Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word cypress is derived from Old French cipres, which was imported from Latin cypressus, the latinisation of the Greek κυπάρισσος (kyparissos). Cypress trees are a large classification of conifers, encompassing the trees and shrubs from the cypress family (Cupressaceae) and many others with the word “cypress” in their common name. Many cypress trees have needle-like, evergreen foliage and acorn-like seed cones.
Lagarostrobos franklinii is a species of conifer native to the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia. It is often known as the Huon pine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a true pine (Pinaceae). It is the sole species in the genus Lagarostrobos; one other species L. colensoi formerly included has been transferred to a new genus Manoao. The genus was also formerly included in a broader circumscription of the genus Dacrydium.
Temperate rainforests are rainforests with coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain.
The Tasmanian temperate rain forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in western Tasmania. The ecoregion is part of the Australasian realm, which includes Tasmania and Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and adjacent islands.
Athrotaxis is a genus of two to three species of conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The genus is endemic to western Tasmania, where they grow in high-elevation temperate rainforests.
Diselma archeri is a species of plant of the family Cupressaceae and the sole species in the genus Diselma. It is endemic to the alpine regions of Tasmania's southwest and Central Highlands, on the western coast ranges and Lake St. Clair. It is a monotypic genus restricted to high altitude rainforest and moist alpine heathland. Its distribution mirrors very closely that of other endemic Tasmanian conifers Microcachrys tetragona and Pherosphaera hookeriana.
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius, commonly known as the celerytop pine, is an endemic gymnosperm of Tasmania, Australia. It is widespread and common in Tasmania, with the most abundance in the western highlands. Its ‘leaves’ appear similar to those of a celery plant, hence the common name.
Athrotaxis laxifolia is a species of tree belonging to the genus Athrotaxis endemic to Tasmania.
Callitris oblonga, also known as the South Esk pine, pygmy cypress pine, pigmy cypress pine, river pine, or Tasmanian cypress pine, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is endemic to Australia, where it is native to New South Wales and Tasmania, with one subspecies introduced in Victoria. It is considered vulnerable and faces a number of threats including land clearing, habitat degradation, and damage from or competition with invasive species.
Callitris rhomboidea, commonly known as the Oyster Bay pine, Tasmanian cypress pine, Port Jackson pine, Illawarra mountain pine, or dune cypress pine, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to Australia, occurring in South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. It has become naturalized near Auckland, New Zealand and can be found on the island of Taillefer Rocks in Tasmania.
Athrotaxis selaginoides is a species of Athrotaxis, endemic to Tasmania in Australia, where it grows at 400–1,120 m elevation. In its habitat in the mountains, snow in winter is very usual. It is often called King Billy pine or King William pine, although it is not a true pine.
Telopea truncata, commonly known as the Tasmanian waratah, is a plant in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Tasmania where it is found on moist acidic soils at altitudes of 600 to 1200 m (2000–4000 ft). Telopea truncata is a component of alpine eucalypt forest, rainforest and scrub communities. It grows as a multistemmed shrub to a height of 3 metres (10 ft), or occasionally as a small tree to 10 m (35 ft) high, with red flower heads, known as inflorescences, appearing over the Tasmanian summer and bearing 10 to 35 individual flowers. Yellow-flowered forms are occasionally seen, but do not form a population distinct from the rest of the species.
Dracophyllum milliganii is a species of angiosperm in the family Ericaceae and the sub-family Epacridoideae. It is a distinctive alpine shrub, endemic to western Tasmania.
Alpine vegetation refers to the zone of vegetation between the altitudinal limit for tree growth and the nival zone. Alpine zones in Tasmania can be difficult to classify owing to Tasmania's maritime climate limiting snow lie to short periods and the presence of a tree line that is not clearly defined.
Astelia alpina called pineapple grass, silver astelia, or perching lily is a commonly found species in alpine and subalpine areas of Tasmania and the Australian Alps. It is a perennial herb that typically dominates its environment by growing in dense clusters, called mats, in alpine bogs. There are two subspecies: Astelia alpina var. novae hollandiae from New South Wales and Victoria and Astelia alpina var. alpina endemic to Tasmania. Both subspecies appear very similar to each other. The species was originally described by Robert Brown.
The vegetation in Tasmania's alpine environments is predominately woody and shrub-like. One vegetation type is coniferous shrubbery, characterised by the gymnosperm species Microcachrys tetragona, Pherosphaera hookeriana, Podocarpus lawrencei, and Diselma archeri. Distribution of these species is relevant with abiotic factors including edaphic conditions and fire frequency, and increasingly, the threat of climate change towards species survival exists. Conservation and management of coniferous shrubbery are necessary considering that the paleoendemic species, Microcachrys,Pherosphaera and Diselma, have persisted in western Tasmanian environments for millions of years.
Pherosphaera hookeriana, or Mount Mawson pine, is a dwarf conifer endemic to Tasmania, at altitudes above 600 meters. There are roughly 30 known sites, with population numbers in the tens of thousands. The species occurs in a range of habitats typically in areas near water bodies, mostly on dolerite derived soils. The species is highly fire sensitive and an increase in fire events associated with climate change may lead to local extinction and fragmentation of habitat.
Poa gunnii is a Tasmanian endemic tussock grass considered one of the most abundant and common in alpine and subalpine environments from about 800 m to above 1400 m. However it can be found to near sea level in the south of the island state where a cooler climate is prevalent. The genus Poa belongs to the family Poaceae. Tasmania has 16 native and 6 introduced species of Poa.
Trochocarpa cunninghamii is a flowering plant species of the family Ericaceae. It is commonly referred to as straggling purpleberry due to its round flattened mauve drupe fruits. This woody shrub is usually found in the understorey of rainforests and subalpine forests in the Central Plateau and western Tasmania, and is endemic to Tasmania.
The Tasmanian Central Highland forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in Australia. It covers Tasmania's Central Highlands region.
