Podocarpus longifoliolatus

Pilger 1903 (p. 79)

Common names

Taxonomic notes

Syn.: Podocarpus longefoliolatus (orth. err.).

Description

Trees 10-20 m tall and 60 cm dbh with a single round trunk and rounded or irregular crown. Bark fibrous, fissured, dark brown to yellow-brown, weathering gray-brown, exfoliating in strips. Twigs round, ridged. Buds obtuse-conical with spreading to recurved scales 4-10 mm long. Leaves bright green, thick, linear, straight or slightly curved, tapering from midsection toward both ends, 5-14 cm × 5-11 mm on juveniles, shorter (to 10 cm) on mature trees, with a petiole up to 10 mm long; raised midrib on upper surface is flattened but visible on lower surface. Stomata very small, in two bands on lower surface. Pollen cones 15-25 × 2.5-3.5 mm, axillary, nearly sessile, in groups of 1 to 3, each subtended by short triangular bud scales; microsporophylls triangular. Seed cones axillary, solitary on 9-17 mm peduncles 1-2 mm in diameter; receptacles subtended by two spreading bracts 2.5-3.5 mm long (the longifoliatus of the epithet), usually surmounted by 2 fertile bracts that swell and merge to form a succulent red "fruit" 4-5 × 8 mm. Seeds 1-2, 7-9 mm long including epimatium, ovoid (de Laubenfels 1972, Farjon 2010). See García Esteban et al. (2004) for a detailed characterization of the wood anatomy.

Distribution and Ecology

New Caledonia. Based on data from 11 collection localities, it grows at elevations of 430 ±260 m. Within its range, mean annual temperature is 20.8°C, with an average minimum in the coldest month of 13.8°C, and a mean annual precipitation of 1720 mm (Biffin et al. 2011, Table S5). Zone 10 (cold hardiness limit between -1°C and +4.4°C) (Bannister and Neuner 2001).

This map shows herbarium records of Podocarpus species native to New Caledonia. Red is P. decumbens, dark green is P. gnidioides, orange is P. longifolioliatus, yellow is P. lucienii, purple is P. novae-caledoniae, green is P. polyspermus, and blue is P. sylvestris. Click on an icon for further information. Distribution data from GBIF (2020.03.30), edited to remove duplicates.

The IUCN reports that this taxon is endangered and is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. Its range is very limited and is severely framented, the plants surviving at no more than five locations. They are suffering ongoing decline in both the number of plants and the extent/quality of habitat. The total population size has fallen to no more than 2500 mature plants with no subpopulation estimated to contain more than 250 mature plants, and a continuing decline is forecast.

Remarkable Specimens

Ethnobotany

Observations

Remarks

Citations

See also

Association Endemia, a site devoted to New Caledonian species. Has excellent photos, a range map, and other information. In French.

The species account at Threatened Conifers of the World.