Cupressaceae
Cryptomeria

Cryptomeria japonica (Thunb. ex L.f.) D.Don

First published in Ann. Nat. Hist. 1: 234 (1838)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & S. Japan. It is a tree and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Forest, F. et al. 2018. Gymnosperms on the EDGE. Scientific Reports 8: 6053. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-24365-4.

Conservation
Cryptomeria japonica is rated as Near Threatened (NT) according to IUCN Red List criteria and has received a EDGE score of -2.29, which places it in position 508 on the EDGE Gymnosperm list. It has a Evolutionary Distinctiveness of 25.26, ranked 46. More information on the EDGE Gymnosperm project here https://www.edgeofexistence.org.
[EDGE]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39149/2886821

Conservation
NT - near threatened
[IUCN]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1500–2600 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): NT.
Habit
Tree.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Japanese Cedar

Sources

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • EDGE Gymnosperms

    • EDGE of Existence (Gymnosperms)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0