Cunninghamia
China fir, Chinese fir, コウヨウザン属 koyo-zan-zoku (Japanese), 杉木属 shanmu shu [Chinese], Chi Sa mộc [Vietnamese].
Cunninghamia is generally regarded as the basal clade in Cupressaceae, i.e., the most "primitive" surviving member of the Cupressaceae. This is apparent in the molecular phylogenetic trees created by both Brunsfeld et al. (1994) and Gadek et al. (2000). It contains two similar species:
Lu et al. (1999, 2001) analysed chloroplast DNA for samples mainland China and Taiwan, finding evidence that both species were paraphyletic. However, this was based on a very limited genetic sample, as was common in molecular studies of that era. Some prior authors (e.g. Wu and Raven 1999) have treated these species as varieties of C. lanceolata, but all contemporary authors treat them as two separate species. Farjon (2010) observes that there are a number of plausible explanations for the findings of Lu et al., as well as for the peculiar biogeography of the two species, such as the limited data set examined by Lu et al., the anthropogenic movements of this species across its long history of cultivation, and the possibility that cryptic taxa remain undescribed within the genus. Further collections and molecular work will be needed to resolve these uncertainties.
Trees to 50 m tall and 300 cm dbh, with conical or pyramidal, dark green crowns. Bark dark gray to dark brown, or reddish brown, longitudinally fissured, cracking into irregular flakes and exposing a aromatic, yellowish or reddish inner bark. Branches whorled, spreading, pendulous at the ends. Leaves stiff, densely and spirally arranged, but spreading in 2 ranks, glossy deep green adaxially, narrowly linear-lanceolate, straight or slightly falcate, 0.8-6.5(-7) cm × 1.5-5 mm, midvein green abaxially, 0.3-1.2 mm wide, flat with median longitudinal keel throughout, stomatal bands present on both surfaces, bands on adaxial surface 0.5-1.5 mm wide, of 7-28 rows of stomata, white powdery or not, bands on abaxial surface 1.2-2.8 mm apart, 0.3-0.8(-1) mm from leaf margin, not or rarely white powdery, base decurrent, margin denticulate, sometimes indistinctly so, especially on old trees, with 18-55(-90) teeth per side, apex usually symmetric and spinescent, spine 0.3-2 mm. Pollen cone fascicles terminal, 1-3(-5) together, broadly obovoid, each of 8-20 cones, occasionally a few also around base of seed cone; peduncle 2-4 mm; cones narrowly oblong-conical. Seed cones terminal, 1-4 together, at pollination shortly cylindric-ovoid, ca. 12 × 8 mm, green, later turning brown-reddish and becoming ovoid or subglobose, 1.8-4.5 × 1.2-4 cm; bracts coriaceous, glaucous or glossy, broadly ovate or triangular-ovate, base with short claw 1/5-1/2 × total length of bract, distal part gradually narrowed toward pointed apex, 1/14-1/5 × total length of bract. Seeds 3 per scale, dark brown, oblong or narrowly ovate, 5-6 × ca. 4 mm, narrowly winged laterally. Pollination Jan-May, seed maturity Aug-Nov, cotyledons 2 (Li 1975, Walker 1976, FIPI 1996, Wu and Raven 1999).
China, Laos, Taiwan, Vietnam, perhaps Cambodia; widely introduced in Japan. Due to widespread and ancient plantings, for timber or ornamentation (frequently on the grounds of Buddhist or other temples, an issue also with Ginkgo), its original native distribution is not known with certainty. Formerly, C. lanceolata was the mainland species and C. konishii the Taiwan species, but C. konishii is now known definitively from Vietnam and Laos, in some cases from locations in wild and remote areas where human actions are unlikely to have introduced the species. Climates range from cool subtropical to cool temperate, and precipitation falls mostly from spring to autumn (Farjon 2010).
Cunninghamia lanceolata probably accounts for the largest specimens, although both species can grow to great sizes. Temple trees of both species are apocryphally ancient, but I know of no data-supported ages.
The wood of both species is pale yellow to white, density 0.4-0.5, soft but durable, easily worked, and resistant to insects and termites. It was formerly used in house-building, for furniture, floor, panels, packaging, and coffins. It is suitable for reforestation and planting along the roads of mountainous provinces, in subtropical evergreen, coniferous and mixed broad-leaved forests (FIPI 1996). The wood is strongly resistant to rot, is not eaten by termites, and is easily worked; it is used in constructing buildings, bridges, ships, and lamp posts, in furniture manufacture, and for wood fiber (Wu and Raven 1999). C. lanceolata is now the most economically important conifer in China, widely cultivated in plantation forestry, whereas exploitation of the slower-growing C. konishii has declined and it now occurs primarily in preserves and remote areas (Farjon 2010, Bian et al. 2014).
See the species accounts.
Cunninghamia can be grown from rooted cuttings, a feature it shares with some of its relatives (e.g. Sequoia), but not with most conifers (Li and Ritchie 1999a, 1999b).
This genus was named for two men. In the words of Robert Brown (1866), who described the genus, "In communicating specimens of this plant to the late M. Richard, for his intended monograph of Coniferae, I added some remarks on its structure, agreeing with those here made. I at the same time requested that, if he objected to Mr. Salisbury's Belis as liable to be confounded with Bellis, the genus might be named Cunninghamia, to commemorate the merits of Mr. James Cunningham, an excellent observer in his time, by whom this plant was discovered; and in honour of Mr. Allan Cunningham, the very deserving botanist who accompanied Mr. Oxley in his first expedition into the interior of New South Wales, and Captain King in all his voyages of survey of the Coasts of New Holland." Allan Cunningham is also commemorated in two other conifer families, through Araucaria cunninghamii and Podocarpus cunninghamii.
Bian, L., J. Shi, R. Zheng, J. Chen, and H. X. Wu. 2014. Genetic parameters and genotype–environment interactions of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) in Fujian Province. Can. J. For. Res. 44(6):582–592.
Brown, R. 1866. The Miscellaneous Botanical Works of Robert Brown (etc.)., V. 1. London: The Ray Society (p. 479). Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2013.01.10.
Farjon, Aljos. 2010. A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers.
Hayata, B. 1908. New Conifers from Formosa. Gardeners' Chronicle ser. 3, 43:194. Available: Google Books, accessed 2012.10.29.
Li, M. and Ritchie, G.A. 1999a. Eight hundred years of clonal forestry in China: I. traditional afforestation with Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.). New Forests 18:131-142.
Li, M. and Ritchie, G.A. 1999b. Eight hundred years of clonal forestry in China: II. Mass production of rooted cuttings of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.). New Forests 18:143-159.
Lu, S.-Y., C.-I. Peng, Y.-P. Cheng, K.-H. Hong, and T.-Y. Chiang. 2001. Chloroplast DNA phylogeography of Cunninghamia konishii (Cupressaceae), an endemic conifer of Taiwan. Genome 44(5):797–807.
Elwes and Henry 1906-1913 at the Biodiversity Heritage Library (as Cunninghamia sinensis; not certain which species is represented). This series of volumes, privately printed, provides some of the most engaging descriptions of conifers ever published. Although they only treat species cultivated in the U.K. and Ireland, and the taxonomy is a bit dated, still these accounts are thorough, treating such topics as species description, range, varieties, exceptionally old or tall specimens, remarkable trees, and cultivation. Despite being over a century old, they are generally accurate, and are illustrated with some remarkable photographs and lithographs.
Last Modified 2023-03-03
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