Glyptostrobus pensilis
Encyclopedia
Glyptostrobus pensilis, also known as Chinese Swamp Cypress, is the sole living species in the genus Glyptostrobus. It is native to subtropical southeastern China
, from Fujian
west to southeast Yunnan
, and also very locally in northern Vietnam
.
It is a medium-sized to large tree
, reaching 30 m (98.4 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m (3.3 ft), possibly more. The leaves
are deciduous
, spirally arranged but twisted at the base to lie in two horizontal ranks, 5–20 mm (0.196850393700787–0.78740157480315 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.0393700787401575–0.078740157480315 in) broad, but 2–3 mm (0.078740157480315–0.118110236220472 in) long and scale-like on shoots in the upper crown. The cones
are green maturing yellow-brown, pear
-shaped, 2–3 cm (0.78740157480315–1.2 in) long and 1–1.5 cm (0.393700787401575–0.590551181102362 in) diameter, broadest near the apex. They open when mature to release the small, 5–20 mm (0.196850393700787–0.78740157480315 in) long, winged seed
s.
It typically grows in river
banks, pond
s and swamp
s, growing in water up to 60 cm (23.6 in) deep. Like the related genus Taxodium
, it produces 'cypress knee
s' when growing in water, thought to help transport oxygen
to the root
s.
The species is nearly extinct
in the wild due to overcutting for its valuable decay-resistant, scented wood
, but it is also fairly widely planted along the banks of rice
paddies
where its roots help to stabilise the banks by reducing soil erosion
. There appear to be no remaining wild plants in China and few of those in Viet Nam are seed-bearing. There are four specimen of this tree in the Bank Hall Gardens
, Lancashire
, United Kingdom
.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, from Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
west to southeast Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, and also very locally in northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
It is a medium-sized to large tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
, reaching 30 m (98.4 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m (3.3 ft), possibly more. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
, spirally arranged but twisted at the base to lie in two horizontal ranks, 5–20 mm (0.196850393700787–0.78740157480315 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.0393700787401575–0.078740157480315 in) broad, but 2–3 mm (0.078740157480315–0.118110236220472 in) long and scale-like on shoots in the upper crown. The cones
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
are green maturing yellow-brown, pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
-shaped, 2–3 cm (0.78740157480315–1.2 in) long and 1–1.5 cm (0.393700787401575–0.590551181102362 in) diameter, broadest near the apex. They open when mature to release the small, 5–20 mm (0.196850393700787–0.78740157480315 in) long, winged seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s.
It typically grows in river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
banks, pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s and swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, growing in water up to 60 cm (23.6 in) deep. Like the related genus Taxodium
Taxodium
Taxodium is a genus of one to three species of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae...
, it produces 'cypress knee
Cypress knee
In the biology of trees, a cypress knee is a distinctive structure in a root of a cypress tree of any of various species of the subfamily Taxodioideae. Their function is unknown, but they are generally seen in swamps...
s' when growing in water, thought to help transport oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
to the root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s.
The species is nearly extinct
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
in the wild due to overcutting for its valuable decay-resistant, scented wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, but it is also fairly widely planted along the banks of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
paddies
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
where its roots help to stabilise the banks by reducing soil erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
. There appear to be no remaining wild plants in China and few of those in Viet Nam are seed-bearing. There are four specimen of this tree in the Bank Hall Gardens
Bank Hall Gardens
Bank Hall Gardens comprise of land around Bank Hall, in Bretherton, Lancashire, England. The gardens contain specimen trees including a yew thought to be the oldest in Lancashire. Many architectural features, statues, low garden walls, conservatory and greenhouses have gone but there are plans to...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
