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Vascular Flora of the Southeastern United States
Hardin, Massey, Radford, Thieret, eds.

Copyright - James W. Hardin, Ph. D., 1998, 1999. All Rights Reserved.


1. C. thyoides (L.) BSP. ATLANTIC W. Slender, irregularly symmetrical, monoecious trees to 30 m tall; bark gray to brown with irregular furrows between flattened ridges, fibrous; branchlets and twigs slightly flattened into sprays, twigs flat, 1-2 mm wide. Leaves scale-like, usually glaucous, 1.5-4 mm long, opposite and decussate, closely imbricate, ovate-acuminate, lateral ones keeled, others flat, with or without a resin gland. Pollen cones short-cylindrical, 2-3 mm long. Immature ovulate cones green, often glaucous, leathery, globose with protruding umbos. Mature seed cones woody, globose, 5-8 mm in diam.; scales peltate and valvate with raised umbo; seeds winged. (n=ll) Spring. Swamps, low poorly drained soil, river bottoms, cp. Ala, Del, Fla, Ga, Md, Miss, NC, SC, and Va. [NJ]. Incl. C. henryae Li--of some recent authors. Without cones this species can be mistaken for Juniperus, but differs in its more glaucous leaves and flattened frond-like sprays, and it is unfortunately called "Juniper" in some areas. These trees are becoming much less common due to lumbering for the white wood, and the destruction of the restricted habitat.
[ Specimen Image ]