rus ▁cheval ieri ▁is ▁a ▁species ▁of ▁con ifer ▁in ▁the ▁cy press ▁family , ▁Cu press aceae . ▁It ▁is ▁en demic ▁to ▁New ▁C aled onia , ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁three ▁small , ▁isolated ▁populations ▁on ▁low ▁mountain ▁summ its ▁at ▁ 6 5 0 – 1 , 6 2 0 ▁m ▁alt itude ▁in ▁cloud ▁forest ▁scr ub ▁on ▁ser pent ine ▁so ils . ▁It ▁is ▁threatened ▁by ▁habitat ▁loss . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁an ▁ever green ▁con ifer ous ▁shr ub ▁( rare ly ▁a ▁small ▁tree ) ▁growing ▁to ▁ 5 ▁m ▁tall , ▁often ▁multi - st em med , ▁with ▁tr unks ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 0   cm ▁diameter . ▁The ▁fol i age ▁is ▁arranged ▁in ▁fl atten ed ▁sp ray s ; ▁the ▁leaves ▁are ▁scale - like , ▁ 2 . 5 – 5   mm ▁long ▁and ▁ 2 – 2 . 5   mm ▁broad , ▁arranged ▁in ▁opposite ▁dec uss ate ▁pairs ▁on ▁the ▁sho ots . ▁The ▁seed ▁con es ▁are ▁cyl ind rical , ▁ 1 2 – 1 6   mm ▁long , ▁with ▁four ▁scales ▁each ▁with ▁a ▁prominent ▁cur ved ▁sp ine - like ▁b ract ; ▁they ▁are ▁arranged ▁in ▁two ▁opposite ▁dec uss ate ▁pairs ▁around ▁a ▁small ▁central ▁col um ella ; ▁the ▁outer ▁pair ▁of ▁scales ▁is ▁small ▁and ▁ster ile , ▁the ▁inner ▁pair ▁large , ▁each ▁bearing ▁two ▁wing ed ▁se eds . ▁They ▁are ▁m ature