National Botanic Garden of Wales, United Kingdom

Common name: Taiwan cedar, Taiwan cypress, Formosan cypress

Family: Cupressaceae (Cypress)

Distribution: Taiwan

Habitat: Forest

IUCN Red list: Endangered

Life form: Evergreen tree • Coeden bythwyrdd

Geirdarddiad / Etymology: Chamaecyparis (kam-ee-SIP-a-riss): Greek chamea- (dwarf) and -kupeiros the ancient Greek name for the Cypress (ironically this is not a dwarf tree).

Geirdarddiad / Etymology: formosensis: From Formosa (now Taiwan).

Description: Tree to 50-65 m tall, with trunk to 5-7 m in diameter. Bark reddish brown. Crown deeply dome-shaped. Branchlet sprays stiff or slightly drooping, with waxy white stomatal patches beneath. Scale leaves 1.5-3 mm long, without glands. Leaf tips short-pointed, triangular, those of facial leaves not touching the base of the next pair. Pollen cones 2-3 mm long, with six to eight pairs of pollen scales, each scale usually with three yellow pollen sacs. Seed cones oblong, 10-12 mm long, 8-9 mm across, with five to seven pairs of seed scales. Seeds (one or) two or three (to six) per scale, 2-3 mm long and wide, including the wings.