Common Name:

General Information

Cupressus atlantica is an evergreen tree with a conical or pyramidal crown; it can grow around 16 - 20 metres tall. The trunk can be 200 - 300cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested (illegally) for its wood, which is used as timber and for fuel[]. It has potential for use as an ornamental[].
Cupressus atlantica has a very restricted range. The main population occurs in the Oued-n’Fiss valley between Asni and Ijoukak, where many old trees still survive, but the total area of occupancy is estimated to have reduced by 75% in the period 1950 - 1986. A more recent survey in 1997 failed to observe natural regeneration even within an experimental enclosure designed to fence out the sheep and goats. Exploitation for timber and firewood has certainly slowed down, but protection is still inadequate and further decline seems inevitable. Afforestation to provide alternatives for local use of wood is needed. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

N. Africa - Morocco

Habitat

Very open shrubland or degraded woodland, growing on rocky limestone slopes and dry, sandy stream beds; at elevations from 900 - 2,200 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Height	0.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows well in a hot, dry situation[]. Prefers a pH of 6 or lower[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

(Illegal) recent use for firewood has been recorded; in Morocco also for timber. This species is in cultivation but at present only as ex situ conservation attempts (mainly concentrated on var. dupreziana from the Sahara) and probably in a few collections. From observations made on some trees in the wild of both varieties, it should be possible to select shoots that grow into a fastigiate habit as with C. sempervirens; this could lead to cultivars of interest to horticulture. Young trees planted in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have a columnar shape with short, more or less ascending branches[]..

Propagation

Seed -