Libocedrus
Libocedrus plumosa
The scales cedars ( Libocedrus ) are a genus of evergreen shrubs or trees of the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). The branches are covered with frond -like and scale-like leaves. The natural range of the species is on New Zealand and New Caledonia. None of the five species is often used, only one has small forestry importance.
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
Description
Habit
The scales cedars are monoecious, evergreen, up to 35 meters tall shrubs or trees. The bark is reddish brown to brown, scaly and peeling off in long strips or plates. The branches are spread or ascending, forming a pyramidal, conical or bushy crown. The branches are shaped fronds and also ascending or spread.
The leaves are scale-like, decussate, arranged like roof tiles and decurrent. They are entire, with free-standing or angedrücktem, obtuse to acute leaf finish. The stomata are clearly visible stripes on the affiliate pages. At the extreme, flattened branches they are clearly twofold: to The face sheets are smaller to about the same size as the edges of leaves, rhombic and 1-5 millimeters long. The edges of leaves are 2-7 mm long, folded lengthwise, spreading, curved like a sickle and drüsenlos.
Cones and seeds
The pollen cones are individually at the ends of branches. They are 2.5 to 10 mm long and have a diameter of 2 to 3.5 millimeters. The eight to 24 Mikrosporophylle are decussate, they are shield-shaped and wear most often four to six abaxial pollen sacs. The seed cones grow at the ends of the flattened branches and are surrounded by four or five, 8 to 18 mm long leaves. The cones consist of two pairs of decussate, woody shell and on the outside more or less spiny bracts. The upper, fertile pair opens at maturity, the lower one has a similar shape but is smaller and barren. The pin one to four seeds with two differently shaped wings are formed. Seedlings form two germ layers.
Chromosome number
The chromosome number is 2n = 22
Branches of Libocedrus bidwillii
Branch of Libocedrus plumosa
Dissemination
The natural range of two of the five species is on New Zealand, the other three are found in New Caledonia.
System
The scales cedars ( Libocedrus ) are a genus in the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). There she is assigned to the subfamily Callitroideae. The genus was first described by the Austrian botanist Stephan Ladislaus Finite 1847 Synopsis Coniferarum, Volume 42. The type species is Libocedrus plumosa ( D.Don ) coffin .. The genus name is derived from the Greek Libocedrus Libo for " tear" or "drop " down, thus pointing to exuding resin drops and cedrus the generic name of the cedars. A synonym of the genus is Stegocedrus Doweld, a taxon, which was erected in 2001 by Alexander Borissovitch Doweld. As type species Stegocedrus austrocaledonica ( = Libocedrus austrocaledonica ) was specified. The genus is usually not recognized. The representatives of the genera Calocedrus, Austrocedrus, Papuacedrus and Pilgerodendron were to the genus Libocedrus previously associated with other by molecular genetic studies own genres. An exception is the genus Pilgerodendron that could be counted for molecular studies on Libocedrus but has morphologically to large differences. The shed cypress are the following five types attributed to:
- Libocedrus austrocaledonica Brongn. & Gris, from New Caledonia
- Libocedrus bidwillii Hook.f., from New Zealand
- Libocedrus chevalieri J.Buchholz, from New Caledonia
- Libocedrus plumosa ( D.Don ) Druce, from New Zealand
- Libocedrus yateensis Guillaumin from New Caledonia
Use
As the only species has Libocedrus plumosa, one to 25 meters high forest tree, albeit a small forest importance. The type and Libocedrus bidwillii sometimes seen in culture. However, the representatives of the genus are not hardy in Central Europe.