Dacrydium spathoides

de Laub. (1969)

Common names

No common names are recorded.

Taxonomic notes

Type: Indonesia, Papua, Pengunungan Maoke, Taritatu [Idenburg] River, 18 km SW of Bernhard Camp, 1939.02, L. J. Brass 12659 (holotype A00022514). Syn. Corneria spathoides (de Laub.) A.V.Bobrov & Melikyan. Phylogenetic placement within Dacrydium has not been investigated. In fact, the type specimen is the only known occurrence of this species, and it was collected over 80 years ago.

Description

"Tree 26-34 m tall, 50 cm diam. Bark exuding red sap. Juvenile leaves spreading at about a 60° angle, nearly straight but slightly bent forward at the pungent tip, to at least 6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, c. 1 mm wide, 0.2 mm thick, keeled on the dorsal side, slightly concave on the axial side. Adult leaves spreading at about a 45 angle, straight or slightly bent forward at the apiculate tip, 2-4 mm long, linear-lanceolate, 0.8-0.9 mm wide, 0.2 mm thick, keeled on the dorsal side, distinctly concave on the axial side. Pollen cones unknown. Seed-bearing structure terminal, often on a short side branch, subtended by reduced leaves less than 2 mm long, the cone bracts straight, slightly spreading, up to 3 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, covering the lower part of the seed. Mature seed 4 mm long, often two seeds per cone" (de Laubenfels 1988).

Distribution and Ecology

Indonesia (New Guinea, Taritatu River watershed). Found as a canopy tree at 2150-2200 m elevation in moist, mossy mountain rainforest (de Laubenfels 1988). Note that there is only one reported occurrence of this species, and that plant was seen in 1939.

Distribution data for all species, from GBIF Occurrence Download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.yvmru2 accessed 2025.12.08. D. spathoides color is gray (one point with location accuracy ca. 50 km). Click on any point for more info.

In 2010 the IUCN assessed the conservation status of this species as "Near Threatened" because, although it is known from only one locality and its type specimen, still this "is due to its obscurity as a species that is not commonly known to botanists who might visit the area. Rather than list it as Data Deficient we believe this species should be flagged as Near Threatened as it is surely very rare and restricted ... As a canopy tree in rain forest it may be subject to logging." Although, the same rationale might equally support an "Endangered" classification.

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2026-01-23.

Ethnobotany

No data as of 2026-01-23.

Observations

No data as of 2026-01-23.

Remarks

The epithet refers to the concave shape of the adult leaf, which resembles the spathe of palm leaves.

Citations

de Laubenfels, D. J. 1969. A revision of the Malesian and Pacific rainforest conifers, I. Podocarpaceae, in part. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 50:299. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2025.12.14.

de Laubenfels, David J. 1988. Coniferales. P. 337-453 in Flora Malesiana, Series I, Vol. 10. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2025.12.11.

See also

Farjon (2010).

Gaussen, Gymn. Act. & Foss. fasc. 13, ch. 20 (1974) 44, f. 690.