Podocarpus fasciculus

de Laub. (1985)

Common names

Thitmin; 簇花罗汉松 cùhuā luóhànsōng, 叢花百日青 cónghuā bǎirìqīng [Chinese]. The name literally translates as "tufted podocarp", likely in reference to the leaves borne near the ends of twigs.

Taxonomic notes

Syn.: Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) Sweet var. liukiuensis Warb. (1900); Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) Sweet f. grandifolia Pilg. (Farjon 1998).

Description

Trees to 15 m tall. Leaves linear-elliptic or linear-lanceolate, 5-16 cm × 6-12 mm, gradually narrowing at both ends, slightly falcate, short-petiolate, acute to acuminate. Pollen cones in groups of 3-6, 20-30 × 2-2.5 mm, peduncles scaled, 2-10 mm long. Seed cones on 10-18 mm peduncles; receptacle 9-18 mm long. Seeds about 10 mm long (Huang 1994).

Distribution and Ecology

Japan: Ryukyu Islands; Taiwan in the north-central region, and in the far south in Tawushan Nature Reserve (Farjon and Carter 2013).

Although it is fairly widely distributed, with at least 8 locations and a total extent of occurrence that likely exceeds 20,000 km², the IUCN assesses P. fasciculus as "Vulnerable" because there has likely been a past decline of at least 30%. This has happened due to selective logging in Taiwan, and in the Ryukyu Islands and Japan, clearcutting, selective logging and conversion of forests for agriculture or plantation forestry. However, its status in Japan is uncertain due to an absence of surveys (Farjon and Carter 2013).

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2026-01-23.

Ethnobotany

P. fasciculus has been exploited for timber in Taiwan, but since most trees do not attain large size, its commercial importance is limited. The wood is used for light construction, carpentry, and sometimes furniture making. It might be planted in city parks as an ornamental, as it can enter horticulture under the name P. macrophyllus which it superficially resembles (Farjon and Carter 2013). As of early 2023, however, no specimens were recorded in arboreta or botanical gardens.

Observations

See the collection records on iNaturalist.

Remarks

The epithet fasciculus, Latin for "cluster", refers to the clustered pollen cones.

Citations

de Laubenfels, David J. 1985. A taxonomic revision of the genus Podocarpus. Blumea 30:51-278.

Farjon, Aljos and G. Carter. 2013. Podocarpus fasciculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T34067A2842494. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T34067A2842494.en, accessed 2023.01.07.

Huang, Tseng-Chieng, ed. 1994. Flora of Taiwan vol. 1: Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae. Taipei: Dep. of Botany, National Taiwan Univ.

See also

Huang (1994), the Flora of Taiwan.

The species account at Threatened Conifers of the World.