Podocarpus transiens

(Pilger) de Laub. ex Silba 1984

Common names

Pinheirinho, which is a generic Brazilian name applied to most podocarps; the species is not common enough to have a general vernacular name.

Taxonomic notes

Type: Brazil, F. Sello s.n.; A.F.M. Glaziou 16336 (syntypes, not located; Farjon 2010). Syn: Podocarpus lambertii Klotzsch ex Endl. var. transiens Pilger 1903; Podocarpus transiens de Laub. ex Silba var. harleyi Silba 2000; Podocarpus transiens de Laub. ex Silba subsp. harleyi Silba 2010 (POWO, accessed 2023.02.03). Pilger (1903) described this taxon as a variety of P. lambertii due to overall morphological similarity and a similar geographic distribution, and de Laubenfels (Silba 1984), for undisclosed reasons, elevated it to species rank. That determination has not yet been assessed using molecular data.

Description

Tree to 12 m tall and 30 cm dbh, with a rounded or irregular crown of spreading branches. Bark not stated. Twigs slender, round. Foliage buds small, subglobose, with imbricate, broad-triangular, short-apiculate bud scales. Leaves on mature trees crowded near ends of branchlets, spreading at acute to right angles from the twig, short-petiolate, coriaceous or thin-coriaceous, reddish when flushing, later green or gray-green above, more pale below, narrow-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 25-50 × 4-7 mm (on saplings somewhat larger), straighte, margins flat or slightly revolute, upper midrib forming a groove and sometimes fading toward apex, lower midrib raised and 0.5-0.7 mm wide, continuous to apex; apex acute or obtuse. Pollen cones axillary in clusters of 2-6 or more, on peduncles to 15 mm long, 6-12 × 1.5-2 mm. Seed cones axillary, solitary on 5-10 mm peduncles, small receptacles ripening to 6-7 × 4-5 mm, succulent, purple aging to chestnut brown. Seed within the epimatium solitary, globose, 4-5 mm diameter, without a crest (Farjon 2010).

This is virtually identical to the description of Podocarpus lambertii, differing primarily in leaf width: >4 mm instead of <4 mm. This is a character of doubtful taxonomic importance. De Laubenfels (1985), in his key to the genus, defines P. transiens as having a round leaf apex and leaves 3.5-5 mm wide, characters inconsistent with the foregoing description.

Distribution and Ecology

Brazil: Bahia (Morro do Chapeu), Goias, Minas Gerais (Serra do Cipó, Serra de San José), Parana, Santa Catarina (Farjon 1998, 2010). The ecological associations are essentially indistinguishable from P. lambertii, as most field collections were identified as that species (Farjon 2010). This may still be the case; for example, none of the many ecological studies cited for P. lambertii even mention P. transiens.

The IUCN has assessed this species as "Endangered" based on a small area of occupancy coupled with rapid habitat loss and fragmentation (Farjon 2013).

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2023.02.03.

Ethnobotany

There are no reported uses, but the description given for P. lambertii is likely applicable.

Observations

The species is recorded from several protected areas: Morro do Chapeu State Park (a tepui) in Bahia, Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in Goiás, and Emas National Park in Goiás. These seem like the most promising areas to locate it.

Remarks

The epithet means "passing over into", presumably referring to its similarity with P. lambertii.

Citations

Farjon, A. 2013. Podocarpus transiens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T34104A2845798. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T34104A2845798.en, accessed 2023.02.03.

Laubenfels, David J. de. 1985. A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Podocarpus. Blumea 30(2):251–78.

Silba, J. 1984. An international census of the Coniferae, I. Phytologia Memoirs 7:68. Available: , accessed 2023.02.03.

See also

The species account at Threatened Conifers of the World.