Chamaecyparis

Chamaecyparis
Chamaecyparis pisifera foliage and cones
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Cupressales
Family:	Cupressaceae
Subfamily:	Cupressoideae
Genus:	Chamaecyparis Spach
Type species
Chamaecyparis sphaeroidea (Spreng.) Spach
Synonyms[1]
Abela Salisb. Chamaepeuce Zucc. 1841 non DC. 1838 Fokienia Henry & Thomas Retinispora Siebold & Zucc. Shishindenia Makino ex Koidz.

Chamaecyparis, common names cypress or false cypress (to distinguish it from related cypresses), is a genus of conifers in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia (Japan and Taiwan) and to the western and eastern margins of the United States.^[1] The name is derived from the Greek khamai (χαμαί), meaning "on the earth", and kuparissos (κυπάρισσος) for "cypress".^[2]

They are medium-sized to large evergreen trees growing from 20–70 m (66–230 ft) tall, with foliage in flat sprays. The leaves are of two types, needle-like juvenile leaves on young seedlings up to a year old, and scale-like adult leaves. The cones are globose to oval, with 8-14 scales arranged in opposite decussate pairs; each scale bears 2-4 small seeds.