softwoods: cypress

softwood page

CYPRESS

NOTE: unless otherwise specifically stated, all of the images shown on this
page are of 1/4" square end grain cross sections shown at 12X with the top
of the image towards the bark and the bottom towards the pith so that
earlywood is towards the bottom of the growth rings and latewood is towards the top

to see all species with links to their anatomy page go here: species links

NOTE: Alaskan yellow cedar, Cupressus nootkatensis is a cypress but because it is most commonly called cedar in the USA, it is on it's own page on the main site as Alaskan yellow cedar rather than being with the cypresses and likewise here in the anatomy pages, it is on the cedar page.

As you can see below, "cypress" is a common name used by a large number of different species. This is not uncommon but what's different here is that the cypress species are in many different genera.

general characteristics of cypress

parenchyma:
rays: generally not visible at 10X
growth rings: highly variable from medium high ring count down to quite low ring count. Earlywood/latewood transition is generally abrupt and with very thin latewood
resin canals: none (the apparent canals in a few of the pics below are undoubtedly sawdust particles that I did not properly clean off

IMAGES ARE PRESENTED WITH NO ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE TO THE PAGE AS YET

Arizona cypress / Cupressus arizonica
Arizona cypress / Cupressus arizonica --- a 1/3" x 1/4" cross section shown here at 9X
Arizona cypress / Cupressus arizonica

Arizona cypress / Cupressus arizonica --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
Arizona cypress / Cupressus arizonica --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
Arizona cypress / Cupressus arizonica

Baker cypress / Cupressus bakeri
Baker cypress / Cupressus bakeri
Monterey cypress / Cupressus macrocarpa

Atlantic white cypress / Chamaecyparis thyoides
Atlantic white cypress / Chamaecyparis thyoides
cypress (Southern white cedar) / Chamaecyparis thyoides

Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii
Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample and this one is 1/2" x 1/2" shown here at 6X

Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii
Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample and this one is 5/12" x 5/12" shown here at 7X

Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample

Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample and this one is 1/6" x 1/2" shown here at 6X

Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample and this one is 1/3" x 1/3" shown here at 9X

Leyland cypress / Cupressus leylandii --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample

note: "costal cypress" is also called "coastal cypress pine" but it is a cypress, not a pine

cypress, Australian (coastal cypress) / Callitris columellaris
cypress, Australian (coastal cypress) / Callitris columellaris --- this is from an irregularly grained piece (compression wood)

cypress, Australian (coastal cypress) / Callitris columellaris
cypress, Australian (coastal cypress) / Callitris columellaris
cypress, Australian (coastal cypress) / Callitris preissi

Australian cypress (white cypress pine) / Callitris glaucophylla --- a 5/12" x 1/3" cross section shown here at 7X
Australian cypress (white cypress pine) / Callitris glaucophylla
Australian cypress / Callitris glaucophylla

Australian cypress (black cypress pine) / Callitris endlicherei
Montezuma bald cypress / Taxodium mucronatum
old growth bald cypress / Taxodium distichum

pond cypress / Taxodium distichum
pond cypress / Taxodium distichum

plantation grown bald cypress / Taxodium distichum --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
plantation grown bald cypress / Taxodium distichum --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
plantation grown bald cypress / Taxodium distichum

bald cypress / Taxodium distichum
bald cypress / Taxodium distichum
bald cypress / Taxodium distichum --- a 5/12" x 1/4" cross section shown here at 7X

bald cypress / Taxodium distichum --- high ring count for cypress
bald cypress / Taxodium distichum

Japanese cypress / Cryptomeria japonica
Japanese cypress / Cryptomeria japonica
Japanese cypress / Cryptomeria japonica

Japanese cypress / Cryptomeria japonica --- heartwood of a piece
Japanese cypress / Cryptomeria japonica --- sapwood of the same piece and this one is a 1/4" x 1/3" cross section shown here at 9X

Japanese cypress / Cryptomeria japonica --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample and on this image I messed up the color; it's not really pink
Japanese cypress / Cryptomeria japonica --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample

false cypress / Chamaecyparis pisifera
sawara cypress / Chamaecyparis pisifera

Italian cypress / Cupressus sempervirens
Mediterranean cypress / Cupressus sempervirens

Japanese cypress (hinoki) / Chamaecyparis obtusa --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
Japanese cypress (hinoki) / Chamaecyparis obtusa --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample