Atlas Cedar
Atlas Cedars near Khénifra, Morocco
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Cedrus
Species:	Cedrus libani
Variety:	C. libani  var. atlantica
Trinomial name
Cedrus libani  var. atlantica (Endl.) Hook.f.

The Atlas Cedar is a cedar native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria (Tell Atlas) and Morocco (in the Rif and Middle Atlas, and locally in the High Atlas).^[1] It is variously treated as a variety or subspecies of Lebanon Cedar Cedrus libani  var. atlantica (Endl.) Hook.f. or Cedrus libani subsp. atlantica (Endl.) Batt. & Trab., or as a distinct species Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière, depending on authority. Treatment as a variety or subspecies is found primarily in botanical and floristic works,^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]} while treatment as a species is more widespread in popular horticultural use,^[8] and also in some botanical works.^[9][10] The discrepancy in treatment derives largely from the very narrow gene base of trees in cultivation, which gives a false impression of distinctiveness of the taxon, not borne out when the wider range of variation found in wild trees is examined.^[1]

Contents 1 Morphology 2 Ecology 3 Cultivation and uses 4 References 5 Images

[edit] Morphology

It is a medium-sized to large tree, 30–35 m (rarely 40m) tall, with a trunk diameter of 1.5–2 m.It is very similar in all characters to the other varieties of Lebanon Cedar; differences are hard to discern. The mean cone size tends to be somewhat smaller (although recorded to 12 cm,^[1] only rarely over 9 cm long, compared to up to 10 cm in var. brevifolia, and 12 cm in vars. stenocoma and libani) though with considerable overlap (all can be as short as 6 cm), while the leaf length (10–25 mm) is similar that of var. stenocoma, on average longer than var. brevifolia and shorter than var. libani, but again with considerable overlap.^[1][4][9] In addition, many (but far from all) of the cultivated trees have glaucous (bluish) foliage, more downy shoots, and can have more leaves in each whorl; young trees in cultivation often have more ascending branches than many cultivated var. libani.^[8]

[edit] Ecology

Atlas Cedar forms forests on mountain sides at 1,370 to 2,200 m, often in pure forests, or mixed with Algerian Fir, juniper, holm oak and maple. These forests can provide habitat for the endangered Barbary Macaque, Macaca sylvanus, a primate that had a prehistorically much wider distribution in northern Morocco and Algeria.^[11]

[edit] Cultivation and uses

It is common in cultivation in temperate climates. In garden settings it is most often the glaucous forms that are planted as ornamental trees. The glaucous forms may be distinguished as a Cultivar Group Glauca Group. There are also fastigiate, pendulous, and golden-leaf forms in cultivation. It is useful in cultivation because it is more tolerant of dry and hot conditions than most conifers.

Cedar plantations, mainly with Cedrus libani var. atlantica, have been established in southern France for timber production.

An Atlas Cedar is planted at the White House South Lawn in Washington D.C. Washington, DC. President Carter ordered a tree house built on the Cedar for his daughter Amy. The wooden structure was designed by the President himself, and is self supporting so as not to cause damage to the tree. ^[12]

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cedrus libani var. atlantica

[edit] Images

Tree planted at the Tyler Arboretum	Trunk	A tree in the Glauca Group	Branch of a tree in the Glauca Group
Needles of a tree in the Glauca Group	Young pollen cone before pollen dispersal	Cluster of pollen cones after pollen dispersal	Bonsai