Cupressus gigantea

The Chinese cypress species are not well known and have rarely been described sufficiently well in the literature until now. They are mostly represented by relic populations and often have led to confusion among them because of lack of botanical features and correct distribution ( Franco 1969; Silba 1981). Based on the molecular analysis of cypress material collected in Adelaide (Australia) and labelled as C. torulosa var. majestica Carrière , Silba (1981) got the interesting result that this variety matches well with the species C. gigantea described by Cheng and Fu in 1975 ( Cheng and Fu 1975). The above‐mentioned taxon was first described by Carrière (1855) in his “Traité général des Conifères” from a material earlier listed in the catalogue issued in 1850 by the Knight and Perry nursery in the United Kingdom ( AA.VV. 2013; Knight and Perry 1850). As said, C. gigantea was briefly described by Cheng and Fu (1975) based on two collections made earlier (1934 and 1974) in East Xizang (Tibet). C. gigantea appears in another earlier collection done by Sherrif and Elliot , but these specimens were determined as C. torulosa ( Farjon 2005; Zhang et al. 2013). C. gigantea (Fig. 1) is an endemic species of conifers within the family Cupressaceae and has been listed as an endangered species by both local and central governments in China ( Li et al. 2014). The C. gigantea occurs west of C. duclouxiana , which occurs west of C. chengiana ( Silba 1988). The etymological root of the binomial name of C. gigantea is from the Latin meaning “like that of the giants” ( Anonymous 2014). According to legends, the King cypress of Baji, the most famous and ancient Tibetan cypress, is linked to a legendary person, Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche . This man lived long ago, before Gautama Buddha (5th century B.C.) and founded the Bön religion, which is practiced until today and is seen as a relic, more ancient Tibetan religion, an echo of the unexplored past of this unusual country ( Anonymous 2013). Baji cypress was considered the “Life Tree” of Miwoche and the “Original Tree” as old as the universe ( Muller and White 1996), because Baji cypress has a similar age to the ancient Bön religion, which predates Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Thanks to the legendary status, Baji cypress and cypress trees around it have been preserved up to this day and the pilgrims from far away come here to worship together with the local Tibetan community the tree from now and then ( Anonymous 2013).