Jepson eFlora: Key page
Vascular Plants of California
Key to families | Table of families and genera

Key to Cupressaceae

View taxon page for Cupressaceae

 

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Leaves  or awl-like

2. Leaves on sprouting, rapidly growing, or fertile stems awl-like, , not ranked, < 8 mm, on other stems linear (to lance-linear), , ± 2-ranked, 5–25 mm; seed cone 13–35 mm ..... SEQUOIA

2' Leaves awl-like, appressed, ± 4-ranked, < 15 mm; seed cone 40–90 mm ..... SEQUOIADENDRON

1' Leaves  or , scale-like to less often awl- or needle-like

3. Seed cone ± fleshy, berry-like, scales fused; seed  0; leaves whorled in 3s or not ..... JUNIPERUS

3' Seed cone woody, not berry-like, scales ± free; seed wing present, vestigial or not; leaves not whorled in 3s

4. Seed cone ± , scales not , ± overlapping; seeds (1)2 per fertile 

5. Seed cone ± pendent, scales in 3 pairs, middle pair fertile; leaves opposite, appearing whorled in 4s, exposed part of each  longer than wide; seed wings unequal ..... CALOCEDRUS

5' Seed cone  to , scales in 4–6 pairs, middle 2–3 pairs fertile; leaves opposite, ± not appearing whorled in 4s; exposed part of each leaf ± as long as wide; seed wings ± equal ..... THUJA

4' Seed cone ± spheric to widely , scales peltate, abutting; seeds generally many per fertile scale

6. Seed cone maturing 1st year, scale projection generally present, <= 1 mm, base  from edge; leaves of 2 kinds ..... CHAMAECYPARIS

6' Seed cone maturing 2nd year, scale projection generally > 1 mm, especially 1st year, base level with or rising from edge; leaves of 1 kind (except Callitropsis)

7. Ultimate 3 orders of shoots in 2-dimensional, pendent clusters; seed cone opening, falling at maturity, scales generally 4–6 ..... CALLITROPSIS

7' Ultimate 3 orders of shoots in 3-dimensional, spreading clusters (except sometimes Hesperocyparis macnabiana); seed cone generally closed, falling many years after maturity, scales generally 6–12 ..... HESPEROCYPARIS

 

Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.