Cedrus brevifolia (Cyprus cedar) description

Conservation Status

Cedrus brevifolia

(Hook.f.) Elwes & A.Henry (1908)

Common names

Cyprus cedar.

Taxonomic notes

Type: Cyprus, Troödos Mountains, Troödos Forest, 1879, S. Baker s.n., "between the monastery of Kykes and the town of [Kibrysoka], in the extreme south-west of Cyprus" (holotype K). Syn: Cedrus libani A.Rich. var. brevifolia Hook.f., Cedrus libani A.Rich. subsp. brevifolia (Hook.f.) Meikle.

All of the Mediterranean cedars are extremely similar in appearance and many authors have reduced them to varieties or, more properly (in view of their distinct ranges and climates), subspecies of C. libani, which was the first of these taxa to be described. However, geological evidence and climate models indicate that the species have had disjunct distributions since at least Miocene time, a duration of separation consistent with treatment at species rank. A molecular study has indicated that the most recent common ancestor of the 3 Mediterranean species dates to the Oligocene/Miocene boundary (23 million years ago) while the most recent common ancestor of C. brevifolia and C. libani dates to the Miocene/Pliocene boundary (5.3 mya) (Qiao et al. 2007). A study using nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSrs) identified Lebanese C. libani as more similar to C. brevifolia than to Turkish C. libani (Karam et al. 2019), a result that argues for classifying C. brevifolia as a variety or subspecies of C. libani. However, a later study using nSSrs, covering the range of the two taxa in Türkiye and Cyprus, demonstrated a strong separation between the two taxa with, also, a strong longitudinal gradient in the Turkish populations (Griebeling et al. 2026).

This result is consistent with the geological record, which indicates that Cyprus (where C. brevifolia is endemic) has been an oceanic island since the end of the Messinian salinity crisis at 5.3 mya. Dispersal across oceanic barriers is virtually unknown among conifers with wind-dispersed seeds, though it is possible that some C. brevifolia pollen could be carried to the mainland or vice-versa. This is particularly possible since niche modeling evidence indicates that both Cyprus and the adjacent mainland had far more extensive areas of highly suitable Cedrus habitat, and thus presumably much larger population sizes, during the late glacial maximum as compared to now (Xiao et al. 2022).

Description

Trees to 20 m tall and 120 cm dbh, usually with a single columnar trunk and a pyramidal crown that becomes flattened and umbrella-shaped with age. Leaves on long shoots spirally arranged, radially spreading, more crowded at base of the long shoot; short shoots emerging in leaf axils, leaves densely crowded in false whorls of 20-35, most numerous on older short shoots, spreading radially, 5-16 mm long (may be longer at base of long shoots), 1-1.5 mm wide, narrowly linear, straight or curved, quadrangular, acute or acuminate, with some stomata on all surfaces; leaf color variably green and variably glaucous. Pollen cones terminal on short shoots, erect, subtended by leaves, numerous, 4-5 cm long, cylindrical, pale green ripening to pale brown. Seed cones terminal on short shoots, erect, sessile, woody in 2nd year, ovoid oblong or barrel shaped, with obtuse or indented apex, 8-12 × 3-6 cm, light green ripening to grey brown, dehiscent leaving a persistent conical rachis. Seed scales broad flabellate, thin, coriaceous, 3-3.5 cm long × 3.5-4 cm wide; glabrous with orange-brown pubescence at base; upper margin entire, slightly incurved. Seeds ovoid conical, 10-14 × 4-6 mm, brown; seed wings broad cuneate, 20-30 mm long (Farjon 2010). See García Esteban et al. (2004) for a detailed characterization of the wood anatomy.

Distribution and Ecology

Western Cyprus: Troodos Mountains, on silicate (igneous) substrates, where its distribution is limited to five sites. Sometimes occurs in pure stands, but often associated with Pinus brutia and Quercus alnifolia and in mixed forest with Platanus orientalis (Christou and Gardner 2011). Hardy to Zone 6 (cold hardiness limit between -23.2°C and -17.8°C) (Bannister and Neuner 2001).

Cedars of the Mediterranean; C. brevifolia in yellow. Distribution data from GBIF, 2021.02.17 and 2021.02.18.

When last assessed in 2010, this taxon remained "Vulnerable," as in prior assessments. At that time the area of occupancy was considerably less than 20 km² and limited to one location. The population was increasing although some trees were showing signs of dieback that have been correlated with decreasing rainfall. This very restricted distribution makes the species vulnerable to stochastic events (such as fire or a pathogen) despite measures to protect the remaining populations. A continuing decrease in rainfall and an increase in the number of trees showing symptoms of dieback could quickly qualify this taxon as Critically Endangered (Christou and Gardner 2011).

Niche modeling under various climate change scenarios consistently forecasts severe reductions in habitat suitability during the remainder of the 21st century. Under the worst-case scenario (which is basically what we have been following during the 2000-2025 period), suitable habitat will have been greatly decreased by the end of the century (Xiao et al. 2022).

Remarkable Specimens

I have seen no data for trees in habitat, and there are few measurements of ornamentals. Monumental Trees (2016) records that both the height and diameter records are held by a tree in Windsor Great Park, UK, measured in 2016 as 102 cm dbh and 30.50 m tall.

Ethnobotany

No data as of 2026-04-07.

Observations

No data as of 2026-04-07.

Remarks

The epithet refers to the unusually short needles, shorter than any other cedar species.

Citations

Christou, A. and M. Gardner. 2011. Cedrus libani var. brevifolia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T34148A9844497. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T34148A9844497.en. Accessed 2021.02.17.

Eliades, N.-G. H., O. Gailing, L. Leinemann, B. Fady and R. Finkeldey. 2011. High genetic diversity and significant population structure in Cedrus brevifolia Henry, a narrow endemic Mediterranean tree from Cyprus. Plant Systematics and Evolution 294:185–198.

Elwes, H. J. and A. Henry. 1908. The trees of Great Britain and Ireland III. Edinburgh: Privately printed (p.467). Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2012.11.25.

Griebeling, Lena, Raphael Klumpp, Charalambos Neophytou, Karin Tremetsberger, Hubert Hasenauer, and Simon Jansen. 2026. The spatial genetic structure and diversity of cedar (Cedrus sp.) from Türkiye and Cyprus: evidence from nSSRs. European Journal of Forest Research 145(3):48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-026-01887-5.

Karam, Marie-Joe, Monique Aouad, Anne Roig, Audrey Bile, Magda Bou Dagher-Kharrat, Etienne K. Klein, Bruno Fady, and François Lefèvre. 2019. Characterizing the genetic diversity of Atlas cedar and phylogeny of Mediterranean Cedrus species with a new multiplex of 16 SSR markers. Tree Genetics & Genomes, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-019-1366-1.

Monumental Trees. 2016. Cyprus cedar in the area of Windsor Great Park. https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/gbr/england/surrey/14721_windsorgreatpark/27806/, accessed 2017.09.04.

Qiao, C.-Y., J.-H. Ran, Y. Li, and X.-Q. Wang. 2007. Phylogeny and biogeography of Cedrus (Pinaceae) inferred from sequences of seven paternal chloroplast and maternal mitochondrial DNA regions. Annals of Botany 100:573–580.

Xiao, Shumei, Shufeng Li, Xiaojun Wang, Linlin Chen, and Tao Su. 2022. Cedrus distribution change: past, present, and future. Ecological Indicators 142:109159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109159.