Dacrydium x suprinii

Nimsch 2007

Common names

Taxonomic notes

This species is the natural hybrid between Dacrydium guillauminii (female parent) and D. araucarioides (male parent). Knopf et al. (2007) relate that this hybrid was discovered by H. Nimsch during fieldwork in 1994; the type was collected at the Chutes de la Madeleine, 100 m downstream from the waterfall.

Description

Shrubs or small trees to 4 m tall, the branches of mature plants borne in pseudo-whorls of a few first order branches only, spreading and ascending to form a candelabra crown with tufts of foliage branches. Leaves appear intermediate between D. araucarioides and D. guillauminii; the juvenile leaves 10-15 × 0.8-1 mm; the adult leaves densely arranged, 5-10 × 1 mm, rhombic in cross-section, partly imbricate but free towards apex, narrowly lanceolate with a wide base, gradually tapering to an acute-acuminate apex. Stomata few, near the base on the abaxial (lower) side and in two lateral lines from base to apex on the adaxial side. Pollen cones both terminal and lateral, 10-16 × 4-5 mm when expanded; lateral cones at base of a terminal cone and smaller. Microsporophylls with a greatly elongated acicular apex 4-5 mm long near base of cone, gradually shortening towards cone apex to 1-2 mm; pollen sacs 2, partly hidden by curved basal part of microsporophyll. Seed cones terminal on long or short foliage shoots, ca. 6 mm long, hidden by leaves. Seeds 1-2 per cone, covered for half or more by the epimatium and subtended by bracts; bracts leaflike, longer than the seed; seeds ovoid-oblong, 3-4 × 2 mm, with a constricted apex, brown (Farjon 2010).

Distribution and Ecology

New Caledonia: Grand Lac, Riviere des Lacs. It is a semi-riparian species growing on the banks of frequently flooded streams and small lakes. One of its parents, D. guillauminii, prefers comparable or wetter habitat, while the other parent, D. araucarioides, is found on higher and drier ground in maquis minier and low gallery forest (Farjon 2010).

Although no formal conservation status has been assigned, one of the parents, D. guillauminii, is Critically Endangered, and D. x suprinii is an even more rare species, only known from three localities in the drainage of the Riviere des Lacs, within 15 km of each other. This distribution coincides closely with that of the female parent species, D. guillauminii. Only one of the three localities is within a nature reserve: the Chutes de la Madeleine Botanical Reserve (Farjon 2010).

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2023.02.21.

Ethnobotany

No data as of 2023.02.21.

Observations

No data as of 2023.02.21.

Remarks

The epithet honors Bernard Suprin, a most knowledgable New Caledonian botanist. The discoverer, Hubertus Nimsch, has several noteworthy publications regarding conifers; I particularly recommend his The Genus Araucaria: An Illustrated Overview of its Species, Kessel Publishing, 2011.

Citations

Knopf, P., H. Nimsch, and T. Stützel. 2007. Dacrydium × suprinii, sp. nova – a natural hybrid of Dacrydium araucarioides × D. guillauminii. Feddes Repertorium 118(1-2):51-59.

See also

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