Papuacedrus
| Papuacedrus papuana | |
|---|---|
|   | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae | 
| Division: | Pinophyta | 
| Class: | Pinopsida | 
| Order: | Pinales | 
| Family: | Cupressaceae | 
| Genus: |  Papuacedrus H.L.Li  | 
| Species: | P. papuana | 
| Binomial name | |
|  Papuacedrus papuana (F.Muell.) H.L.Li  | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
  | |
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.[1]
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.[2]
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 2 http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=378344
 - ↑ Farjon, A. (2001). World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers , ed. 2: 1-309. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
 
- 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.
 - Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4.
 - Gymnosperm Database: Papuacedrus
 
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