenokee.jpg|Taxodium ascendens, Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia (USA)

File:Widdringtonia whytei Mulanje Malawi.jpg|Widdringtonia whytei, Malawi

The word cypress is derived from Old French cipres, which was imported from Latin cypressus, the latinisation of the Greek κυπάρισσος (kyparissos).[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dkupa%2Frissos κυπάρισσος],

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library{{cite web |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=cypress |website=www.etymonline.com}}

In Greek mythology, Cyparissos, Cyparissus or Kyparissos (Ancient Greek: Κυπάρισσος, "cypress") was a male lover of Apollo,{{Cite web |last=Parry |first=Katy |date=2022-01-14 |title=Cupressus sempervirens |url=https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/cupressus-sempervirens/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Chelsea Physic Garden |language=en-GB}} 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.{{Cite web |title=24/7 Emergency Care in Cypress: Fairfield Emergency Room |url=https://fairfieldemergencyroom.com/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Fairfield Emergency Room}}

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. 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.

• Cypress forest
• Hyrcanian forest
• Pine-cypress forest

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Category:Cupressaceae

Category:Symbols of Hades