80 
ITALIAN CYPRESS SEED STUDY 
By C. J. Kraebel, Ass't. Superintendent of Forestry 
The upright Itahan cypress, distinguished horticulturally as 
Cupressus sempervirens var. fastigiata, is very desirable for the 
ornamental planting of home grounds and parks and is in much 
demand for such purposes in the Hawaiian Islands. Difficulty 
has been experienced in the past in securing seed which can be 
depended upon to produce the upright form of tree. Commer- 
cial seedmen on the mainland are often unable to supply any seed 
at all of this tree, and such lots. as are occasionally obtained from 
this source do not always produce the desired upright shape of 
tree. Being a variety, the tree may not be a constant and can 
therefore not be expected to come true from seed. There is, 
moreover, the great probability of cross-poUination with other 
Cupressus species such as macrocarpa, macnabia\na, arizonica, 
funebris or any of their numerous varieties which are used in 
ornamental planting. 
In the ef¥ort to find a constant source of dependable seed, the 
idea was hit upon of gathering seed from trees now growing in 
Hawaii. Although there are a considerable number of well de- 
veloped Italian cypresses of good upright form growing in 
Honolulu, none of these has been known to produce seed. On 
the island of Maui, however, there are numerous old plantings 
of these trees at altitudes sufficiently high so that cones are pro- 
duced in large quantities. These trees offered a possible source 
of seed, and it was to discover whether the seed of any of them 
could be depended upon to reproduce the form of the parent tree 
that the present experiment was initiated. 
Seed collection, in October, 1921, was not restricted to the 
upright form alone but included also the spreading, pyramidal or 
''pagoda" forms which have a distinct and useful place in deco- 
rative planting. In most cases both upright and spreading forms 
are growing in close proximity so that cross-pollination is highly 
probable, and interesting results may be expected. 
The following is a list of localities and trees from which cones 
were collected : 
1. Ulupalakua (Prospect Hill) Altitude 2,600 feet. 
Upright form. Old and new cones from a large old tree of 
very good upright form at the summit of Prospect Hill. 
2. Ulupalakua (Mausoleum Hill) Altitude 2,000 feet. 
Upright form. Old cones from an old tree at the mauka 
front corner of the mausoleum. 
3. Idlewilde. Altitude 4,200 feet. 
Upright form. Old cones from two well-formed upright 
trees. 
4. Idlewilde. Altitude 4,200 feet. 
Pyramid form. Old and new cones from two pyramid or 
pagoda shaped trees. 
