Arizona Cypress

Bark texture and foliage features have been used to distinguish geographic varieties or segregate species. Although bark texture may be consistent within populations, over the species as a whole there is complete intergradation between smooth and fibrous barks. Various forms are commonly cultivated and sometimes persistent in the southern United States.

Medium sized tree up to 13 m tall, usually with a broad columnar habit. Branchlets ± stout. Leaves glaucous, ovate, obtuse. Cones up to 25 mm broad; scales 6‑8 with ± stout curved processes.

Trees to 23 m, shrubby where subject to fires; crown conic at first, broadly columnar with age, dense. Bark smooth at first, remaining so or becoming rough, furrowed, fibrous. Branchlets decussate, 1.3--2.3 mm diam. Leaves usually with conspicuous, pitlike, abaxial gland that produces drop of resin, often highly glaucous. Pollen cones 2--5 ´ 2 mm; pollen sacs mostly 4--6. Seed cones globose or oblong, mostly 2--3 cm, gray or brown, often glaucous at first; scales mostly 3--4 pairs, smooth or with scattered resin blisters, sometimes with erect conic umbos to 4 mm, especially on apical scales. Seeds mostly 4--6 mm, light tan to dark brown, not glaucous to heavily glaucous. 2 n = 22.

Trees to 25 m tall; bark smooth when young, remaining so or becoming rough, furrowed, and fibrous; crown conical when young, becoming broadly columnar with age, dense; branches ascending, stout; ultimate branchlets 4-angled, 1-2 mm in diam. Leaves bluish green, slightly glaucous, ridged abaxially, with a conspicuous abaxial gland, apex acute. Pollen cones 2-5 × ca. 2 mm; microsporophylls mostly each with 4-6 pollen sacs. Seed cones gray or brown, often glaucous initially, globose or oblong, mostly 2-3 cm; cone scales 6-8, each fertile scale with numerous seeds. Seeds mostly 4-6 mm.

Distribution: A native of Arizona, Mexico, California, widely cultivated elsewhere.

Ariz., Calif., N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico.

A tree cultivated for its attractive foliage.

Canyon bottoms, pinyon-juniper woodland, chaparral; 750--2000m.

Cultivated. Guangxi, Jiangsu, Jiangxi [native to N Mexico, SW United States]

Cupressus arizonica var. glabra (Sudworth) Little; C. arizonica var. nevadensis (Abrams) Little; C. arizonica var. stephensonii (C. B. Wolf) Little; C. glabra Sudworth; C. nevadensis Abrams; C. stephensonii C. B. Wolf