Austrocedrus chilensis

Chilean species

CupressaceaeAustrocedrus

Chilean incense-cedar, or Chilean cedar (known as cordilleran cypress locally in Chile and Argentina) is a conifer in the cypress or Cupressaceae family. It is slow-growing and narrowly conical, growing up to 24 m in height.

  • Foliage is borne on flattened sprays, arranged in dessucate pairs. Leaves are unequal in size, with pairs of larger (4–8 mm) leaves alternating with pairs of smaller (2–3 mm) leaves, giving a flattened shoot. Each leaf has a prominent white stomatal stripe along the outer edge.
  • Species is monoecious. Male pollen cones are tiny, bright green, on the tips of the branches; female seed cones are 5–10 mm long, with four scales, two very small sterile basal scales and two large fertile scales; each fertile scale has two winged seeds, 3–4 mm long.
  • Bark is fibrous red-orange to cinnamon brown, becoming deeply ridged and furrowed with age.

Contributors

  • Philippe de Spoelberch