Cupressus gigantea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Cupressales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Cupressus
Species:
C. gigantea
Binomial name
Cupressus gigantea
Synonyms

Cupressus gigantea, the Tibetan cypress, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae in Asia. C. gigantea was previously classified as a subspecies of Cupressus torulosa because of their similar morphological characteristics and close distribution, but have since been genetically distinguished as separate species.[2]

Distribution

It is endemic to Southeast Tibet - China on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, particularly in the dry valleys of Nyang River and Yarlung Tsangpo River.[3] Cupressus gigantea is the biggest of all Cupressus species.

King cypress

The biggest known specimen is the famous King Cypress, about 50 meters high, 5.8 meters in diameter, 0.165-acre (670 m2) of crown-projection-area; and calculated age of 2,600 years.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cupressus gigantea.
  1. ^ Zhang, D.; Qin, H.-n.; Christian, T.; Rushforth, K. (2013). "Cupressus gigantea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T32336A2815433. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T32336A2815433.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. ^ Fu, Yaru; Li, Shaoke; Guo, Qiqiang; Zheng, Weilie; Yang, Rui; Li, Huie (2019-02-21). "Genetic diversity and population structure of two endemic Cupressus (Cupressaceae) species on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau". Journal of Genetics. 98 (1): 14. doi:10.1007/s12041-019-1059-4. ISSN 0973-7731. PMID 30945670. S2CID 67790943.
  3. ^ Li, Shaoke; Qian, Zengqiang; Fu, Yaru; Zheng, Weilie; Li, Huie (2014). "Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellites in the Tibetan cypress Cupressus gigantea using paired-end Illumina shotgun sequencing". Conservation Genetics Resources. 6 (3): 795–797. doi:10.1007/s12686-014-0222-8. ISSN 1877-7252. S2CID 14927898.


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