It is a highly variable tree, and closely related to Cupressus goveniana, enough to sometimes be considered a subspecies of it.

Cupressus abramsiana (Cupressus goveniana var.

Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) forest, sometimes with Gowen's cypress (Cupressus goveniana ssp.

Cupressus goveniana (Callitropsis goveniana; Gowen cypress)

Subsequent authors have either followed Wolf in treating it as a species (Griffin & Critchfield 1976, the 1993 edition of the Jepson Manual, and Lanner 1999), or within Cupressus goveniana as either a variety (Cupressus goveniana var.