The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

ISSN 2307-8235 (online)

IUCN 2008: T42216A2962318

Cupressus arizonica, Arizona Cypress

Assessment by: Farjon, A.

View on www.iucnredlist.org

Citation: Farjon, A. 2013. Cupressus arizonica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013:
e.T42216A2962318. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42216A2962318.en

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THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™

Taxonomy
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family

Plantae Tracheophyta Pinopsida Pinales Cupressaceae

Taxon Name: Cupressus arizonica Greene

Synonym(s):
• Hesperocyparis arizonica (Greene) Bartel

Infra-specific Taxa Assessed:

• Cupressus arizonica var. glabra
• Cupressus arizonica var. montana
• Cupressus arizonica var. nevadensis
• Cupressus arizonica var. stephensonii

Common Name(s):
• English: Arizona Cypress, Piute Cypress
• Spanish: Cedro, Cedro Blanco
Taxonomic Source(s):
Farjon, A. 2010. A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.

Taxonomic Notes:
As for the other American true cypresses (genus Cupressus) workers with DNA sequence data have
recently erected a new genus, Hesperocyparis, to accommodate these species and separate them from
“old world” cypresses. Other studies of a similar kind indicate that this is premature, and the suggestion
is not followed here.

Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published: 2013

Date Assessed: April 28, 2011

Justification:
Despite the threatened status of several of its varieties, which have disjunct and limited ranges, the
species as a whole occurs over a huge area in the SW of North America. The nominate variety has an
almost similar range (does not occur in California) and is Least Concern like the species as a whole and is
therefore not assessed separately.

Previously Published Red List Assessments

1998 – Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)

Geographic Range

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Cupressus arizonica – published in 2013. 1
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42216A2962318.en
Range Description:
This species is found in southwestern USA (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) and Mexico (Baja
California Norte, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí,
Tamaulipas).

Country Occurrence:
Native: Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora,
Tamaulipas, Zacatecas); United States (Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas)

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Cupressus arizonica – published in 2013. 2
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42216A2962318.en
Population
This species is widespread but usually only found in small fragmented subpopulations.
Current Population Trend: Unknown

Habitat and Ecology (see Appendix for additional information)

In montane coniferous forest, mixed broad-leaf-coniferous woodland, Pinyon-Juniper woodland,
sclerophyllous scrubland ('chaparral'), and valley scrub-grassland. The altitudinal range is between 750
m and 2700 m a.s.l. Associated species in these vegetation types are Pseudotsuga menziesii, Abies
concolor, Calocedrus decurrens, Pinus ponderosa, P. jeffreyi, P. arizonica, P. leiophylla, P. lambertiana, P.
sabiniana, P. coulteri, P. cembroides, P. edulis, P. monophylla, Juniperus deppeana var. pachyphlaea, J.
californica, Fraxinus velutina, Quercus spp., Garrya sp., Cercocarpus sp., Platanus sp., Populus
tremuloides, Salix sp. (along creeks), Rhus ovata, Fremontia californica, Yucca whippleyi, Adenostoma
fasciculatum, Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Ceanothus spp., and Rhamnus sp. It is usually 'gregarious' and
occurs on ridges, slopes and in canyons, sometimes in creek beds, in rocky terrain in yellow or red-
brown loam, sand or gravel, or among boulders over limestone, sandstone, slate or granite. The climate
is characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and winter rainfall.

Systems: Terrestrial

Use and Trade (see Appendix for additional information)

There are no known commercial uses of the wood at the present time. The species, in particular var.
glabra from Arizona, has for a considerable time been cultivated in gardens and parks in Europe and the
USA as an ornamental. Young trees have a naturally conical habit and several cultivars have been
selected to enhance this shape; other cultivars emphasize juvenile leaf type and extreme glaucousness
of foliage. This species is tolerant of draught and grows well on chalk in full sun.

Threats (see Appendix for additional information)

Fire hazards are the main threat, especially affecting several of the varieties with a limited distribution
and/or a small and fragmented subpopulations.

Conservation Actions (see Appendix for additional information)

More protected areas should be established that contain this species, so that proper fire management
can be more successfully implemented or enforced.

Credits
Assessor(s): Farjon, A.

Reviewer(s): Thomas, P.

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Cupressus arizonica – published in 2013. 3
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42216A2962318.en
Bibliography
Farjon, A. 2005. A Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Farjon, A. 2010. Conifer Database (June 2008) In Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2010 Annual
Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin
T., Baillargeon G., eds). Reading, UK. Available at: http://www.catalogueoflife.org/.

Farjon, A. 2010. A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.

IUCN. 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2013.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org.
(Accessed: 12 June 2013).

Citation
Farjon, A. 2013. Cupressus arizonica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T42216A2962318.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42216A2962318.en

Disclaimer
To make use of this information, please check the Terms of Use.

External Resources
For Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the Red List website.

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Cupressus arizonica – published in 2013. 4
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42216A2962318.en
 Appendix

Habitats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Major
Habitat Season Suitability
Importance?

1. Forest -> 1.5. Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry - - -

1. Forest -> 1.9. Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane - - -

3. Shrubland -> 3.8. Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation - - -

Use and Trade

(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

End Use Local National International

Pets/display animals, horticulture No No No

Establishing ex-situ production * No No No

Threats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Threat Timing Scope Severity Impact Score

7. Natural system modifications -> 7.1. Fire & fire Ongoing - - -

suppression -> 7.1.3. Trend Unknown/Unrecorded
Stresses: 1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.2. Ecosystem degradation
2. Species Stresses -> 2.1. Species mortality

Conservation Actions in Place

(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Conservation Actions in Place

In-Place Land/Water Protection and Management

Occur in at least one PA: Yes

In-Place Education

Included in international legislation: No

Subject to any international management/trade controls: No

Conservation Actions Needed

(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Cupressus arizonica – published in 2013. 5
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42216A2962318.en
 Conservation Actions Needed
1. Land/water protection -> 1.1. Site/area protection

2. Land/water management -> 2.1. Site/area management

Additional Data Fields

Distribution
Lower elevation limit (m): 750

Upper elevation limit (m): 2700

Population
Population severely fragmented: Yes

Habitats and Ecology

Generation Length (years): 30

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Cupressus arizonica – published in 2013. 6
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42216A2962318.en
The IUCN Red List Partnership

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species
Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership. The IUCN
Red List Partners are: BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation
International; Microsoft; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas
A&M University; Wildscreen; and Zoological Society of London.

THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™