Falcatifolium papuanum
Falcatifolium papuanum is a medium sized coniferous tree of the genus Falcatifolium in the family of Podocarpus plants ( Podocarpaceae ). The natural range of the species is located in Papua New Guinea. She is there widespread in montane rain forests and partly common and is guided in the IUCN Red List as not at risk. The wood is used along with the other stone Yews.
- 6.1 Literature
- 6.2 Notes and references
Description
Appearance
Falcatifolium papuanum grows achieved as evergreen, up to 22 meters tall tree with an upright, straight trunk, diameter up to 40 inches and more ( diameter at breast height ). The Stammborke is dark brown, gray weather influence, smooth and ripped in older trees in the lower part of the trunk and flaky. The inner bark is slightly fibrous and reddish brown. The canopy of trees growing in the forest is more or less conical.
Are formed of leaves of two ways: scale leaves and needle-shaped leaves. The scale leaves grow more or less pressed on main shoots and at the base of lateral shoots that are pfriemförmig to narrowly lanceolate, 2-5 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. Sometimes they develop into small foliage leaves on.
The leaves of seedlings are linear and are breitwinkelig of the branches off. They are stalked, 10 to 15 millimeters long and about 1 mm wide. The leaves somewhat older trees are only slightly larger than the leaves on mature trees. The leaves are pale whitish green when they emerge, pale yellowish green or Glauk and later green above and below Glauk hand. In the shadow of growing leaves of mature trees are curved sickle-shaped at the base and then more or less straight, 10-22 mm long and 2-4 mm wide, more or less stalked and run at the end of the blade slowly along the pointed and sharp tip. The leaves are more or less leathery, the midrib is not or only slightly increased. The sun -exposed leaves of older trees are smaller, only 8 to 13 millimeters long and 1.5 to 2 millimeters wide and sometimes more curved than shade leaves. On both sides of the leaves numerous line-like, discontinuous stomatal strips are formed, ranging from the leaf base to tip.
Cones and seeds
The pollen cones grow individually to axillary or sometimes terminal, scaly stems. They are 0.5 to 1.3 cm long and 2 to 2.5 mm wide. The Mikrosporophylle have two reddish pollen sacks and also a pointed tip.
The seed cones grow individually on axillary stalks with pointed scale leaves. The Podocarpium is 7 to 10 millimeters long, it swells and is in the mature state light red and succulent. The cones ripen only an egg-shaped, oblique -growing, slightly flattened, 5-6 mm long, and when ripe light or dark brown seed which side has two ridges.
Distribution and ecology
The species is endemic to Papua New Guinea, occurrence in the west of New Guinea are not known. Falcatifolium papuanum grows at altitudes from 1500 mostly from 1800 to 2400 meters. The distribution area is probably the hardiness zone are attributed to 9 with average annual minimum temperatures between -6.6 to -1.2 degrees Celsius ( 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit). It often grows in montane rain forests are dominated by representatives of the genera Lithocarpus and sham Book ( Nothofagus ), the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae ), Cunoniaceae and the stone Yews ( Podocarpaceae ). Near the summit area the trees can reach up to the canopy of the forest, in deeper forests on wet ground, the species remains under canopy and remains below a height of 15 meters. In exposed locations on the mountain tops species can also occur dwarf.
Threats and conservation
Falcatifolium papuanum was ( "Least Concern" ) classified by the IUCN Red List as not endangered in 2011. The distribution area is too large for it to be able to derive a hazard and there are known resources on about 1000 square kilometers and probably other yet unknown. Although in the Morobe Province trees are cut down, it's there quite often, in other areas, it may now have become rare. In McAdam National Park, there are stocks in a protected area.
Systematics and etymology
Falcatifolium papuanum is a species in the genus Falcatifolium, the family of the stone Yews ( Podocarpaceae ) is counted. It was first described in 1969 by David John de Laubenfels the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. A synonym of the species is Dacrydium papuanum ( de Laub. ) Whitmore. James Eckenwalder also assigns the single copy which Falcatifolium is attributed sleumeri, papuanum the type Falcatifolium. From this point would then also Falcatifolium sleumeri de foliage. & Silba just a synonym of Art
The genus name derives from Latin Falcatifolium Falcis, "Sickle " and folia, "leaf" from, and thus refers to the sickle- curved blades. The specific epithet refers to the papuanum distribution area in Papua New Guinea.
Use
The wood of Falcatifolium papuanum has high quality and is used and traded together with the representatives of the genera Dacrycarpus, Dacrydium and Phyllocladus. Since the species is comparatively rare, but their share is, however, it be rather low. Falcatifolium papuanum is not cultivated outside of some greenhouses and botanical gardens.