Conifers With Scale-Like Leaves: What Makes a Leaf?

Japanese falsecypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera), Arizona cypress (Hesperocyparis arizonica), Eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), and Leyland cypress (X Hesperotropsis leylandii) are examples of conifers with scale-like leaves.  What constitutes a single leaf can be a little surprising with this group.  The images below provide a brief summary of how to interpret the sprays of foliage that actually contain many individual leaves.  Notice the resin duct in the Chamaecyparis pisifera image; this is a common trait of this group of conifers.

conifer scale
description of leaf