Platycladus orientalis

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:CUPRESSACEAE
Species:Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
Common Name:Oriental Arborvitae; Tree of Life
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Tree
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:PLOR80
Plant Notes:Oriental Arborvitae is an introduced evergreen shrub or small tree in the Cypress family (Cupressaceae). It is native to northeastern China, eastern Russia, and Korea. It is widely planted in Alabama and persists or escapes locally throughout the state. Oriental Arborvitae is an evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 18-60 feet in height. The bark is thin, red-brown in color, and peels in long strips. The branches are flattened and are held vertically. The scale-like leaves are 4-ranked with decurrent bases. The leaves are bluntly pointed with a terminal resin gland. The leaves are dimorphic. The lateral leaves are boat-shaped with a median groove but without conspicuous white bands of stomates on the lower surface. The facial leaves are rhomboid with a conspicuous white band of stomates on the lower surface. Oriental Arborvitae is monoecious, producing pollen and seed cones on the same tree. The pollen cones are small, ovoid, and yellowish-brown in color. The seed cones are ovoid with 6-12 thick flattened scales, each with an apical horn-like hook. The seed are wingless. An alternate common name for this species is “Tree of Life”, and it is often planted in cemeteries. Oriental Arborvitae is widely cultivated and many forms are available from nurseries including dwarf and globular growth forms, and cultivars with yellowish foliage.—A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyCUPRESSACEAE - Cypress family
Genus Platycladus
Species Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco - Oriental Arborvitae; Tree of Life

Citation

Citation Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco, Portugaliae Acta Biol., Sér. B, Sist. Julio Henriques: 33–34. 1949.
Basionym: Thuja orientalis L. 1753.
Type: CHINA: Without data (lectotype: LINN 1136.2). Lectotypified by Nguyen Tien Hiep & Vidal, in Morat, Fl. Cambodge 28: 72. 1996.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Biota orientalis Biota orientalis (Linnaeus) Endlicher, Syn. Conif. 47. 1847.Thuja orientalis Linnaeus 1753. 
Platycladus strictus Platycladus strictus Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 11: 335. 1841, nom. illegit.Thuja orientalis Linnaeus 1753. 
Thuja acuta Thuja acuta Moench, Methodus 692. 1794, nom. illegit.Thuja orientalis Linnaeus 1753. 
Thuja chengii Thuja chengii Bordères & Gaussen, Trav. Lab. Forest. Toulouse 3(6): 6. 1939.  
Thuja decora Thuja decora Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton 398. 1796, nom. illegit.Thuja orientalis Linnaeus 1753. 
Thuja orientalis var. argyi Thuja orientalis Linnaeus, var. argyi Lemée & H. Léveillé, Monde Pl. 17: 15. 1915.  
Thuja orientalis Thuja orientalis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1002. 1753. CHINA: Without data (lectotype: LINN 1136.2). Lectotypified by Nguyen Tien Hiep & Vidal, in Morat, Fl. Cambodge 28: 72. 1996.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Baldwin, Bullock, Clay, Conecuh, Jackson, Lee, Montgomery, Pike, Sumter, Tuscaloosa

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, JSU, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
UWAL0039187 Pike 18 Nov 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28636		 UWAL
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
AUA_ACC_34477 Lee 17 May 1970 Williams, Ann
146		 AUA
Platycladus Orientalis (L.) Franco
UWAL0014100 Bullock 20 Nov 2012 Dykes, Bailee
1474		 UWAL
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
UWAL0001470 Sumter 25 Jul 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3774		 UWAL
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
TROY000044372 Montgomery 28 Aug 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27648		 TROY
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
AUA_ACC_1163 Lee 26 Feb 1925 Anonymous
 AUA
Platycladus Orientalis (L.) Franco
UWAL0043503 Baldwin 13 Oct 2011 Larsen, Harry S.
1764		 UWAL
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
ALNHS00004738 Conecuh 18 Nov 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#2844		 ALNHS
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
UWAL0008269 Conecuh 10 Jul 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22329		 UWAL
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
AMAL00014174 Sumter 25 Jul 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3774		 AMAL
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
UWAL0024955 Tuscaloosa 02 Jul 1959 J., A.S.
s.n.		 UWAL
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
AUA_ACC_15190 Clay 27 Apr 1969 Griffin, J.W.
123		 AUA
Platycladus Orientalis (L.) Franco
UNA00068855 Sumter 25 Jul 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3774		 UNA
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
UWAL0007828 Pike 10 Oct 2010 Dykes, Bailee
6		 UWAL
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
TROY000033144 Conecuh 10 Jul 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22329		 TROY
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
AMAL00008905 Jackson 20 Aug 1998 Brodeur, Kristin R.
1302		 AMAL
Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco
TROY000014095 Sumter 25 Jul 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3774		 TROY
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
TROY000032824 Pike 10 Oct 2010 Dykes, Bailee
6		 TROY
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
TROY000047498 Pike 18 Nov 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28636		 TROY
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
AUA_ACC_1198 Lee 26 Aug 1924 Straughi, N.T.
 AUA
Platycladus Orientalis (L.) Franco
AUA_ACC_1162 Lee 12 Feb 1925 Anonymous
 AUA
Platycladus Orientalis (L.) Franco
TROY000036384 Bullock 20 Nov 2012 Dykes, Bailee
1474		 TROY
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
UWAL0039953 Montgomery 28 Aug 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27648		 UWAL
Platycladus orientalis (Linnaeus) Franco
JSU103692 Jackson 20 Aug 1998 Brodeur, Kristin R.
1302		 JSU
Thuja orientalis L.
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