Podocarpus glomeratus

D. Don ex Lambert 1824

Common names

Intimpa, huampo, pino de monte (Eckenwalder 2009).

Taxonomic notes

Syn.: Nageia glomerata (D. Don) Kuntze 1891; Podocarpus rigidus Klotzsch 1847; Podocarpus cardenasii J. Buchholz et N.E. Gray 1948 (Farjon 1998).

Description

Trees to 12 m tall and 35 cm dbh, shrubby and densely branched. Bark first smooth, dark brown, later developing small, flaky scales, weathering to dark gray. Twigs stiff, round, slightly grooved, with raised leaf bases, and at the tips, bearing compact round buds 3-5 mm diameter composed of triangular scales with free apices. Leaves on juvenile and adult plants similar, gray-green above, glaucous below, spreading to erect, stiff, coriaceous, linear-lanceolate, (1.5-)2-3.5(-5) cm × 2-4(-5) mm, short-petiolate, with revolute margins and a spine-like acuminate tip; midrib a conspicuous groove on the upper surface. Pollen cones axillary, in clusters of 4-6 on a stalk to 10 mm long, sessile on the stalk, subtended by acuminate bracts up to 5 mm long and triangular scales 4-6 mm long. Seed cones axillary, solitary on a peduncle up to 10 mm long; receptacles 5-6 mm long, ripening red. Seed including epimatium 5 mm long (Farjon 2010). See García Esteban et al. (2004) for a detailed characterization of the wood anatomy.

This species is similar to the even less common P. sprucei, which is primarily on the coastal side of the Ecuador Andes and has wider leaves that are not waxy beneath and bears pollen cones on a branched, scaly stalk (Eckenwalder 2009).

Distribution and Ecology

Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia (the Andes) (Farjon 1998). Mostly as single trees or in small groves in cloud forest and montane rainforest at (1,800-)2,500-3,600(-4,000) m elevation (Eckenwalder 2009).

Remarkable Specimens

Ethnobotany

Not widely exploited; primarily used for firewood (Eckenwalder 2009).

Observations

Can be seen at Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador (4.28° S, 79.00° W), which is named for its P. glomeratus.

In Peru, it is reported from the National Park Yanachaga Chemillen.

Remarks

The epithet refers to the spherical buds at the tips of the twigs (Farjon 2010).

Citations

See also