Lagarostrobos

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Lagarostrobos
Temporal range:
Paleocene to recent 66–0  Ma
HuonPine.jpg
Huon pine in a Tasmanian botanical garden
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Araucariales
Family: Podocarpaceae
Genus: Lagarostrobos
Quinn
Species:
L. franklinii
Binomial name
Lagarostrobos franklinii
(Hook.f.) Quinn

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). [2] [1] It is the sole species in the genus Lagarostrobos; one other species L. colensoi (endemic to New Zealand) formerly included has been transferred to a new genus Manoao . The genus was also formerly included in a broader circumscription of the genus Dacrydium . [3]

Contents

In molecular phylogenetic analyses Lagorostrobos was found to be related to Parasitaxus (a parasitic and monotypic genus from New Caledonia) and Manoao , but their exact relationships are unresolved. [4]

The wood is highly prized for its golden yellow colour, fine grain, and natural oils that resist rotting. The chemical giving the timber its unique smell and preservative qualities is methyl eugenol.

It has been planted in the grounds of Crathes Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and has done well. Two healthy specimens can also be found at Torosay Castle, Isle of Mull. [5]

Description

Close-up of Huon pine foliage Lagarostrobos franklinii (Huon Pine).jpg
Close-up of Huon pine foliage

The Huon pine is a slow-growing, but long-lived tree; some living specimens of this tree are in excess of 2,000 years old. [6] It grows to 10 to 20 metres (33 to 66 ft) tall, exceptionally reaching 30 m (98 ft), with arching branches and pendulous branchlets. The leaves are spirally arranged, very small and scale-like, 1 to 3 mm (0.039 to 0.118 in) long, covering the shoots completely. It is dioecious, with male (pollen) and female (seed) cones on separate plants. The male cones are yellow, 5 to 8 mm (0.20 to 0.31 in) long and 1 to 2 mm (0.039 to 0.079 in) broad. The mature seed cones are highly modified, berry-like, with 5 to 10 lax, open scales which mature in six-to-eight months, with one seed 2 to 2.5 mm (0.079 to 0.098 in) long on each scale. Unlike the closely related New Zealand genus Manoao , the scales do not become fleshy and are water-dispersed, not bird-dispersed. [2]

Based on herbarium specimens the extent of occurrence is estimated to be around 13,363 km2 (5,159 sq mi) with an estimated area of occupancy of 13,363 km2 (5,159 sq mi). The actual area of occupancy is estimated to range from 2,500 ha (6,200 acres) (Gibson 1991) to as much as 10,500 ha (26,000 acres) (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania 2006). [1]

Age

Huon pines are some of the oldest living organisms on the Earth.

A stand of trees in excess of 10,500 years old was found in 1955 in western Tasmania on Mount Read. [7] Each of the trees in this stand is a genetically identical male that has reproduced vegetatively. Although no single tree in this stand is of that age, the stand itself as a single organism has existed that long. [8]

Individual trees in the clonal patch have been listed as having ages of 2,000 [6] [9] or even to 3,000 [10] [11] years old.

Because of the long life of individual trees, tree rings from Huon Pine have been used for dendrochronology to establish a record of climate variation. [12]

Conservation

An estimated 15% of its habitat has been lost through inundation for hydroelectric schemes and to fire over the past 100 years or so. Extensive logging in the past has removed nearly all large trees, but there is regrowth nearly everywhere. One stand of the species has been made available for access to craft wood from dead and downed timber under a strict licensing system. It is illegal to cut living trees. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine</span> Genus of plants in the conifer family Pinaceae

A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus Pinus of the family Pinaceae. Pinus is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae.

<i>Dacrydium cupressinum</i> Species of evergreen tree

Dacrydium cupressinum, commonly known as rimu, is a large evergreen coniferous tree endemic to the forests of New Zealand. It is a member of the southern conifer group, the podocarps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gymnosperm</span> Clade of non-flowering, naked-seeded vascular plants

The gymnosperms are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term gymnosperm comes from the composite word in Greek: γυμνόσπερμος, literally meaning 'naked seeds'. The name is based on the unenclosed condition of their seeds. The non-encased condition of their seeds contrasts with the seeds and ovules of flowering plants (angiosperms), which are enclosed within an ovary. Gymnosperm seeds develop either on the surface of scales or leaves, which are often modified to form cones, or on their own as in yew, Torreya, Ginkgo. The life cycle of a gymnosperm involves alternation of generations, with a dominant diploid sporophyte phase, and a reduced haploid gametophyte phase, which is dependent on the sporophytic phase. The term "gymnosperm" is often used in paleobotany to refer to all non-angiosperm seed plants. In that case, to specify the modern monophyletic group of gymnosperms, the term Acrogymnospermae is sometimes used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Podocarpaceae</span> Family of conifers in the family Podocarpaceae

Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. It contains 19 genera if Phyllocladus is included and Manoao and Sundacarpus are recognized. The family achieved its maximum diversity in the Cenozoic, making the Podocarpaceae family one of the most diverse in the southern hemisphere.

<i>Phyllocladus</i> Genus of plants

Phyllocladus, the celery pines, is a small genus of conifers, now usually placed in the family Podocarpaceae.Species occur mainly in New Zealand, Tasmania, and Malesia in the Southern Hemisphere, though P. hypophyllus ranges into the Philippines, a short way north of the equator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conifer cone</span> Reproductive organ on conifers

A conifer cone or pinecone is a seed-bearing organ on gymnosperm plants. It is usually woody, ovoid to globular, including scales and bracts arranged around a central axis, especially in conifers and cycads. The cone of Pinophyta contains the reproductive structures. The woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cone, which produces pollen, is usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity. The name "cone" derives from Greek konos, which also gave name to the geometric cone. The individual plates of a cone are known as scales. The umbo of a conifer cone refers to the first year's growth of a seed scale on the cone, showing up as a protuberance at the end of the two-year-old scale.

<i>Podocarpus</i> Genus of conifers in the family Podocarpaceae

Podocarpus is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. The name comes from Greek πούς + καρπός. Podocarpus species are evergreen shrubs or trees, usually from 1 to 25 m tall, known to reach 40 m (130 ft) at times. The cones have two to five fused cone scales, which form a fleshy, berry-like, brightly coloured receptacle at maturity. The fleshy cones attract birds, which then eat the cones and disperse the seeds in their droppings. About 97 to 107 species are placed in the genus depending on the circumscription of the species.

<i>Nageia</i> Genus of conifers in the family Podocarpaceae

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<i>Prumnopitys</i> Genus of conifers

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<i>Dacrydium</i> Genus of conifers

Dacrydium is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. Sixteen species of evergreen dioecious trees and shrubs are presently recognized. The genus was first described by Solander in 1786, and formerly included many more species, which were divided into sections A, B, and C by Florin in 1931. The revisions of de Laubenfels and Quinn, reclassified the former section A as the new genus Falcatifolium, divided Section C into new genera Lepidothamnus, Lagarostrobos and Halocarpus, and retained Section B as genus Dacrydium.

<i>Manoao</i> Genus of conifers

ManoaoMAH-noh-ow is a monotypic genus in the family Podocarpaceae. The single species, M. colensoi, known as manoao (Māori), silver pine, Westland pine, or white silver pine, is endemic to New Zealand. Before 1996 it was classified in genus Dacrydium or Lagarostrobos, but has recently been recognised as a distinct genus; some botanists still treat it in Lagarostrobos on the basis that it is not phylogenetically distinct from that genus. In molecular phylogenetic analyses Manoao was found to be related to Parasitaxus and Lagarostrobos, but their exact relationships are unresolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Caledonia rain forests</span>

The New Caledonia rain forests are a terrestrial ecoregion, located in New Caledonia in the South Pacific. It is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion, part of the Australasian realm.

<i>Parasitaxus</i> Species of parasitic conifer from New Caledonia

Parasitaxus usta, also known in French as cèdre rabougri, is a rare species of conifer of the family Podocarpaceae, and the sole species of the genus Parasitaxus.

<i>Retrophyllum</i> Genus of conifers

Retrophyllum is a genus of conifers in the family Podocarpaceae. It contains five generally recognized extant species with a disjunct distribution in the Southern Hemisphere, found in Papuasia and also in South America. Retrophyllum are evergreen trees typically occurring in tropical rainforests and cloud forests.

<i>Phyllocladus aspleniifolius</i> Species of conifer

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.

<i>Halocarpus bidwillii</i> Species of conifer

Halocarpus bidwillii, commonly known as the mountain pine or bog pine, is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Athrotaxis cupressoides</i> Species of conifer

Athrotaxis cupressoides, commonly known as pencil pine, despite being a species of the family Cupressaceae and not a member of the pine family. Found either as an erect shrub or as a tree, this species is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. Trees can live for upwards of 1000 years, sustaining a very slow growth rate of approximately 12 mm in diameter per year.

Dacrydium guillauminii, commonly known as cat-tail Rimu or swamp Dacrydium, is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia. It is a slow growing shrub or small tree with roots that grow in water, and reaches a height between 1 and 2 metres.

<i>Lepidothamnus laxifolius</i> Species of conifer

Lepidothamnus laxifolius, commonly known as the pygmy pine or mountain rimu, is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is found in the North Island, the South Island and on Stewart Island.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Farjon, A. (2013). "Lagarostrobos franklinii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T34153A2848138. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T34153A2848138.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Molloy, B. P. J. (1995). "Manoao (Podocarpaceae), a new monotypic conifer genus endemic to New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 33 (2): 183–201. Bibcode:1995NZJB...33..183M. doi: 10.1080/0028825x.1995.10410483 .
  3. ↑ Quinn, C. J. (1982). "Taxonomy of Dacrydium Sol. ex Lamb". Australian Journal of Botany. 30 (3): 311–320. doi:10.1071/bt9820311.
  4. ↑ Sinclair, W. T., R. R. Mill, M. F. Gardner, P. Woltz, T. Jaffré, J. Preston, M. L. Hollingsworth, A. Ponge, and M. Möller. (2002) Evolutionary Relationships of the New Caledonian Heterotrophic Conifer Parasitaxus Ustus (Podocarpaceae), Inferred from Chloroplast trnL-F Intron/Spacer and Nuclear ITS2 Sequences. Plant Systematics and Evolution 233: 79–104.
  5. ↑ "Half-hardy trees in Britain and Ireland - part two". Royal Horticultural Society. Archived from the original on 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  6. 1 2 "Plants - Huon pine : one of the oldest plants on earth". Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania. 2003.
  7. ↑ Graham Lloyd, "The oldest tree", The Australian, September 10, 2011. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  8. ↑ "Could a tree be 10,000 years old?". Gumnuts - the ASGAP Blog. Archived from the original on 2007-04-11. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  9. ↑ Cris Brack and Matthew Brookhouse, Where the old things are: Australia's most ancient trees", The Conversation, April 17, 2017: "the oldest in Australia could be a Huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) in Tasmania, the oldest stem of which is up to 2,000 years old." Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  10. ↑ Huon Pine Lagarostrobos franklinni" Archived 2018-06-28 at the Wayback Machine , Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, 2011: "Individuals have been known to reach an age of 3,000 years." Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  11. ↑ Quinn, Lagarostrobos franklinii, The Gymnosperm Database, 1982: "Living trees sampled by increment borer have yielded ring counted ages of up to 2,500 years, and since these were not pith dates, it seems likely that there are living trees with ages in excess of 3,000 years (Balmer 1999)." Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  12. ↑ Cook, E.R., Francey, R.J., Buckley, B.M. and D'Arrigo, R.D., "Recent increases in Tasmanian Huon pine ring widths from a subalpine stand: natural climate variability, CO2 fertilisation, or greenhouse warming?", Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, vol. 130(2), 1996, pp. 65-72. ISSN 0080-4703. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
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