Cedar of Goa (Hesperocyparis lusitanica)

Cedar of Goa or Cupressus lusitanica (Hesperocyparis lusitanica) is a species of plant in the Cupressaceae, a coniferous tree, evergreen, crown conical to ovoid, upright, straight, branched, up to 40 meters high, leaves grow radially and are dark green to greenish yellow in color .

H. lusitanica has round to oval fruit, up to 2 cm wide, with 4-10 scales, initially green, matures brown or brownish gray about 25 months after pollination.

The fruit opens at maturity to release seeds or remains closed for several years, only opening after the parent tree dies in a forest fire, so that the seeds can colonize bare ground affected by the fire. Male fruit releases pollen.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Cupressaceae
Subfamily: Cupressoideae
Genus: Hesperocyparis
Species: Hesperocyparis lusitanica

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