Cunninghamia is a genus of one[2] or two living species of evergreenconiferoustrees in the cypress family Cupressaceae.[3] They are native to China, northern Vietnam and Laos, and perhaps also Cambodia.[2] They may reach 50 m (160 ft) in height.[2] In vernacular use, it is most often known as Cunninghamia, but is also sometimes called "China-fir" (though it is not a fir). The genus name Cunninghamia honours Dr. James Cunningham, a British doctor who introduced this species into cultivation in 1702 and botanist Allan Cunningham.[4]
The general shape of the tree is conical with tiered, horizontal branches that are often somewhat pendulous toward the tips. Cunninghamia bears softly spined, leathery, stiff, green to blue-green needle-like leaves that spiral around the stem with an upward arch; they are 2–7 cm long and 3–5 mm broad at the base, and bear two white or greenish-white stomatal bands underneath and sometimes also above. The foliage may turn bronze-tinted in very cold winter weather.
The cones are small and inconspicuous at pollination in late winter, the pollen cones in clusters of 10–30 together, the female cones singly or 2–3 together.
The seed cones mature in 7–8 months to 2.5–4.5 cm long, ovoid to globose, with spirally arranged scales; each scale bears 3–5 seeds. They are often proliferous (with a vegetative shoot growing on beyond the tip of the cone) on cultivated trees; this is rare in wild trees, and may be a cultivar selected for easy vegetative propagation for use in forestryplantations.
As the tree grows its trunk tends to sucker around the base, particularly following damage to the stem or roots, and it then may grow in a multi-trunked form. Brown bark of mature trees peels off in strips to reveal reddish-brown inner bark. Older specimens often look ragged, as the old needles may cling to stems for up to 5 years.
Although it resembles conifer species found in much colder climates, the tree is highly tolerant of heat, and can be found growing down to sea level in regions such as Hong Kong.
Taxonomy
It is the most basal extant member of the Cupressaceae. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that its lineage diverged from the rest of the family during the early Jurassic.[5]
In the past, the genus was usually treated in the family Taxodiaceae,[2] but this family is now included within the Cupressaceae.[3] A few botanists have also treated it in a family of its own, Cunninghamiaceae, but this is not widely followed.[6] The oldest fossil species of the genus are from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of North America, including Cunninghamia hornbyensis from British Columbia, Canada,[7] and Cunninghamia taylorii from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta, Canada.[8] Other fossils are known from the Cenozoic of Asia, North America and Europe.[9][10]
The genus is traditionally said to contain two similar species, Cunninghamia lanceolata and C. konishii, often referred to as the China fir and Taiwan fir, respectively. C. lanceolata occurs in mainland China, Vietnam, and Laos, whereas C. konishii is restricted to Taiwan.[11] However, molecular genetic evidence is suggesting that they are the same species, and that C. konishii of Taiwan derive from multiple colonizations from the mainland.[12][13] As C. lanceolata was the first name published, this name takes priority if the two are combined. In that case, Taiwan fir becomes Cunninghamia lanceolata var. konishii. However, there is no consensus yet as to whether the two species should be combined.[11]
Usage
Cunninghamia is a prized timber tree in China, producing soft, highly durable scented wood similar to that of Coast Redwood and Sugi. It is used in particular for manufacture of coffins and in temple building where the scent is valued.[citation needed]
Cunninghamia is grown as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens, where it typically reaches a height of 15–30 m.[citation needed] Due to its heat tolerance, it has been used as a Christmas tree in subtropical areas such as the southern USA.
^ abcdFu, Liguo; Yu, Yong-fu; Adams, Robert P.; Farjon, Aljos. "Cunninghamia". Flora of China. Vol. 4. Retrieved 9 September 2012 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
^Brown, Robert (1866). "On the structure of the female flower in Cycadae and Coniferae". The Miscellaneous Botanical Works of Robert Brown. Vol. 1. p. 461.
^for example Orr, Elizabeth L. and William N. Orr 2009 Oregon Fossils: Second Edition, Oregon State University Press; ISBN0-87071-573-9ISBN978-0870715730
^Brink, Kirstin S.; Stockey, Ruth A.; Beard, Graham; Wehr, Wesley C. (May 2009). "Cunninghamia hornbyensis sp. nov.: Permineralized twigs and leaves from the Upper Cretaceous of Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 155 (1–2): 89–98. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.03.005.
^Serbet, Rudolph; Bomfleur, Benjamin; Rothwell, Gar W. (March 2013). "Cunninghamia taylorii sp. nov., a Structurally Preserved Cupressaceous Conifer from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Western North America". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 174 (3): 471–488. doi:10.1086/668695. ISSN 1058-5893.
^Atkinson, Brian A.; Contreras, Dori L.; Stockey, Ruth A.; Rothwell, Gar W. (August 2021). "Ancient diversity and turnover of cunninghamioid conifers (Cupressaceae): two new genera from the Upper Cretaceous of Hokkaido, Japan". Botany. 99 (8): 457–473. doi:10.1139/cjb-2021-0005. ISSN 1916-2790.
^Kodrul, Tatiana; Gordenko, Natalia; Sokolova, Aleksandra; Maslova, Natalia; Wu, Xinkai; Jin, Jianhua (November 2018). "A new Oligocene species of Cunninghamia R. Brown ex Richard et A. Richard (Cupressaceae) from the Maoming Basin, South China". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 258: 234–247. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2018.09.003.
^ abEarle, Christopher J., ed. (2018). "Cunninghamia". The Gymnosperm Database. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
^Lu, S.Y., T.Y. Chiang, K.H. Hong and T.W. Hu (1999). . Taiwan Journal of Forest Science. 14: 13–19. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
^Chung, J. D.; Lin, T. P.; Tan, Y. C.; Lin, M. Y.; Hwang, S. Y. (2004). "Genetic diversity and biogeography of Cunninghamia konishii (Cupressaceae), an island species in Taiwan: A comparison with Cunninghamia lanceolata, a mainland species in China" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 33 (3): 791–801. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.08.011. PMID 15522804.
External links
Arboretum de Villardebelle: photo of cone
Arboretum de Villardebelle: photo of tree
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cunninghamia.
May 19, 2023
cunninghamia, genus, living, species, evergreen, coniferous, trees, cypress, family, cupressaceae, they, native, china, northern, vietnam, laos, perhaps, also, cambodia, they, reach, height, vernacular, most, often, known, also, sometimes, called, china, thoug. Cunninghamia is a genus of one 2 or two living species of evergreen coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae 3 They are native to China northern Vietnam and Laos and perhaps also Cambodia 2 They may reach 50 m 160 ft in height 2 In vernacular use it is most often known as Cunninghamia but is also sometimes called China fir though it is not a fir The genus name Cunninghamia honours Dr James Cunningham a British doctor who introduced this species into cultivation in 1702 and botanist Allan Cunningham 4 CunninghamiaTemporal range Campanian Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NCunninghamia lanceolataScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade GymnospermsDivision PinophytaClass PinopsidaOrder CupressalesFamily CupressaceaeSubfamily Cunninghamioideae Zucc ex Endl QuinnGenus CunninghamiaR Br ex Richard amp RichardType speciesCunninghamia sinensisR Br ex Richard amp RichardSpeciesC konishii Hayata C lanceolata Lamb Hook Synonyms 1 Belis Salisb Jacularia Raf Raxopitys J Nelson A female cone Cluster of male cones Released seeds collected from the ground Contents 1 Description 2 Taxonomy 3 Usage 4 References 5 External linksDescription EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The general shape of the tree is conical with tiered horizontal branches that are often somewhat pendulous toward the tips Cunninghamia bears softly spined leathery stiff green to blue green needle like leaves that spiral around the stem with an upward arch they are 2 7 cm long and 3 5 mm broad at the base and bear two white or greenish white stomatal bands underneath and sometimes also above The foliage may turn bronze tinted in very cold winter weather The cones are small and inconspicuous at pollination in late winter the pollen cones in clusters of 10 30 together the female cones singly or 2 3 together The seed cones mature in 7 8 months to 2 5 4 5 cm long ovoid to globose with spirally arranged scales each scale bears 3 5 seeds They are often proliferous with a vegetative shoot growing on beyond the tip of the cone on cultivated trees this is rare in wild trees and may be a cultivar selected for easy vegetative propagation for use in forestry plantations As the tree grows its trunk tends to sucker around the base particularly following damage to the stem or roots and it then may grow in a multi trunked form Brown bark of mature trees peels off in strips to reveal reddish brown inner bark Older specimens often look ragged as the old needles may cling to stems for up to 5 years Although it resembles conifer species found in much colder climates the tree is highly tolerant of heat and can be found growing down to sea level in regions such as Hong Kong Taxonomy EditIt is the most basal extant member of the Cupressaceae Phylogenetic evidence indicates that its lineage diverged from the rest of the family during the early Jurassic 5 In the past the genus was usually treated in the family Taxodiaceae 2 but this family is now included within the Cupressaceae 3 A few botanists have also treated it in a family of its own Cunninghamiaceae but this is not widely followed 6 The oldest fossil species of the genus are from the Late Cretaceous Campanian of North America including Cunninghamia hornbyensis from British Columbia Canada 7 and Cunninghamia taylorii from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta Canada 8 Other fossils are known from the Cenozoic of Asia North America and Europe 9 10 The genus is traditionally said to contain two similar species Cunninghamia lanceolata and C konishii often referred to as the China fir and Taiwan fir respectively C lanceolata occurs in mainland China Vietnam and Laos whereas C konishii is restricted to Taiwan 11 However molecular genetic evidence is suggesting that they are the same species and that C konishii of Taiwan derive from multiple colonizations from the mainland 12 13 As C lanceolata was the first name published this name takes priority if the two are combined In that case Taiwan fir becomes Cunninghamia lanceolata var konishii However there is no consensus yet as to whether the two species should be combined 11 Usage EditCunninghamia is a prized timber tree in China producing soft highly durable scented wood similar to that of Coast Redwood and Sugi It is used in particular for manufacture of coffins and in temple building where the scent is valued citation needed Cunninghamia is grown as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens where it typically reaches a height of 15 30 m citation needed Due to its heat tolerance it has been used as a Christmas tree in subtropical areas such as the southern USA References Edit Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families a b c d Fu Liguo Yu Yong fu Adams Robert P Farjon Aljos Cunninghamia Flora of China Vol 4 Retrieved 9 September 2012 via eFloras org Missouri Botanical Garden St Louis MO amp Harvard University Herbaria Cambridge MA a b Cunninghamia Integrated Taxonomic Information System Brown Robert 1866 On the structure of the female flower in Cycadae and Coniferae The Miscellaneous Botanical Works of Robert Brown Vol 1 p 461 Stull Gregory W Qu Xiao Jian Parins Fukuchi Caroline Yang Ying Ying Yang Jun Bo Yang Zhi Yun Hu Yi Ma Hong Soltis Pamela S Soltis Douglas E Li De Zhu July 19 2021 Gene duplications and phylogenomic conflict underlie major pulses of phenotypic evolution in gymnosperms Nature Plants 7 8 1015 1025 doi 10 1038 s41477 021 00964 4 ISSN 2055 0278 PMID 34282286 S2CID 236141481 for example Orr Elizabeth L and William N Orr 2009 Oregon Fossils Second Edition Oregon State University Press ISBN 0 87071 573 9 ISBN 978 0870715730 Brink Kirstin S Stockey Ruth A Beard Graham Wehr Wesley C May 2009 Cunninghamia hornbyensis sp nov Permineralized twigs and leaves from the Upper Cretaceous of Hornby Island British Columbia Canada Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 155 1 2 89 98 doi 10 1016 j revpalbo 2009 03 005 Serbet Rudolph Bomfleur Benjamin Rothwell Gar W March 2013 Cunninghamia taylorii sp nov a Structurally Preserved Cupressaceous Conifer from the Upper Cretaceous Campanian Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Western North America International Journal of Plant Sciences 174 3 471 488 doi 10 1086 668695 ISSN 1058 5893 Atkinson Brian A Contreras Dori L Stockey Ruth A Rothwell Gar W August 2021 Ancient diversity and turnover of cunninghamioid conifers Cupressaceae two new genera from the Upper Cretaceous of Hokkaido Japan Botany 99 8 457 473 doi 10 1139 cjb 2021 0005 ISSN 1916 2790 Kodrul Tatiana Gordenko Natalia Sokolova Aleksandra Maslova Natalia Wu Xinkai Jin Jianhua November 2018 A new Oligocene species of Cunninghamia R Brown ex Richard et A Richard Cupressaceae from the Maoming Basin South China Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 258 234 247 doi 10 1016 j revpalbo 2018 09 003 a b Earle Christopher J ed 2018 Cunninghamia The Gymnosperm Database Retrieved 9 September 2012 Lu S Y T Y Chiang K H Hong and T W Hu 1999 Re examination of the taxonomic status of Cunninghamia konishii and C lanceolata based on the RFLPs of a chloroplast trnD trnT spacer Taiwan Journal of Forest Science 14 13 19 Archived from the original on 2014 07 14 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint uses authors parameter link Chung J D Lin T P Tan Y C Lin M Y Hwang S Y 2004 Genetic diversity and biogeography of Cunninghamia konishii Cupressaceae an island species in Taiwan A comparison with Cunninghamia lanceolata a mainland species in China PDF Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33 3 791 801 doi 10 1016 j ympev 2004 08 011 PMID 15522804 External links EditArboretum de Villardebelle photo of cone Arboretum de Villardebelle photo of tree Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cunninghamia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cunninghamia amp oldid 1149078958, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
