Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Podocarpus dispermus C.T.White


Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
Tree
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Leaves and female flowers. © CSIRO
Leaves fruit and receptacle. © Stanley Breeden
Receptacle, fruit and cross section. © W. T. Cooper
Fruit and receptacle. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, epigeal germination. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
Family

White, C.T. (1933) Contributions from the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University 4: 10. Type: Gadgarra Reserve, Atherton Tableland, S. F. Kajewski 1192 (type; ripe seeds), 10 Aug.1929; holo: BRI; iso: A, ILL, NY.

Common name

Brown Pine; Broad Leaved Brown Pine; Pine, Brown; Pine, Broad Leaved Brown; Double-seeded Podocarp

Stem

Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh. Bark very strong and fibrous when stripped. Subrhytidome layer almost purple.

Leaves

Midrib raised on the upper surface of the leaf blade. Fine vein-like markings, running parallel with the midrib, visible on both the upper and lower surfaces. Leaf blades rather broad, about 2-3.5 cm wide, petioles short, about 0.3-0.5 cm long. Leaves usually alternate and not spirally arranged on the twigs.

Flowers

Male cones about 40-50 x 3 mm, peduncle nil. Microsporophylls about 1 mm long.

Fruit

Receptacle large and fleshy, about 27-30 x 14-30 mm, red when the fruit is ripe. Fruits about 17-20 x 12-13 mm. Seeds about 10-13 x 8-10 mm.

Seedlings

Cotyledons linear, about 30-40 x 1-2 mm. First pair of leaves elongate-elliptic. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade linear, apex acuminate, base attenuate, glabrous, midrib raised on the upper surface but no lateral venation visible. Cataphylls sometimes produced among the true leaves. Seed germination time 7 to 38 days.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ, restricted to the Atherton Tableland, the foothills of the Bellenden Ker Range and Mt Bartle Frere. Altitudinal range from 40-720 m. Grows as an understory tree in well developed rain forest on a variety of sites.

Natural History & Notes

The spreading habit and dark green glossy leaves make this an excellent small tree for the garden. Also does well as a potted plant for indoor decoration.

RFK Code
430
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