CHAPTER 3 - 



CHAMAECYPARIS THYOIDES: LIFE HISTORY AND ECOLOGY 



The morphology, growth, and ecology (or 

 silvics) of Atlantic white cedar have been examined 

 in detail by Korstian (1924), Korstian and Brush 

 (1 931 ), and Little (1 950). Most work published on the 

 subject since 1950 has been based on the data of 

 these studies (e.g., Powells 1965; Little and Garrett, 

 in press). Table 2 contains a summary of the life his- 

 tory of C. thyoides; morphology of its branchlets, 

 leaves, and reproductive structures is illustrated in 

 Figure 19. 



3.1 MORPHOLOGY 



3.1.1 The Tree 



Atlantic white cedar is a graceful, sym- 

 metrical conifer. The crown is formed of slender, 

 horizontal branches with slightly pendant sprays of 

 twigs and branchlets. The flexible terminal shoot, or 

 leader, often droops before the wind. In closed 



Table 2. Chamaecyparis thyoides: A summary of life history. Data from Harris (1974). 



Synonym 



Common names 



Occurrence 



Uses 



Cupressus thyoides L. 



Atlantic white cedar, 



white-cedar, 



false-cypress, 



swamp-cedar, 



southern white-cedar, 



juniper. 



Narrow coastal belt 

 from southern Maine 

 to northern Florida, 

 west to southern 

 Mississippi. 



Timber production 

 Habitat for wildlife 

 Environmental forestry 



Phenologv of flowering and fruiting: 



Flowering 

 March-July 



Cone ripening 

 September-October 



Seed Dispersal 

 October 15 to March 1 



Height at Year of Minimum seed Interval between 



maturity first cultivation bearing a ge large seed crops 



Color of ripe cones 



12-27 m 



1727 



3-20 yrs 



1 or more years 



greenish with glaucous bloom to 

 bluish-purple and very glaucous, 

 finally red-brown. 



Yield data: 



Yield of seed per 

 100 pounds of cones 



Cleaned seeds per pound 



Range 



Average 



Samples 



10 pounds 



420,000-500,000 



460,000 



11 



Germination: 84% (1 1 samples) Test conditions: 60 days (5) 30 °C davs: 20 °C nights 



26 



