Papuacedrus

Papuacedrus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Division:Pinophyta
Class:Pinopsida
Order:Pinales
Family:Cupressaceae
Subfamily:Callitroideae
Genus:Papuacedrus
H.L.Li
Species: P. papuana
Binomial name
Papuacedrus papuana
Synonyms[2]
  • Libocedrus papuana F.Muell.
  • Thuja papuana (F.Muell.) Voss

Papuacedrus papuana is a species in the conifer family Cupressaceae, the sole species in the genus Papuacedrus. Some botanists do not consider this species as forming a distinct genus, but include it in the related genus Libocedrus. It is native to New Guinea and to the Indonesian Province of Maluku.[2]

It is usually a medium-sized to large evergreen tree 16–50 m tall, at high altitudes only a shrub reaching up to 3 m). The foliage is borne in flat sprays, with the leaves scale-like, in opposite pairs, with facial and lateral pairs alternating; the lateral leaves are larger, 2–3 mm long on mature trees and up to 20 mm long on young trees, the facial leaves smaller, 1 mm on mature trees and up to 8 mm on young trees. The cones are 1–2 cm long, with four scales, a small, sterile basal pair, and a larger fertile pair; the fertile scales each bearing two winged seeds.[3]

The species has two varieties, most readily distinguishable as young plants with juvenile leaves (the adult foliage being nearly indistinguishable):

  • Papuacedrus papuana var. papuana (syn. Libocedrus papuana F.Muell., Libocedrus torricellensis Schltr., Papuacedrus torricellensis (Schltr.) H.L.Li). New Guinea, east of 138°E longitude; 620-3,800 m altitude. Juvenile leaves with a spreading, hook-like apex.
  • Papuacedrus papuana var. arfakensis (Gibbs) R.J.Johns (syn. Libocedrus arfakensis Gibbs, Papuacedrus arfakensis (Gibbs) H.L.Li). New Guinea, west of 138°E longitude, Moluccas; 700-2,400 m altitude. Juvenile leaves not spreading, the apex not free from the shoot.

References

  1. ↑ Conifer Specialist Group (1998). "Papuacedrus papuana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 12 May 2006.
  2. 1 2 "Papuacedrus papuana". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  3. ↑ Farjon, A. (2001). World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers , ed. 2: 1-309. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4.
  • Earle, Christopher J., ed. (2018). "Papuacedrus papuana". The Gymnosperm Database.
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