Podocarpus smithii

de Laubenfels 1985 (p. 257)

Common names

Taxonomic notes

Belongs to the type subgenus Podocarpus, due to the association of Florin rings with the stomata. It is the only species in Section Crassigemmis, distinguished by a poorly developed epimatium and a prominently ridged seed (Greenwood 1987). Type: Mt. Lewis, Queensland, 1964.12.24, D.J. de Laubenfels P464 (Flora of Australia 2008).

Description

Trees up to 30 m tall. Bark thin, finely short-fibrous to scaly. Leaf buds large, convex to conical, 3.5-5 mm long, 1.5-2 times longer than broad; scales triangular to rounded, obtuse, involute; tips not recurved. Adult leaves ovate to lanceolate, 5-11 cm × 8-14 mm, acute, somewhat glaucous when young; midrib raised on upper surface; 1 resin duct below vascular bundle; upper hypodermis continuous. Male cones cylindrical, 30-45 × 4-6 mm diam., in groups of 1-3 on axillary shoots 2-9 mm long; microsporophylls spreading, falcate, to 2 mm long. Female cones of 1 fertile scale with 1 or 2 ovules, axillary on stalks 6-9 mm long; receptacle 5-6 mm long, fleshy, red at maturity. Mature seed c. 15 mm × 10 mm, acute, dark red (Flora of Australia 2008).

Distribution and Ecology

Australia: Queensland: Endemic and highly local in montane rainforests on the eastern Atherton Tableland. Usually grows along creeks at middle elevations (900-1200 m), often in granitic soils (Flora of Australia online, 2008.03.10). You can create a highly detailed map, and access specimen data, using the "search" function at the Australia Virtual Herbarium.

Based on data from 10 collection localities, its climate preferences include a mean annual temperature of 21°C, with an average minimum in the coldest month of 17°C, and a mean annual precipitation of 2320 mm (Biffin et al. 2011, Table S5).

Remarkable Specimens

Ethnobotany

Observations

Remarks

Citations

Flora of Australia. 2008. Podocarpus smithii. http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/stddisplay.xsql?pnid=4950, accessed 2008.03.10, now defunct.

Greenwood, D.R. 1987. Early Tertiary Podocarpaceae: megafossils from the Eocene Anglesea locality, Victoria, Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 35: 111-133.

See also

Brophy, J.J., Goldsack, R.J., Forster, P.I., and Rozefelds, A.C. 2004. Chemistry of the Australian gymnosperms. Part 6. Leaf oils of the Australian species of genus Podocarpus. Journal of Essential Oil Research 16(4):342-346.