Athrotaxis laxifolia

Athrotaxis laxifolia

Athrotaxis laxifolia is a conifer of the genus shed spruce ( Athrotaxis ) in the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). The evergreen tree is native to Tasmania.

Description

Athrotaxis laxifolia grows as a evergreen tree. He forms a cone-shaped, loosely beastete tree crown and reaches stature heights 12-21 meters. The bark of the trunk is dark orange brown with deep cracks and dissolves in scales from. The branches of fresh sprouting are pale to bright yellow. The leaves are ovate to lanceolate; they are about 6 millimeters long and pointed. On the bottom there are two Stomabänder. The leaf margin is entire, and translucent.

The species is monoecious monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig. The male cones contain two pollen sacs. The female cones are formed in pairs, clustered at the ends of short shoots. They are bright yellow to pale yellow, and 1.5 to 3 inches long. The pegs sit at a 2-3 mm long stalk. They are oblong ovate and wear thin, paper-like, corrugated shed of triangular shape. The scales do not have a raised umbo. The seeds carry two wings and are spread by the wind.

The wood of the Athrotaxis laxifolia is soft and pale reddish. It is not used commercially, since the deposits are insignificant and the trees are often solitary.

Dissemination

The type ( or hybrids, see Chapter systematics) is endemic to Tasmania. It occurs in montane rain forests at altitudes of 900 to 1200 m in the west to the central part of the island before.

System

It is debatable whether it is a separate species or whether Athrotaxis laxifolia a hybrid of the two types Athrotaxis cupressoides and Athrotaxis is selaginoides. For this assumption is the fact that the occurrence is limited to the common area of ​​distribution of these two species, and that the foliage between these two types related properties. One publication from 2000, according to the evidence of hybrid property has been furnished by DNA analysis.