Podocarpus smithii
Belongs to the type subgenus Podocarpus, due to the association of Florin rings with the stomata. It is the only species in Section Crassigemmis, distinguished by a poorly developed epimatium and a prominently ridged seed (Greenwood 1987). Type: Mt. Lewis, Queensland, 1964.12.24, D.J. de Laubenfels P464 (Flora of Australia 2008).
Trees up to 30 m tall. Bark thin, finely short-fibrous to scaly. Leaf buds large, convex to conical, 3.5-5 mm long, 1.5-2 times longer than broad; scales triangular to rounded, obtuse, involute; tips not recurved. Adult leaves ovate to lanceolate, 5-11 cm × 8-14 mm, acute, somewhat glaucous when young; midrib raised on upper surface; 1 resin duct below vascular bundle; upper hypodermis continuous. Male cones cylindrical, 30-45 × 4-6 mm diam., in groups of 1-3 on axillary shoots 2-9 mm long; microsporophylls spreading, falcate, to 2 mm long. Female cones of 1 fertile scale with 1 or 2 ovules, axillary on stalks 6-9 mm long; receptacle 5-6 mm long, fleshy, red at maturity. Mature seed c. 15 mm × 10 mm, acute, dark red (Flora of Australia 2008).
Australia: Queensland: Endemic and highly local in montane rainforests on the eastern Atherton Tableland. Usually grows along creeks at middle elevations (900-1200 m), often in granitic soils (Flora of Australia online, 2008.03.10). You can create a highly detailed map, and access specimen data, using the "search" function at the Australia Virtual Herbarium.
Based on data from 10 collection localities, its climate preferences include a mean annual temperature of 21°C, with an average minimum in the coldest month of 17°C, and a mean annual precipitation of 2320 mm (Biffin et al. 2011, Table S5).
Flora of Australia. 2008. Podocarpus smithii. http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/stddisplay.xsql?pnid=4950, accessed 2008.03.10, now defunct.
Greenwood, D.R. 1987. Early Tertiary Podocarpaceae: megafossils from the Eocene Anglesea locality, Victoria, Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 35: 111-133.
Brophy, J.J., Goldsack, R.J., Forster, P.I., and Rozefelds, A.C. 2004. Chemistry of the Australian gymnosperms. Part 6. Leaf oils of the Australian species of genus Podocarpus. Journal of Essential Oil Research 16(4):342-346.
Last Modified 2023-02-26