Cupressus  austro-tibetica

J. SILBA, Journal of the International Conifer Preservation Society, 1994, Vol. 1, No 1, p. 23.

THE TRANS-PACIFIC RELATIONSHIP OF CUPRESSUS
IN INDIA AND NORTH AMERICA

by John Silba


1- Cupressus tonkinensis Silba, Species Nova.

     Arboris ad 10 m. altis. Ramulis gracilis, non distichis planeis, aequaliter dispositeris. Foliis subacutis vel obtusis, non acutis, 1.5 mm longis. Strobilis femineus ummaturitis subglobisis, squamis 8-12.

Vietnam: northern region, Tonkin, Kai Krish, 113 km from Langson, growing in limestone, Eberhardt herbarium no. 173 (holotype-NY, Isotype-P).

Kweichow : Szenan, pure woods, 200 m. elevation, Tsiang 8004 (A). Kweichow: Tsunyi Hsien, Liung Geng Yah, 1100 m. Steward, Chiao & Chao 10 (A, L).

     Branchlets slender or thread-like, not flattenend as in C. chengiana Hu and differing in the rather evenly disposed branchlets that are relatively thick in the cross-section. Leaves bluntly acute or obtuse, imbricate, not sharply acute as in Cupressus lindleyi Klotzsch. Female cone ovoid or subglobose, to 1.7 cm. long or more, with small umbos, scales relatively thin.
     A species of limited occurence in the wild. Reported by Chevalier (1919) as possibly occuring also in the vicinity of Tha-nguyen, west of Langson also in Vietnam under the name C. torulosa D. Don.