Athrotaxis cupressoides

Similar cypress shed Spruce ( Athrotaxis cupressoides )

The cypress Similar scales spruce or cypress shed Spruce ( Athrotaxis cupressoides ) is a plant of the genus shed spruce ( Athrotaxis ) in the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). The evergreen conifer native to Tasmania.

Description

The cypress Similar scales spruce is an evergreen tree, reaching heights of growth 6-15 meters. The tree crown is broad columnar with ascending branches. The bark is gray -brown. The branches are thick and somewhat fleshy; they stand in whorls to 3 scale-like leaves are about 3 to 4 millimeters long. They are dull, dark green and overlap like roof tiles.

The cypress -like scales spruce is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The male cones sit at the ends of branches, are 3 millimeters in size and spherical with 2-4 pollen sacs. The female cones sit hanging at the end of side shoots. They are 0.5 to 1.5 inches long, orange and spherical. The scales are thickened and have a flat triangular recurved umbo. The seeds are winged with two straight wings. The seedlings have two seed leaves ( cotyledons ). Germination is epigeal.

The tree is very durable; There are known several copies with an age of over 1000 years.

Dissemination

The species is endemic to Tasmania. It occurs at altitudes 640-1067 m in the western part of the island before, including on Lake Saint Clair. The deposits are located close to the tree line, often above the tree line of eucalyptus trees.

System

The species was first described in 1838 by the British botanist David Don.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Athrotaxis cupressoides. In: The Gymnosperm Database. December 12, 2010, accessed on 20 October 2011 ( English).