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 | |
| |
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.