Widdringtonia wallichii

Widdringtonia wallichii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Cupressales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Widdringtonia
Species:
W. cedarbergensis
Binomial name
Widdringtonia cedarbergensis
Synonyms
  • Callitris arborea Schrad. ex D.E.Hutchins
  • Widdringtonia wallichii A. Farjon, S. Higgins, S. Fox, D. Raimondo nom. illeg.
  • Widdringtonia wallichiana Gordon nom. inval.

Widdringtonia cedarbergensis, Clanwilliam cedar or Clanwilliam cypress, previously 2013 to 2023 Widdringtonia wallichii is a species of Widdringtonia native to South Africa, where it is endemic to the Cederberg Mountains northeast of Cape Town in Western Cape Province. Due to harsh weather conditions, like limited rainfall and frequent wildfires, growth is limited. Ring width almost correlates with rainfall due to such harsh environmental conditions It is threatened by habitat loss and protected in South Africa under the National Forest Act (Act 84) of 1998.

It is a small evergreen tree growing to 5–7 m (rarely to 20 m) tall. The leaves are scale-like, 1.5 mm long and 1 mm broad on small shoots, up to 15 mm long on strong-growing shoots, and arranged in opposite decussate pairs. The cones are globose to rectangular, 2–3 cm long, with four scales.