Cedrus libani

Lebanon cedar
	Cedrus libani var. libani in Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnosperms
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Cedrus
Species:	C. libani
Binomial name
	Cedrus libani; A.Rich. (1823)
Varieties
	Cedrus libani var. libani; Cedrus libani var. brevifolia; Cedrus libani var. stenocoma;
	Native range ✖ Isolated population (var. libani) ✖ var. brevifolia (syn. Cedrus brevifolia)
Synonyms
	Synonymy Abies cedrus (L.) J.St.-Hil. (1805) ; Cedrus cedrus (L.) Huth (1893), not validly publ. ; Cedrus effusa (Salisb.) Voss (1907), nom. superfl. ; Cedrus libanitica Trew ex Pilg. (1926), nom. superfl. ; Cedrus libanitica subsp. libani (A.Rich.) O.Schwarz (1944), not validly publ. ; Cedrus libanotica Link (1831), nom. superfl. ; Cedrus libanotica subsp. libani (A.Rich.) Holmboe (1914) ; Cedrus patula K.Koch (1873), nom. superfl. ; Larix cedrus (L.) Mill. (1768) ; Larix patula Salisb. (1807), nom. superfl. ; Peuce cedrus (L.) Rich. (1810), not validly publ. ; Picea cedrus (L.) Peterm. (1838-1845) ; Pinus cedrus L. (1753) ; Pinus cedrus var. effusa Voss (1913), not validly publ. ; Pinus effusa Salisb. (1796), nom. superfl.; Synonyms of C. libani var. libani: ; Cedrus elegans Knight (1850) ; Cedrus libanensis Juss. ex Mirb. (1825) ; Cedrus libani var. argentea Antoine & Kotschy (1855) ; Cedrus libani f. nana (Loudon) Beissn. (1887) ; Cedrus libani var. nana Loudon (1838) ; Cedrus libani f. pendula (Carrière) Beissn. (1887) ; Cedrus libani pendula Knight & Perry (1850), nom. nud. ; Cedrus libani var. pendula Carrière (1855) ; Cedrus libani var. pendula-sargentii Hornibr. (1923) ; Cedrus libani var. stenocoma (O.Schwarz) Frankis (2000 publ. 2001) ; Cedrus libani subsp. stenocoma (O.Schwarz) Greuter & Burdet (1981) ; Cedrus libanitica var. pendula (Carrière) L.H.Bailey (1933) ; Cedrus libanitica var. sargentii Hornibr. (1939), nom. superfl. ; Cedrus libanitica subsp. stenocoma O.Schwarz (1944) ; Cedrus libanotica f. pendula (Carrière) Rehder (1925) ; Cedrus libanotica var. pendula (Carrière) Rehder (1927) ;

Cedrus libani, commonly known as cedar of Lebanon, Lebanon cedar, or Lebanese cedar (Arabic: أرز لبناني, romanized: ʾarz lubnāniyy), is a species of large conifer in the pine family, Pinaceae, and is native to the mountains of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Known for its longevity, height, and durable wood, it has held profound significance for millennia. The tree features in ancient Mesopotamian literature. It is the national emblem of Lebanon and is widely used as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens. Historically, the ancient Phoenicians used Cedar wood for shipbuilding and traded Cedar trees with Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Anatolians, Iberians, Punics, Sicilians, Romans and Ancient Iraq.

Cedrus libani can reach 40 m (130 ft) in height, with a massive monopodial columnar trunk up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in diameter. The trunks of old, open-grown trees often fork into several large, erect branches. The rough and scaly bark is dark grey to blackish brown, and is run through by deep, horizontal fissures that peel in small chips. The first-order branches are ascending in young trees; they grow to a massive size and take on a horizontal, wide-spreading disposition. Second-order branches are dense and grow in a horizontal plane. The crown is conical when young, becoming broadly tabular with age with fairly level branches; trees growing in dense forests maintain more conical shape.