Identification: Small tree ID

I received this small (10 inch) tree as a gift without identifying information. Can anyone ID this tree for me?

 

Cupressus leylandii...?

 

One of the many semi-dwarf Lawson's Cypress cultivars, perhaps most likely Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Allumii' or C. l. 'Ellwoodii'.

 

'Alumii' is neither dwarfish nor juvenile (the one shown is a juvenile foliage form). 'Ellwoodii' is common as a tabletop Christmas tree and frequently asked about, but other cultivars have been offered in my area and I am not sure one shown here has the right foliage for that particular selection.

Tree may not persist under San Diego conditions.

 

I am curious how you can tell a juvenile specimen of Cupressus from that of Chamaecyparis?

 

By long experience from its 'jizz'. Not an easily definable thing, much like recognising someone you know from seeing them even at a distance.

 

In North America, I've heard the term gestalt with regard to plants, not familiar with birder lingo.

 

Thank you Michael. So, I wonder if I could see the difference when looking at both of them at the same time. Couldn't find a picture of a juvenile plant on the Net. Does anybody have a picture of a juvenile Cupressus and could post it here?

 

Here's a juvenile Cupressus macrocarpa

(public domain pic from wkimedia)

 

Great, thanks again. Looks quite different, though the difference could be attributed to the maturity of new growth? It looks like Cupressus on your picture is just developing new growth (the picture taken probably in spring or in early summer) while new growth on orpheus's Chamaecyparis is already mature (the picture taken either late in fall or in winter).

Question: is the Cupressus on your picture in its second year already?

One more question, the difficulty in distinguishing the juvenile specimens applies to all Cupressaceae family or is it only difficult to tell a baby Cupressus from that of Chamaecyparis?

 

Don't know how old the cypress in the pic is (it's not my pic), but 2 years is probably about right.

Yes, many juvenile Cupressaceae are tricky, e.g. Cupressus and Juniperus can be surprisingly similar to each other (worse than trying to tell either from Chamaecyparis).

But there's always the case of 'Sanderi' - this juvenile-foliage cultivar defied identification for 84 years, moving through five different genera (including one, Shishindenia, created for it alone) until 1978 when chemical analysis of its resin finally showed it to be a cultivar of Platycladus orientalis.

So don't worry if you can't always get one right!

 

Interesting!