Cypress family, Cupressaceae
Origin: east Asia
Habitat in the original area: rocky and sunny sites
Habitus: Dioecious tree or shrub. Male individuals are conical in stature, while female ones are shorter and more spread out. The twigs are round in cross-section and their ends are bent.
Leaf: The scale-like leaves are blunt at the top. The needle-like leaves are sharply pointed and have two whitish stripes on the surface. They are grouped in whorls of three, more rarely oppositely arranged.
Bloom, fruit: Fruits (galbules) are brown and frosty on the surface. They mature the second year and contain 2–3 seed.
Interesting fact: It is an intermediate host plant for pear rust, which attacks pear trees secondarily, reducing leaf area for photosynthesis and thus limiting fruit formation.
