About Widdringtonia cedarbergensis J.A.Marsh
Widdringtonia cedarbergensis, commonly known as Clanwilliam cedar or Clanwilliam cypress, was classified as Widdringtonia wallichii from 2013 to 2023. It is a species of the genus Widdringtonia that is native to South Africa, and is endemic to the Cederberg Mountains located northeast of Cape Town in Western Cape Province. Harsh weather conditions including limited rainfall and frequent wildfires restrict the tree's growth. In these harsh environmental conditions, ring width is almost entirely correlated with rainfall. This species is threatened by habitat loss, and it is protected in South Africa under the 1998 National Forest Act (Act 84). It is a small evergreen tree that reaches 5–7 m in height, and rarely grows as tall as 20 m. Its leaves are scale-like: they measure 1.5 mm long and 1 mm broad on small shoots, and can grow up to 15 mm long on strong-growing shoots. Leaves are arranged in opposite decussate pairs. The tree's cones are globose to rectangular, 2–3 cm long, and have four scales.
