Actinostrobus arenarius

Actinostrobus arenarius is a plant belonging to the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). It is native in the western part of Western Australia.

Description

Actinostrobus arenarius grows as evergreen shrub or tree that can reach heights of growth of up to 5 meters. The branches go straight from the trunk. The short branches have an approximately triangular cross-section.

The leaves of the young trees are colored blue-green. Mature trees have blue-green to gray-green, scale-like leaves which are ovate shaped with a length of about 1.2 centimeters. They are easily keeled, have a pointed tip and are a threesome on the branches. Seedlings have two, rarely three blue-green, acute to rounded tapered cotyledons ( cotyledons ), which are 9-14 mm long and 1.5 to 2 millimeters wide.

The male cones are cylindrically shaped with a length of 3 to 5 millimeters and a thickness of 1.5 to 2 millimeters. They consist of 16 to 18 egg-shaped or rounded cone scales. Female pins are conical- spherical shaped with a length of 1.5 to 2.0 centimeters and a thickness of 1.5 to 2.0 centimeters. They are initially colored blue green and turn down to maturity. Each pin consists of six tapered cone scales, which bend back up to maturity and easily open the pin to release the seeds. The light brown to yellow- brown seeds are 0.6 to 1.1 centimeters long and have two or three 1 to 2 millimeters wide wings.

Distribution and location

The natural range of Actinostrobus arenarius is located in Western Australia. It extends there from Shark Bay in the north to the Wongan Hills to the south.

Actinostrobus arenarius grows mainly on sandy soils and on sandy plains.

System

The first description was in 1964 as Actinostrobus arenarius by Charles Austin Gardner in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, Volume 47, page 54 synonyms for Actinostrobus arenarius CA Gardner Actinostrobus pyramidalis subsp. arenarius (CA Gardner) Silba and Actinostrobus pyramidalis var arenarius (CA Gardner) J. Silba.

Threats and conservation

Actinostrobus arenarius is classified as "low risk" in the IUCN Red List. It is noted, however, that a re-examination of risk is necessary.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Actinostrobus arenarius. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, November 23, 2012, accessed January 6, 2013 ( English).