Cedrus libani

Cedrus libani, the cedar of Lebanon or Lebanese cedar (Arabic: ‘rz lbnny, romanized: `arz Lubnaniyy), is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae, native to the mountains of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. It is a large, evergreen conifer with a great historical and religious significance. This species is often referenced in literature on ancient civilisations. It is the national emblem for Lebanon. It is also used in ornamental trees in parks and gardens.

Description

Cedrus libani can reach 40 m (130 ft) in height, with a massive monopodial columnar trunk up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in diameter. The trunks of old trees ordinarily fork into several large, erect branches. The rough and scaly bark is dark grey to blackish brown, and is run through by deep, horizontal fissures that peel in small chips. First-order branches are those that grow in young trees. They can reach large sizes and have a wide spread. The second-order branches, which are dense and tend to grow in a horizontal direction, are thicker. When young, the crown is conical and becomes more tabular as it ages. Trees that live in dense forests have more pyramidal shapes.

Shoots and leaves

The shoots are dimorphic, with both long and short shoots. The new shoots are pale brown while the older shoots become grey and grooved. C.libani is a slightly resinous ovoid vegetative branch measuring 1.5 to 2mm (0.079 to 0.118 inches) in length and 1.5 to 2mm (0.059–0.079in) in width. It is enclosed by pale brown deciduous scalas. The leaves are needle-like, arranged in spirals and concentrated at the proximal end of the long shoots, and in clusters of 15-35 on the short shoots; they are 5 to 35 mm (0.20 to 1.38 in) long and 1 to 1.5 mm (0.039 to 0.059 in) wide, rhombic in cross-section, and vary from light green to glaucous green with stomatal bands on all four sides.

Cones

Cedrus libani produces cones beginning at around the age of 40. Its cones are borne in autumn, the male cones appear in early September and the female ones in late September. Male cones occur at the ends of the short shoots; they are solitary and erect about 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2.0 in) long and mature from a pale green to a pale brown color. The female seed cones also grow at the terminal ends of short shoots. Young seed cones are pale green, resinous and sessile. They mature after 17-18 months. The mature, woody cones are 8 to 12 cm (3.1 to 4.7 in) long and 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 in) wide; they are scaly, resinous, ovoid or barrel-shaped, and gray-brown in color. Mature cones open from top to bottom, they disintegrate and lose their seed scales, releasing the seeds until only the cone rachis remains attached to the branches.

The seed scales are coriaceous and thin and measure 3.5 to 4cm (1.4 to 1.5cm) in length and 3 to 3,5cm (1.2 to 1.41 in) in width. The seeds are ovoid, 10 to 14 mm (0.39 to 0.55 in) long and 4 to 6 mm (0.16 to 0.24 in) wide, attached to a light brown wedge-shaped wing that is 20 to 30 mm (0.79 to 1.18 in) long and 15 to 18 mm (0.59 to 0.71 in) wide. C. libani grows rapidly until the age of 45 to 50 years; growth becomes extremely slow after the age of 70.

Cultivation

The Lebanon cedar is widely planted as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens.

It is not known when the first cedar of Lebanon in Britain was planted, but it is mentioned in Sylva or A Discourse of Forest Trees and the Propagation of timber. In Britain, cedars of Lebanon are known for their use in London’s Highgate Cemetery.

C. libani has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017).

Propagation

In order to germinate Cedrus Libani seeds, potting soil is preferred, since it is less likely to contain fungal species which may kill the seedling in its early stages. It is recommended that the seeds be soaked at room temperature for 24 hours, then cold stratified ( 3-5 degrees C) for 2 to 4 weeks. It is important to keep the seeds at room temperature (20 degC) and near sunlight after they have been sown. Low frequency watering should be used to keep the soil slightly damp. Overwatering can cause soil to dry out, which can quickly kill seedlings. Initial growth will be around 3-5 cm the first year and will accelerate subsequent years.

Uses

Cedar wood is prized for its fine grain, attractive yellow color, and fragrance. It is extremely durable and resistant to insect ravages. C.libani wood has a density 560 kg/m ³. It is used in furniture, construction and handicrafts. Clearcutting and shelterwood cutting are two methods used in Turkey to harvest timber and encourage uniform forest regeneration. Cedar resin (cedria) and cedar essential oil (cedrum) are prized extracts from the timber and cones of the cedar tree.

Taxonomy

Cedrus is the Latin name for true cedars. The specific epithet refers the Lebanon mountain range where the species was first described by French botanist Achille Richard; the tree is commonly known as the Lebanon cedar or cedar of Lebanon. Two distinct types are recognized as varieties: C. libani var. libani and C. libani var. brevifolia.

C. libani var. libani: Lebanon cedar, cedar of Lebanon – grows in Lebanon, western Syria, and south-central Turkey. C.libani Varieties. stenocoma (the Taurus cedar), considered a subspecies in earlier literature, is now recognized as an ecotype of C. libani var. libani. It has a spreading crown, which does not flatten. This distinct morphology is a habit that is assumed to cope with the competitive environment, since the tree occurs in dense stands mixed with the tall-growing Abies cilicica, or in pure stands of young cedar trees.

C. var. brevifolia: The Cyprus cedar occurs on the island’s Troodos Mountains. This taxon was considered a separate species from C. libani because of morphological and ecophysiological trait differences. It is characterized by slow growth, shorter needles, and higher tolerance to drought and aphids. Genetic relationship studies, however, did not recognize C. brevifolia as a separate species, the markers being undistinguishable from those of C. libani.