Range of Dacrydium nidulum (de Laubenfels 1988). Adapted from a map by www.expediamaps.com.
Dacrydium nidulum
"New Guinea: chawènum, kasuari, kwennum, Arfak, Maibrat lang., tjikwal, Hattam lang., jammari, Wandammen, samiampi, Japen, Roberbai dial., kun, Eipomek valley, Irian, ibaro, Upper Waria, binban, Oriomo, nidjon, Kebar valley, nipaj, Karoon lang., Arfak, uier, west of Hollandia, Itik lang." (de Laubenfels 1988), yaka.
De Laubenfels (1969) described Dacrydium nidulum var. araucarioides but subsequently (de Laubenfels 1988) assigned the variety to a new species, D. cornwallianum.
"Tree 10 to 30 m tall, 18-50 cm diam., with numerous branchlets forming a dense crown. Juvenile leaves up to 2 cm long, slightly curved forward, acute, triangular in cross section, 0.2 mm wide and less thick. Adult leaves not crowded (leaf tips distant from adjacent leaves), nearly straight to distinctly curved so that the apex is parallel with the shoot, abruptly acute to blunt, often apiculate, 1-5 mm long but mostly 2-3.5 mm, triangular in cross section, strongly keeled on the back, 0.3-0.7 mm wide and 0.2-0.3 mm thick. Fertile structures terminal but pollen cones may also be lateral. Pollen cones 8-18 mm long and 1-1.6 mm diam. Microsporophylls 0.8-1.2 mm long. Seed-bearing structure subtended by leaves distinctly shorter than normal foliage leaves, as short as 1.5 mm; cone bracts increasing towards the apex where one or two may be fertile, up to 4 mm long and completely surrounding the epimatium but surpassed by the apex of the mature seed which is 3.5-4 mm long and glossy brown" (de Laubenfels 1988).
"There is some variation between the different widely distributed populations. In the Cycloop Mts and in Fiji the leaves are not apiculate and, particularly in Fiji, the leaves arc nearly straight. Variations in length seem to be mainly a function of age or exposure, with younger and protected plants tending to have longer leaves" (de Laubenfels 1988).
W Polynesia (Fiji); throughout New Guinea (incl. Normanby & Japen Is.) to the Moluccas (Halmaheira); C & SE Celebes; the Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumba). Occurs at elevations of 0 to 1200 m but mostly under 600 m (de Laubenfels 1988). Within its range, mean annual temperature is 21.1°C, with an average minimum in the coldest month of 16.1°C, and a mean annual precipitation of 2803 mm (Biffin et al. 2011, Table S5).
"Common in the western parts of New Guinea, but elsewhere populations are mostly rather isolated. A canopy tree of primary and sometimes secondary rain-forest" (de Laubenfels 1988).
No data as of 2023.02.21.
No data as of 2023.02.21.
No data as of 2023.02.21.
The epithet is from the Latin nidus, "nest", referring to how the growing seed cone is "nested" within elongated leaf-like bracts.
Laubenfels, D. J. de. 1969. A revision of the Malesian and Pacific rainforest conifers, I. Podocarpaceae, in part. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 50:292-295. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2021.12.24.
Gaussen, Gymn. Act. & Foss. fasc. 13, ch. 20 (1974) 42, f. 688.
Last Modified 2023-02-26
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