Cupressaceae or thecypress family is a family ofconifers. The family includes 27–30 genera (17monotypic), which include thejunipers andredwoods, with about 130–140 species in total. They aremonoecious,subdioecious or (rarely)dioecioustrees andshrubs up to 116 m (381 ft) tall. Thebark of mature trees is commonly orange- to red-brown and of stringy texture, often flaking or peeling in vertical strips, but smooth, scaly or hard and square-cracked in some species. The family reached its peak of diversity during theMesozoic era.
Theleaves are arranged either spirally, indecussate pairs (opposite pairs, each pair at 90° to the previous pair) or in decussate whorls of three or four, depending on the genus. On young plants, the leaves are needle-like, becoming small and scale-like on mature plants of many genera; some genera and species retain needle-like leaves throughout their lives.[1] Old leaves are mostly not shed individually, but in small sprays of foliage (cladoptosis);[1] exceptions are leaves on the shoots that develop into branches. These leaves eventually fall off individually when the bark starts to flake. Most areevergreen with the leaves persisting 2–10 years, but three genera (Glyptostrobus,Metasequoia andTaxodium) aredeciduous or include deciduous species.
Theseed cones are either woody, leathery, or (inJuniperus) berry-like and fleshy, with one to several ovules per scale. The bract scale and ovuliferous scale are fused together except at the apex, where the bract scale is often visible as a short spine (often called an umbo) on the ovuliferous scale. As with the foliage, the cone scales are arranged spirally, decussate (opposite) or whorled, depending on the genus. Theseeds are mostly small and somewhat flattened, with two narrow wings, one down each side of the seed; rarely (e.g.Actinostrobus) triangular in section with three wings; in some genera (e.g.Glyptostrobus andLibocedrus), one of the wings is significantly larger than the other, and in some others (e.g.Juniperus,Microbiota,Platycladus, andTaxodium) the seed is larger and wingless. The seedlings usually have twocotyledons, but in some species up to six. Thepollen cones are more uniform in structure across the family, 1–20 mm long, with the scales again arranged spirally, decussate (opposite) or whorled, depending on the genus; they may be borne singly at the apex of a shoot (most genera), in the leaf axils (Cryptomeria), in dense clusters (Cunninghamia andJuniperus drupacea), or on discrete long pendulouspanicle-like shoots (Metasequoia andTaxodium).
Cupressaceae is a widely distributed conifer family, with a near-global range in all continents except for Antarctica, stretching from 70°N in arcticNorway (Juniperus communis)[3] to 55°S in southernmostChile (Pilgerodendron uviferum), further south than any other conifer species.[4]Juniperus indica reaches 4930 m altitude inTibet.[5] Most habitats on land are occupied, with the exceptions of polartundra and tropical lowlandrainforest[citation needed] (though several species are important components oftemperate rainforests and tropical highlandcloud forests); they are also rare indeserts, with only a few species able to tolerate severe drought, notablyCupressus dupreziana in the centralSahara. Despite the wide overall distribution, many genera and species show very restricted relictual distributions, and many areendangered species.
Molecular and morphological studies have expanded Cupressaceae to include the genera ofTaxodiaceae, previously treated as a distinct family, but now shown not to differ from the Cupressaceae in any consistent characteristics. The member genera have been placed into five distinct subfamilies of Cupressaceae,Athrotaxidoideae,Cunninghamioideae,Sequoioideae,Taiwanioideae, andTaxodioideae, which form agrade basal to Cupressaceaesensu stricto, containingCallitroideae andCupressoideae. The former Taxodiaceae genus,Sciadopitys, has been moved to a separate monotypic familySciadopityaceae due to being genetically distinct from the rest of the Cupressaceae. In some classifications Cupressaceae is raised to an order, Cupressales. Molecular evidence supports Cupressaceae being thesister group to the yews (familyTaxaceae), from which it diverged during the early-midTriassic. The clade comprising both is sister to Sciadopityaceae, which diverged from them during the early-midPermian.[6] The oldest definitive record of Cupressaceae isAustrohamia minuta from the Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian) of Patagonia, known from many parts of the plant.[7] The reproductive structures ofAustrohamia have strong similarities to those of the primitive living cypress generaTaiwania andCunninghamia. By the Middle to Late Jurassic Cupressaceae were abundant in warm temperate–tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The diversity of the group continued to increase during the Cretaceous period.[8] The earliest appearance of the non-taxodiaceous Cupressaceae (the clade containing Callitroideae and Cupressoideae) is in the mid-Cretaceous, represented by "Widdringtonia" americana from theCenomanian of North America, and they subsequently diversified during the Late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic.[9]
The family is divided into seven subfamilies, based on genetic and morphological analysis as follows:[10][11]
A 2010 study ofActinostrobus andCallitris places the three species ofActinostrobus within an expandedCallitris based on analysis of 42 morphological and anatomical characters.[16]
Phylogeny based on 2000 study of morphological and molecular data.[17] Several further papers have suggested the segregationCupressus species into four total genera.[18][19]
A 2021 molecular study supported a very similar phylogeny but with some slight differences, along with the splitting ofCupressus (found to be paraphyletic):[6]
Juniperus bermudiana was the key toBermuda's shipbuilding industry, and used in building houses, and in furniture. It also comprised the habitat for other endemic and native species, and provided Bermudians with shelter from wind and sun.
Many of the species are importanttimber sources, especially in the generaCalocedrus,Chamaecyparis,Cryptomeria,Cunninghamia,Cupressus,Sequoia,Taxodium, andThuja.Calocedrus decurrens is the main wood used to make wooden pencils, and is also used in chests, paneling, and flooring.[20] In China, cypress wood, known asbaimu orbomu,[21] was carved into furniture, using notablyCupressus funebris,[21] and particularly in tropical areas,Fujian cypress[22] and the aromatic wood ofGlyptostrobus pensilis.[23]Juniperus virginiana has used byNative Americans forwaymarking. Its heartwood is fragrant and used in clothes chests, drawers and closets to repel moths. It is a source of juniper oil used in perfumes and medicines. The wood is also used as long lasting fenceposts and for bows.
Several genera are important in horticulture.Junipers are planted as evergreen trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. Hundreds ofcultivars have been developed,[24] including plants with blue, grey, or yellow foliage.[25]Chamaecyparis andThuja also provide hundreds ofdwarf cultivars as well as trees, includingLawson's cypress.Dawn redwood is widely planted as an ornamental tree because of its excellent horticultural qualities, rapid growth and status as aliving fossil.[26]Giant sequoia is a popular ornamental tree[27] and is occasionally grown for timber.[28] Giant sequoia,[29] Leyland cypress, and Arizona cypress are grown to a small extent asChristmas trees.[30]
Native Americans and early European explorers usedThuja leaves as a cure for scurvy. Distillation ofFokienia roots produces an essential oil calledpemou oil[37] used in medicine and cosmetics.[38]
Recent progress on Endophyte Biology in Cupressaceae, by the groups of Jalal Soltani (Bu-Ali Sina University) andElizabeth Arnold (Arizona University) have revealed prevalent symbioses of endophytes and endofungal bacteria with family Cupressaceae. Furthermore, current and potential uses of Cupressaceous tree's endophytes in agroforestry and medicine is shown by both groups.
The Cupressaceae trees contain a wide range ofextractives, especiallyterpenes andterpenoids,[39] both of which have strong and often pleasant odors.
Theheartwood,bark andleaves are the tree parts richest in terpenes.[40] Some of these compounds are widely distributed in other trees as well, and some are typical for Cupressaceae family. The most known terpenoids found inconifers aresesquiterpenoids,diterpenes andtropolones. Diterpenes are commonly found in different types of conifers and are not typical for this family. Some sesquiterpenoids (e.g. bisabolanes, cubenanes, guaianes, ylanganes, himachalanes, longifolanes, longibornanes, longipinanes, cedranes, thujopsanes) also present inPinaceae,Podocarpaceae andTaxodiaceae.[39] Meanwhile, chamigranes, cuparanes, widdranes and acoranes are more distinctive for Cupressaceae.Tropolone derivatives, such as nootkatin, chanootin,thujaplicinol andhinokitiol are particularly characteristic for Cupressaceae.
^Bosma, Hylke F.; Kunzmann, Lutz; Kvaček, Jiří; van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, Johanna H.A. (August 2012). "Revision of the genus Cunninghamites (fossil conifers), with special reference to nomenclature, taxonomy and geological age".Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.182:20–100200294924.Bibcode:2012RPaPa.182...20B.doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2012.06.004.
^Holz, Andrés; Hart, Sarah J.; Williamson, Grant J.; Veblen, Thomas T.; Aravena, Juan C. (25 March 2018). "Radial growth response to climate change along the latitudinal range of the world's southernmost conifer in southern South America".Journal of Biogeography.45 (5). Wiley:1140–1152.Bibcode:2018JBiog..45.1140H.doi:10.1111/jbi.13199.S2CID90020476.
^abcdeArmin Jagel, Veit Dörken:Morphology and morphogenesis of the seed cones of the Cupressaceae - part I. Cunninghamioideae, Athrotaxoideae, Taiwanioideae, Sequoioideae, Taxodioideae. In:Bulletin of the Cupressus Conservation Project, 3(3): 117-136 (PDFArchived 27 September 2016 at theWayback Machine)
^Armin Jagel, Veit Dörken:Morphology and morphogenesis of the seed cones of the Cupressaceae - part III. Callitroideae. In:Bulletin of the Cupressus Conservation Project 4(3): 91-103 (PDFArchived 22 December 2015 at theWayback Machine)
^Armin Jagel, Veit Dörken:Morphology and morphogenesis of the seed cones of the Cupressaceae - part II. Cupressoideae. In:Bulletin of the Cupressus Conservation Project 4(2): 51-78 (PDFArchived 11 December 2015 at theWayback Machine)
^Piggin, J.; Bruhl, J. J. (2010). "Phylogeny reconstruction ofCallitris Vent. (Cupressaceae) and its allies leads to inclusion ofActinostrobus withinCallitris".Australian Systematic Botany.23 (2):69–93.doi:10.1071/sb09044.
^Farjon, A. (2005).Monograph of Cupressaceae andSciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.ISBN1-84246-068-4..
^Xiang, Q.; Li, J. (2005). "Derivation ofXanthocyparis andJuniperus from withinCupressus: Evidence from Sequences of nrDNA Internal Transcribed Spacer Region".Harvard Papers in Botany.9 (2):375–382.
^"Junipers". Chicago Botanic Garden.Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved19 December 2022.
^Westerfield, Bob (6 October 2022) [15 May 2009]."Junipers". University of Georgia Extension.Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved19 December 2022.
^Satoh, Keiko (14 November 1998)."Metasequoia Travels the Globe".Arnoldia. Vol. 58, no. 4. Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. pp. 72–75.Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved14 December 2022.
^Cox, Lauren E.; York, Robert A.; Battles, John J. (15 May 2021). "Growth and form of giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in a plantation spacing trial after 28 years".Forest Ecology and Management.488 119033. Elsevier.Bibcode:2021ForEM.48819033C.doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119033.S2CID233554030.
^Owen, Jeff (November 2011)."Selecting the Right Tree". North Carolina State Extension.Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved14 December 2022.
^Williams, Jack A.; Boyd, Carole Jean (1 September 2005).Carving Cypress Knees: Creating Whimsical Characters from One of Nature's Most Unique Woods. Fox Chapel Publishing.ISBN978-1-5652-3271-6.
^Lesueur, Dominique; et al. (2006). "Analysis of the root oil ofFokienia hodginsii (Dunn) Henry et Thomas (Cupressaceae) by GC, GC–MS and 13C-NMR".Flavour and Fragrance Journal.21 (1):171–174.doi:10.1002/ffj.1557.
^Krihara (Kurihashi), M. (1997). "Physiochemical and immunological characterization of major allergens of Japanese cedar pollen and false cypress pollen".Allergology (in Japanese).3:203–211.
^abOgren, Thomas Leo (2015).The Allergy-Fighting Garden: Stop Asthma and Allergies with Smart Landscaping. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press.ISBN978-1-60774-491-7.
Soltani, J. (2017) Endophytism in Cupressoideae (Coniferae): A Model in Endophyte Biology and Biotechnology. In: Maheshwari D. (eds) Endophytes: Biology and Biotechnology. pp. 127–143. Sustainable Development and Biodiversity, vol 15. Springer, Cham.
Pakvaz, S, Soltani J. (2016) Endohyphal bacteria from fungal endophytes of the Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) exhibit in vitro bioactivity. Forest Pathology, 46: 569–581.
Soltani, J., Zaheri Shoja, M., Hamzei, J., Hosseyni-Moghaddam, M.S., Pakvaz, S. (2016) Diversity and bioactivity of endophytic bacterial community of Cupressaceae. Forest Pathology, 46: 353–361.
Farjon, A. (1998).World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 300 p. ISBN1-900347-54-7.
Little, D. P., Schwarzbach, A. E., Adams, R. P. & Hsieh, Chang-Fu. (2004). The circumscription and phylogenetic relationships ofCallitropsis and the newly described genusXanthocyparis (Cupressaceae).American Journal of Botany 91 (11): 1872–1881.Available onlineArchived 15 May 2008 at theWayback Machine.
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