Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.
Click images to enlarge and show more photo credit.
Key to Cupressaceae
Cupressaceae
https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/main.php?pg=show-key.php&keyid=39446
Leaves 4-sided or nearly circular (terete) in ×-section; [subfamily Taxodioideae]
⇒ Cryptomeria japonica
(c) Weakley, Alan
Leaves evergreen, rigid, > 2 cm long, tapering from near the base to a long-acuminate apex; [subfamily Cunninghamioideae]
⇒ Cunninghamia lanceolata
(c) Wright, Janet - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
(c) Wright, Janet - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
Leaves deciduous; [subfamily Sequoioideae]
⇒ Metasequoia glyptostroboides
(c) Danielson, Erik
(c) Ware, Richard & Teresa - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
Plants dioecious, male and female cones on separate plants; mature female cones fleshy and berry-like, with smooth surfaces, indehiscent; branchlets not disposed in one plane, thus bushy and not fan-like; leaves of a branchlet monomorphic; [subfamily Cupressoideae]
⇒ Juniperus
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
(c) Danielson, Erik
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
Plants monoecious, male and female cones on the same plant; mature female cones woody or leathery, with irregular surfaces, dehiscent; ; branchlets either disposed in one plane, thus flattened and fan-like, or not disposed in one plane, thus bushy and not fan-like; leaves of a branchlet either monomorphic (Callitris, Hesperocyparis) or dimorphic.
Leaves in whorls of 3; [subfamily Actinostroboideae]
⇒ Callitris glaucophylla
(c) Robbins, Ashleigh - CC-BY
Leaves opposite (decussate), in 4 ranks; [subfamily Cupressoideae].
(c) Lange, Corey - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
Leaves of a branchlet monomorphic; branchlets not disposed in one plane, thus bushy and not fan-like; female cone globose, 20-30 mm in diameter
⇒ Hesperocyparis arizonica
(c) Lange, Corey - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
(c) Lange, Corey - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
Leaves of a branchlet dimorphic; branchlets disposed in one plane; thus flattened and fan-like; female cone < 12 mm in diameter.
Leaves acute; female cones globose and woody, the hard scales peltate, not imbricate; ultimate branchlets (including the scale leaves) about 1 mm broad
⇒ Chamaecyparis
(c) Ward, Scott G
Leaves obtuse; female cones ellipsoid and leathery, the pliable scales basally attached, imbricate; ultimate branchlets (including the scale leaves) about 1.5 mm broad
(c) Bradley, Keith
Branchlets flattened in vertical planes; seeds wingless; [planted tree, sometimes persistent]
⇒ Platycladus orientalis
(c) Campos, Aidan
(c) Campos, Aidan
Branchlets flattened in horizontal planes; seeds winged; [native tree, but also sometimes planted]
⇒ Thuja occidentalis
(c) Bradley, Keith