Papuacedrus
Encyclopedia
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 the eastern Moluccas.
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 seed
s.
The species has two varieties
, most readily distinguishable as young plants with juvenile leaves (the adult foliage being nearly indistinguishable):
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
family Cupressaceae
Cupressaceae
The Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27 to 30 genera , which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130-140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m tall...
, 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
Libocedrus
Libocedrus is a genus of five species of coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to New Zealand and New Caledonia. The genus is closely related to the South American genera Pilgerodendron and Austrocedrus, and the New Guinean genus Papuacedrus, both of which are included within...
. It is native to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and the eastern Moluccas.
It is usually a medium-sized to large evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
16–50 m tall, at high altitudes only a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
reaching up to 3 m). The foliage is borne in flat sprays, with the leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
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
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
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 seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s.
The species has two varieties
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
, 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 (GibbsLilian GibbsLilian Suzette Gibbs was a British botanist who worked for the British Museum in London. She was the first woman and the first botanist to ascend Mount Kinabalu in February 1910. Gibbs collected many plants new to science, several of which are named in her honour .-References:* Vickery, R. ....
) 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.