Tsuga sieboldii
Südjapanische Hemlock ( Tsuga sieboldii )
The Südjapanische hemlock, Japanese hemlock or Araragi - Hemlock ( Tsuga sieboldii, Japanese栂, Tsuga ) is a coniferous tree from the species of hemlock.
Description
The Südjapanische hemlock is an up to 30 -meter-high tree with a single straight or curved stem that can reach a diameter at breast height of up to 250 centimeters. In cultivation it is usually low or grows shrub-like. The crown is ovoid, the branches are horizontal spread and have overhanging peaks. The bark is dark gray, rough and scaly. The shoots are bare and bright - orange to red-brown, pointed buds and reddish yellow.
The ganzrandigen needles are loose and not strictly parted on the branches. They are 6 to 22 mm long and 3 mm wide. The top is shiny dark green, the underside shows two small and fairly inconspicuous stomatal strips, the needle tip is notched. The yellow pollen cones stand in groups and are 3-5 millimeters long. The seed cones are on the outer branches of the crown. They are ovate, petiolate 2 to 2.5 inches long and long. The cone scales are shiny brown and circular. The seeds are 2-3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide and have a 5 to 6 mm long and 3 mm wide wing.
Distribution and ecology
The range of the species extends over the Japanese islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku south of 36 north latitude, they are also found in South Korea in the province of Gyeongsangbuk -do.
The Südjapanische hemlock grows in cool moist forests at elevations of 500 to 1500 meters on well drained, moist to wet, acidic to neutral, sandy or gravelly - rich, nutrient-rich soils. Soils with higher lime content avoids them. They are found on sunny and partially shaded sites with annual rainfall between 1000 and 2000 millimeters. It is frost hardy. It grows rarely in pure stands, usually in mixed conifer forests along with the Momi fir ( Abies firma), the Japanese Douglas Fir ( Pseudotsuga japonica), the Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ), the Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora ), Maid pine ( Pinus parviflora ) and Anne shields ( Sciadopitys verticillata ).
System
The Südjapanische Hemlock ( Tsuga sieboldii ) is a species of the genus of hemlock ( Tsuga ). There she is assigned to the subgenus Tsuga. The Northern Japanese Hemlock ( Tsuga diversifolia ) is under the synonym Tsuga sieboldii var nana seen as a variety of the southern Japanese hemlock. The specific epithet honors the German botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold.