| Cedrus atlantica | |
|---|---|
 Atlas Cedar planted at John J. Tyler Arboretum | |
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (iucn2.3) | |
| Taxonomy | |
| Kingdom | |
| Phylum/Division |
Pinophyta |
| Class |
Pinopsida |
| Order |
Pinales |
| Family |
Pinaceae |
| Genus |
Cedrus |
| Species |
C. atlantica |
| Naming and discovery | |
| Botanist |
(Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière |
Cedrus atlantica, commonly known as the Atlas Cedar, is a species of cedar native to the Tell Atlas in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and in the Rif, Middle Atlas, and the High Atlas in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.[1] Most modern sources consider the Atlas Cedar as its own species, Cedrus atlantica,[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]while others treat it as a subspecies of Cedrus libani, as C. libani subsp. atlantica.[10][11]
Description[]
Foliage and mature cone of Cedrus atlantica.
It is a medium to large-sized tree, reaching 30-35 m, sometimes 40 m tall, with a trunk diameter of about 1½-2 m. Cedrus atlantica is very similar in all characters as other cedars; differences are hard to realize. The mean cone size is usually somewhat smaller, recorded to 12 cm[1], but rarely reaches over 9 cm long, compared to 10 cm in Cedrus brevifolia and 12 cm in Cedrus libani, though with considerable overlap (all of these can be as short as 6 cm). The leaf-length of Cedrus atlantica is about 10-25 mm long, similar to that of Cedrus libani subsp. stenocoma, longer than those of Cedrus brevifolia and shorter than Cedrus libani subsp. libani, but again, there is a considerable overlap.[1][7][12]
Ecology[]
The Atlas Cedar forms forests on mountain sides at altitudes from 1,370 to 2,200 m, often in pure forests or mixed with the Algerian Fir (Abies numidica), Juniperus oxycedrus, the Holm Oak (Quercus ilex), and Acer opalus. These forests also provide habitats for the endangered Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus), a primate that had a much wider distribution during prehistoric times in northern Morocco and Algeria.[13]
Cultivation and uses[]
A bonsai of the Atlas Cedar.
Ornamental usage[]
Cedrus atlantica is commonly cultivated as an ornamental tree in temperate areas. In gardens, glaucous forms of the trees are often planted as ornamentals, distinguished as the Glauca Group, a cultivar group of the tree. Erect, pendulous, golden-leaf forms also exist in cultivation, though most cultivars have blue leaves. It is useful in cultivation because it is more tolerant of heat and drought than most other conifers. It is used as a street tree such as in Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena, California.
Many, yet far from all, of the cultivated Atlas Cedars have glaucous (bluish) foliage, more downy shoots, and have more leaves in each whorl; the young trees in cultivation usually have more ascending branches than many Atlas Cedars.[14]
An Atlas Cedar was planted, and still is, planted at the White House South Lawn in Washington, D.C. President Jimmy Carter ordered a tree house built in the cedar for his daughter, Amy. The wooden structure was designed by Carter himself, and is self supporting so it does not damage the tree.[15]
Forestry[]
Cedar plantations, mainly with the Atlas Cedar, have been created in France for timber production.
Cultural references[]
George Harrison references the tree in his song "Beware of Darkness".
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gaussen, H. (1964). Genre Cedrus. Les Formes Actuelles. Trav. Lab. For. Toulouse T2 V1 11: 295-320
- ↑ Gymnosperm database Cedrus.
- ↑ GRIN Taxonomy for Plants Cedrus.
- ↑ NCBI Taxonomy Browser Cedrus.
- ↑ Flora of China vol. 4
- ↑ Qiao, C.-Y., Jin-Hua Ran, Yan Li and Xiao-Quan Wang (2007): Phylogeny and Biogeography of Cedrus (Pinaceae) Inferred from Sequences of Seven Paternal Chloroplast and Maternal Mitochondrial DNA Regions. Annals of Botany 100(3):573-580. Available online
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Farjon, A. (1990). Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3-87429-298-3.
- ↑ Farjon, A. (2008). A Natural History of Conifers. Timber Press ISBN 0881928690.
- ↑ Christou, K. A. (1991). The genetic and taxonomic status of Cyprus Cedar, Cedrus brevifolia (Hook.) Henry. Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece.
- ↑ Güner, A., Özhatay, N., Ekim, T., & Başer, K. H. C. (ed.). 2000. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 11 (Supplement 2): 5–6. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-7486-1409-5
- ↑ Eckenwalder, J. E. (2009). Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference. Timber Press ISBN 0881929743.
- ↑ Schwarz, O. (1944). Anatolica. Feddes Repertorium 54: 26-34.
- ↑ C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
- ↑ Walters, W. M. (1986). European Garden Flora Vol 1. ISBN 0-521- 24859-0.
- ↑ http://www.whitehousehistory.org/04/subs_pph/PresidentDetail.aspx?ID=39&imageID=4232
- ↑ Cedrus atlantica on Wikipedia (source of some text)