Thujopsis

Thujopsis
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Cupressales
Family:	Cupressaceae
Subfamily:	Cupressoideae
Genus:	Thujopsis
Species:	T. dolabrata
Binomial name
Thujopsis dolabrata (Thunb. ex L. f.) Siebold & Zucc.

Thujopsis (/θjuːˈdʒɒpsɪs/) is a genus of conifers in the cypress family (Cupressaceae), the sole member of which is Thujopsis dolabrata. It is endemic to Japan, where it is named asunaro (あすなろ). It is similar to the closely related genus Thuja (arborvitae), differing in the broader, thicker leaves and thick cones.

Etymology

It is also called hiba,^[2] false arborvitae, or hiba arborvitae. A popular allegory for the meaning behind asunaro is asu wa hinoki ni narou (明日はヒノキになろう), literally "tomorrow it will become a hinoki cypress", i.e. the tree looks like a smaller version of the common hinoki cypress.^{[citation needed]} In Japan, other than being called asunaro, it also goes by the name hiba (ひば). There are also a few regional variations, with asunaro being called ate (貴, 阿天) in Ishikawa, and atebi on Sado island.^{[citation needed]}

Description

Thujopsis is a medium to large evergreen tree, reaching up to 40 m tall and 1.5 m trunk diameter, with red-brown bark which peels in vertical strips. The leaves are arranged in decussate pairs, scale-like, 3–10 mm long, glossy green above, and marked with vivid white stomatal bands below; they have a distinctive thick, almost fleshy texture. The seed cones are ovoid, 7–15 mm long and 6–10 mm diameter, with 6–12 thick scales, brown with a violet-white wax bloom when fresh. A characteristic extractive, a natural product named as thujaplicinol, has been found in this species, mostly in its needles, outer bark and xylem.

Taxonomy

There are two varieties:

• Thujopsis dolabrata var. dolabrata. Central and southern Japan. Shoots less densely branched with slightly larger leaves, and strongly thickened cone scales.
• Thujopsis dolabrata var. hondai. Northern Japan. Shoots more densely branched with slightly smaller leaves, and less thickened cone scales.

Uses

The asunaro is a valued ornamental tree both in its native Japan, where it is commonly planted around temples as well as in gardens, and also in Europe and North America. In the latter two regions, planting is confined to areas with good rainfall or in gardens with reliable irrigation, as the species is not drought tolerant. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[3][4]

It is also used to a small extent in forestry in Japan, grown for the valuable wood, which is durable and scented, similar to that of Thuja plicata.

• 
  Upper side of shoot, lower side of shoot, mature cones
• 
  Foliage
• 
  Young plant

Subfamily Athrotaxidoideae

Athrotaxis	A. cupressoides A. selaginoides A. laxifolia

Subfamily Callitroideae

Actinostrobus	A. acuminatus A. arenarius A. pyramidalis
Austrocedrus	A. chilensis
Callitris	C. baileyi C. canescens C. columellaris C. drummondii C. endlicheri C. macleayana C. monticola C. muelleri C. neocaledonica C. oblonga C. preissii C. rhomboidea C. roei C. sulcata C. verrucosa
Diselma	D. archeri
Fitzroya	F. cupressoides
Libocedrus	L. austrocaledonicus L. bidwillii L. chevalieri L. plumosa L. yateensis
Neocallitropsis	N. pancheri
Papuacedrus	P. papuana
Pilgerodendron	P. uviferum
Widdringtonia	W. cedarbergensis W. nodiflora W. schwarzii W. whytei

Subfamily Cunninghamioideae

Cunninghamia	C. konishii C. lanceolata

Subfamily Cupressoideae

Callitropsis	C. nootkatensis
Calocedrus	C. decurrens C. formosana C. macrolepis C. rupestris
Chamaecyparis	C. formosensis C. lawsoniana C. obtusa C. pisifera C. taiwanensis C. thyoides
Cupressus	C. atlantica C. austrotibetica C. cashmeriana C. chengiana C. duclouxiana C. dupreziana C. funebris C. gigantea C. sempervirens C. tonkinensis C. torulosa C. vietnamensis
Hesperocyparis	H. abramsiana H. arizonica H. bakeri H. benthamii H. forbesii H. glabra H. goveniana H. guadalupensis H. lusitanica H. macnabiana H. macrocarpa H. montana H. nevadensis H. pygmaea H. revealiana H. sargentii H. stephensonii
Fokienia	F. hodginsii
Juniperus	Section Juniperus J.  brevifolia J.  cedrus J. communis J. conferta J. drupacea J.  formosana J.  lutchuensis J.  macrocarpa J.  oxycedrus J. rigida Section Sabina Old World Species: J.  chinensis J.  convallium J.  excelsa J.  foetidissima J.  indica J.  komarovii J.  phoenicea J.  pingii J.  procera J.  procumbens J.  pseudosabina J.  recurva J.  sabina J.  saltuaria J.  semiglobosa J.  squamata J.  thurifera J.  tibetica J.  wallichiana New World Species: J.  angosturana J.  ashei J.  arizonica J.  barbadensis J.  bermudiana J.  blancoi J.  californica J.  coahuilensis J.  comitana J.  deppeana J.  durangensis J.  flaccida J.  gamboana J.  horizontalis J.  jaliscana J.  monosperma J.  monticola J.  occidentalis J.  osteosperma J.  pinchotii J.  saltillensis J.  scopulorum J.  standleyi J.  virginiana J.  zanonii
Microbiota	M. decussata
Platycladus	P. orientalis
Tetraclinis	T. articulata
Thuja	T. koraiensis T. occidentalis T. plicata T. standishii T. sutchuenensis
Thujopsis	T. dolabrata
Xanthocyparis	X. vietnamensis

Subfamily Sequoioideae

Metasequoia	M. glyptostroboides
Sequoia	S. sempervirens
Sequoiadendron	S. giganteum

Subfamily Taiwanioideae

Taiwania	T. cryptomerioides

Subfamily Taxodioideae

Cryptomeria	C. japonica
Glyptostrobus	G. pensilis
Taxodium	T. ascendens T. distichum T. mucronatum