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

Copy permalink to share

Leaves alternate.

(c) Wright, Janet - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
(c) Danielson, Erik
Leaves 4-sided or nearly circular (terete) in ×-section; [subfamily Taxodioideae]

(c) Weakley, Alan
Leaves distinctly flattened (2-sided).

(c) Wright, Janet - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
Leaves evergreen, rigid, > 2 cm long, tapering from near the base to a long-acuminate apex; [subfamily Cunninghamioideae]

(c) Wright, Janet - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
(c) Wright, Janet - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
Leaves deciduous, flexible, < 2 cm long, parallel-sided, the apex short-acute; [subfamily Taxodioideae]
 ⇒ Taxodium

(c) Campos, Aidan
(c) Bradley, Keith
Leaves opposite or whorled.

(c) Ware, Richard & Teresa - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
Leaves deciduous; [subfamily Sequoioideae]

(c) Danielson, Erik
(c) Ware, Richard & Teresa - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
Leaves evergreen.
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]

(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

(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

(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]

(c) Campos, Aidan
(c) Campos, Aidan
Branchlets flattened in horizontal planes; seeds winged; [native tree, but also sometimes planted]

(c) Bradley, Keith