Cupressus sempervirens
| Cupressus sempervirens | |
|---|---|
| Native tree at Lefka Ori, Crete | |
| Foliage and cone | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Cupressales |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Genus: | Cupressus |
| Species: | C. sempervirens
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cupressus sempervirens | |
| Green: probable natural range in the Mediterranean Basin Orange: range including human introductions Red (small areas): Residual natural stands | |
Cupressus sempervirens, the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, or Persian cypress), is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Iran. It is well-adapted to the environmental conditions that it lives in due to its ability to survive in both acidic and alkaline soils and withstand drought. Cupressus sempervirens is important in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern culture. In Iran it is both a sacred tree and a metaphor for "the graceful figure of the beloved".