Atlas Cedar

Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica cv. ' Glauca ')

The Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) is a species of the genus of the cedars (Cedrus ) in the pine family ( Pinaceae ).

Occurrence

The home of the Atlas cedar is the North African Atlas and Rif Mountains. There she is at altitudes between 1000 and 1800 meters pure stands or is associated with the Numidian fir. It is planted since the mid 19th century, primarily in the mild climate of southern Europe as an ornamental tree, since the late 20th century Atlas cedars are also used for forest use, especially in the French Luberon and Corsica. However, the Atlas cedar thrives in sheltered sites in Central Europe (Lake Constance, Rhineland, Rügen). The Atlas cedar is a blue form ( Cedrus atlantica ' Glauca '), the winter is considered somewhat harder, but also planted in climatically less favored locations.

Description

Habit and bark

The Atlas cedar is reached by 200 centimeters, an evergreen tree, the plant height of 40 meters and trunk diameter. The growth of Atlas cedar is often very individual, both in the pure nature, as well as in the garden forms, so that a determination due to the appearance - especially in older cedar - is very difficult. Atlas cedars can grow old to 900 years. In youth loose - conical with upright summit drive. At the age irregular crown, often multi-stemmed. Branches irregular and steeply increasing. The bark is gray and smooth in young trees, older Atlas cedar trunks it is scaly, slightly cracked and dark - gray to black. The bark of the branches is not hanging densely hairy and yellowish.

Needles

The needles of the Atlas cedar are 1.5 to 2.5 cm long, 1 to 1.2 mm wide tufted on short shoots from 10 to 30 on long shoots individual roots, stiff and pointed, bluish- green, about the same length.

Cones and seeds

The Atlas cedar is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The flowering ability of the Atlas cedar starts with 25 to 30 years. The cones grow upright on short shoots. Male cones are pale yellow, cylindrical, 3-5 cm long. Female cones are inconspicuous, green to reddish, 1 cm long, ovoid. The seed scales are about 3.5 cm wide.

At maturity, the pins have a length of 5 to 7.5 cm and a diameter of up to 4 cm; they are barrel-shaped, with a flat or indented tip. In the first year they are bright green, the second light brown, upright. After maturity ( maturity period 2 to 3 years), the pin breaks on the tree, where the woody spindle stops.

The seeds are from 1 to 1.2 cm long, 1.2 to 1.5 cm long wings. The seeds germinate easily.

Swell

  • Christopher J. Earle: Cedrus atlantica. In: The Gymnosperm Database. December 25, 2010, accessed on 26 October 2011 ( English).
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