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CYPRESS, AUSTRALIAN

Callitris spp

A NOTE ABOUT CYPRESS SPECIES

Callistris spp. of the family Cupressaceae, the cypress family

There are a dozen or so species in the genus Callistris that have various combinations of "Australian", "pine", "white pine", and "cypress" as all or part of one or more of their common names.

my samples: NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K) colors will vary under other lighting conditions

both sides of a sample plank of white cypress pine / Callitris glaucophylla --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Also known as Australian white pine, but this is not a pine, it is in the cypress family.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of white cypress pine / Callitris glaucophylla --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Also known as Australian white pine, but this is not a pine, it is in the cypress family.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Australian cypress / Callitris glaucophylla --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Also known as Australian white pine, but this is not a pine, it is in the cypress family.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of coast cypress pine / Callitris columellaris --- HUGE enlargements are present.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Australian black cypress pine / Callitris endlicherei --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of coastal cypress / Callitris columellaris --- HUGE enlargements are present.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of coastal cypress / Callitris columellaris --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. This was not listed as a crotch area but it certainly appears to be.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of coastal cypress / Callitris columellaris --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. This was not listed as a crotch area but it certainly appears to be.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Australian cypress (murray pine) / Callitris preissii --- HUGE enlargements are present.


end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above

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NOTE: the following flooring samples of "Australian" cypress were all obtained from the same flooring vendor and flooring vendors are notoriously unrealiable about properly identifying woods. This one, for example, calls goncalo alves "Patagonian rosewood", an utterly meaningless designation, although I must admit that as a marketing term it beats the hell of out "goncalo alves" which to American ears does not sound particularly euphonious. But I ramble. My point is that I have NO idea whether any of these pieces have ever seen Australia. I have reported them here as they were sold to me, but I'm dubious about the designation.

NOT a raw wood color
flooring sample of Australian cypress that has been finished with a hard, shiny finishing agent that clearly has deepened and enriched the color.


the piece directly above, after I sanded off the finish --- this was a thin plywood layer, so I could not get an end grain pic

NOT a raw wood color
flooring sample of Australian cypress that has been finished with a hard, shiny finishing agent that clearly has deepened and enriched the color.


the piece directly above, after I sanded off the finish


end grain of the piece directly above


end grain closeups from both ends of the plank directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


flooring sample and end grain of Australian cypress


two end grain closeups of the flooring sample directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end of cypress flooring samples

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both sides of a sample plank of Australian cypress. HUGE enlargements are present. NOTE: Australian cypress is not a true cypress but IS a group of related species


face grain closeup of the piece directly above


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above. The white lines are thin cracks filled with fine sawdust.

web pics:

Australian cypress planks


plank listed as coast cypress / Callistris columellaris size is approximately 3" x 1.25" and both levels of enlargement are present so the grain shows up very nicely


Australian cypress molding


plank listed as New Zealand white pine / Callitris glaucophylla and then one listed as (Australian) white cypress pine / Callitris glaucophylla


plank listed as (Australian) white cypress pine / Callitris columellaris


plank listed as Australian white cypress / Callitris glauca


Australian cypress flooring


Australian cypress grinding mill


Australian cypress vase