Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)
Description
Calocedrus decurrens,with the common names incense cedar and California incense-cedar (syn.Libocedrus decurrens Torr.),is a species of conifer native to western North America,with the bulk of the range in the United States,from central western Oregon through most of California and the extreme west of Nevada,and also a short distance into northwest Mexico in northern Baja California.It grows at altitudes of 50?2,900 metres (160?9,510 ft).It is the most widely known species in the genus,and is often simply called 'incense cedar' without the regional qualifier.Calocedrus decurrens is a large tree,typically reaching heights of 40?60 m (130?195 ft) and a trunk diameter of up to 3 m (9.8 ft).The largest known tree,located in Umpqua National Forest,Oregon,is 69.8 m (229 ft 0 in) tall with a 175-centimeter (69-inch) diameter trunk.The foliage is produced in flattened sprays with scale-like leaves 2?15 mm (3_32?19_32 in) long;they are arranged in opposite decussate pairs,with the successive pairs closely then distantly spaced,so forming apparent whorls of four;the facial pairs are flat,with the lateral pairs folded over their bases.The leaves are bright green on both sides of the shoots with only inconspicuous stomata.The seed cones are 20?35 mm (3_4?1 3_8 in) long,pale green to yellow,with four (rarely six) scales arranged in opposite decussate pairs;the outer pair of scales each bears two winged seeds,the inner pair(s) usually being sterile and fused together in a flat plate.The cones turn orange to yellow-brown when mature about 8 months after pollination.The pollen cones are 6?8 mm (1_4?5_16 in) long.The foliage,when crushed,gives off an aroma somewhat akin to shoe-polish.It has a broad conic crown of spreading branches.The bark is orange-brown weathering grayish,smooth at first,becoming fissured and exfoliating in long strips on the lower trunk on old trees.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Coniferophyta
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Class: Pinopsida
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Order: Pinales
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Family: Cupressaceae
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Genus: Calocedrus
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