| Cupressus atlantica | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Cupressales |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Genus: | Cupressus |
| Species: | C. atlantica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cupressus atlantica | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Cupressus atlantica, the Moroccan cypress, is a rare coniferous tree endemic to the valley of the Oued n'Fiss river in the High Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech in western Morocco. [2] The majority are old, with very little regeneration due to overgrazing by goats, and they are critically endangered. [3]
This species is distinct from the allied Cupressus sempervirens (Mediterranean cypress) in its much bluer foliage with a white resin spot on each leaf, the smaller shoots often being flattened in a single plane. It also has smaller, globose cones, only 1.5-2.5 cm long. Cupressus dupreziana (Saharan cypress) is more similar, and C. atlantica is treated as a variety of it (C. dupreziana var. atlantica) by some authors. Moroccan cypress does not however share the unique reproductive system of male apomixis found in Saharan cypress. [4]
References
- ^ Gardner, Martin; Griffiths, Alexander (7 March 2012). "Cupressus dupreziana var. atlantica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 7 March 2012.
- ^ "Cupressus atlantica description". 2006-05-01. Archived from the original on 2006-05-01. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ^ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ^ Youssef, Sfairi; Lahcen, Ouahmane; Abdelaziz, Abbad (September 2012). "Breaking seed dormancy in Cupressus atlantica Gaussen, an endemic and threatened coniferous tree in Morocco". Journal of Forestry Research. 23 (3): 385–390. doi: 10.1007/s11676-012-0274-0. ISSN 1007-662X. S2CID 14998564.