Podocarpus is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. The 105 species of Podocarpus are evergreen shrubs or trees from 1-25 m (rarely to 40 m) in height. The leaves are 0.5-15 cm long, lanceolate to oblong, falcate (sickle-shaped) in some species, with a distinct midrib, and are arranged spirally, though in some species twisted to appear in two horizontal ranks. The cones have two to five fused scales, of which only one, rarely two, are fertile, each fertile scale with one apical seed. At maturity, the scales become berry-like, swollen, brightly coloured red to purple and fleshy, and are eaten by birds which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. The male (pollen) cones are 5-20 mm long, often clustered several together. Many species, though not all, are dioecious. See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... Orders & Families Cordaitales † Pinales   Pinaceae - Pine family   Araucariaceae - Araucaria family   Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family   Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family   Cupressaceae - Cypress family   Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family   Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † The conifers, division Pinophyta, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. ... Genera Acmopyle Afrocarpus Dacrycarpus Dacrydium Falcatifolium Halocarpus Lagarostrobos Lepidothamnus Manoao Microcachrys Microstrobos Nageia Parasitaxus Phyllocladus Podocarpus Prumnopitys Retrophyllum Saxegothaea Sundacarpus A large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, with 18-19 genera and about 170-200 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. ... In biology, a species is a kind of organism. ... This article is about plant types. ... The word bush re-directs here; for alternate uses see Bush (disambiguation). ... This article is about the biological organisms known as trees. ... This article is about the leaf, a plant organ. ... A cone (in formal botanical usage: strobilus, plural strobili) is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta (conifers) that contains the reproductive structures. ... This writeup is about biological seeds; for other meanings see Seed (disambiguation). ... This article is about the fruit. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomea purpurea),hollyhock (Sildalcea malviflora), lily (Lilium auratum), primrose(Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ... Plant sexuality deals with the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. ...

Geography & origins

Podocarpus and the Podocarpaceae were endemic to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, which broke up into Africa, South America, India, Australia-New Guinea, New Zealand, and New Caledonia between 105 and 45 million years ago. Podocarpus is a characteristic tree of the Antarctic flora, which originated in the cool, moist climate of southern Gondwana, and elements of the flora survive in the humid temperate regions of the former supercontinent. As the continents drifted north and became drier and hotter, Podocarps and other members of the Antarctic flora generally retreated to humid regions, especially in Australia, where sclerophyll genera like Acacia and Eucalyptus became predominant, and the old Antarctic flora retreated to pockets that presently cover only 2% of the continent. As Australia drifted north toward Asia, the collision pushed up the Indonesian archipelago and the mountains of New Guinea, which allowed podocarp species to hop across the narrow straits into humid Asia, with P. macrophyllus reaching north to southern China and Japan. The flora of Malesia, which includes the Malay peninsula, Indonesia, the Philippines, and New Guinea, is generally derived from Asia but includes many elements of the old Gondwana flora, including several other genera in the Podocarpaceae (Dacrycarpus, Dacrydium, Falcatifolium, Nageia, Phyllocladus, and the Malesian endemic Sundacarpus), and also Agathis in the Araucariaceae. This article is about the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ... Australia-New Guinea, also called Meganesia, is made up of the continent of New Guinea and Tasmania. ... New Zealand is an independent sovereign state in the south-western Pacific Ocean. ... Map of New Caledonia New Caledonia (French: Nouvelle-Calédonie; popular names: Kanaky, Le caillou) is a French territory of 18,575 km² (7,172 sq. ... The Antarctic flora is a distinct community of vascular plants which evolved millions of years ago on the supercontinent of Gondwana, and is now found on several separate areas of the Southern Hemisphere, including southern South America, southernmost Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania, and New Caledonia. ... Arid, largely treeless areas aside, most Australian bushland is sclerophyll forest. ... Species ~1,300; See List of Acacia species Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees of Gondwanian origin belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the Pea Family Fabaceae, first described from Africa by Linnaeus in 1773. ... Species About 600, see text Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of trees (rarely shrubs), the members of which dominate the tree flora of Australia. ... The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay Archipelago, the worlds largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. ... The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ... Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ... Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundary of the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. ... The Malay Peninsula (Malay: Tanah Melayu) is a major peninsula located in Southeast Asia. ... The Republic of the Philippines is a country of South East Asia, located in the western Pacific Ocean some 1,210 km (750 mi) from mainland Asia. ... species Dacrycarpus is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... species D. cupressinum Dacrydium is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... species Falcatifolium is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... species Nageia is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... Species Five; see text Phyllocladus is a small genus of conifers, now treated in the Family Podocarpaceae. ... species Sundacarpus is a genus of conifers containing a single species, belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... Species See text The genus Agathis, commonly known as kauri or dammar forms a relatively small group of 21 species of evergreen trees in the family Araucariaceae, characteristically with very large trunks and little or no branching for some way up. ... Genera Agathis Araucaria Wollemia The Araucariaceae are a very ancient family of conifers. ...

Classification

There are two subgenera, subgenus Podcarpus and subgenus Foliolatus, distinguished by cone and seed morphology.

Subgenus Podocarpus. Cone not subtended by lanceolate bracts, seed usually with an apical ridge. Distributed in the temperate forests of Tasmania, New Zealand, southern Chile, with some species extending into the tropical highlands of Africa and the Americas. Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... New Zealand is an independent sovereign state in the south-western Pacific Ocean. ... The Republic of Chile is a country in South America occupying a long coastal strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. ... The Americas (sometimes referred to as America) is the area including the land mass located between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, generally divided into North America and South America. ...

Subgenus Foliolatus. Cone subtended by two lanceolate bracts ("foliola"), seed usually without an apical ridge. Generally tropical and subtropical distribution, concentrated in east and southeast Asia and Malesia, overlapping with subgenus Podocarpus in northeastern Australia and New Caledonia. World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundary of the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. ... Map of New Caledonia New Caledonia (French: Nouvelle-Calédonie; popular names: Kanaky, Le caillou) is a French territory of 18,575 km² (7,172 sq. ...

Species in family Podocarpaceae have been reshuffled a number of times based on genetic and physiological evidence, with many species formerly assigned to genus Podocarpus now assigned to other genera. A sequence of classification schemes have moved species between Nageia and Podocarpus, and in 1969 de Laubenfels divided the huge genus Podocarpus into Dacrycarpus, Decussocarpus (an invalid name he later revised to the valid Nageia), Prumnopitys, and Podocarpus. species Nageia is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... species Dacrycarpus is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... species Nageia is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... Species - Lleuque - Miro - Matai Prumnopitys is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ...

Podocarpus species

• Subgenus Podocarpus
  • section Podocarpus. East and south Africa.
    • P. elongatus
    • P. latifolius
  • section Scytopodium. Madagascar, eastern Africa.
    • P. capuronii
    • P. henkelii
    • P. humbertii
    • P. madagascariensis
    • P. rostratus
  • section Australis. Southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, southern Chile.
    • P. alpinus
    • P. cunninghamii
    • P. gnidioides
    • P. lawrencei
    • P. nivalis
    • P. nubigenus
    • P. totara
  • section Crassiformis. Australia (northeast Queensland).
    • P. smithii
  • section Capitulatis. Central Chile, southern Brazil, and the Andes from northern Argentina to Ecuador.
    • P. glomeratus
    • P. lambertii
    • P. parlatorei
    • P. salignus
    • P. sellowii
    • P. sprucei
    • P. transiens
  • section Pratensis. Southeast Mexico to Guyana and Peru.
    • P. oleifolius
    • P. pendulifolius
    • P. tepuiensis
  • section Lanceolatis. Southern Mexico, Lesser Antilles and Venezuela to highland Bolivia.
    • P. coriaceus
    • P. matudai
    • P. rusbyi
    • P. salicifolius
    • P. steyermarkii
  • section Pumilis. Southern Caribbean islands and Guyana highlands.
    • P. angustifolius
    • P. aristulatis
    • P. buchholzii
    • P. roraimae
    • P. urbanii
  • section Nemoralis. Central and northern South America, south to Bolivia.
    • P. brasiliensis
    • P. celatus
    • P. guatemalensis
    • P. magnifolius
    • P. purdieanus
    • P. trinitensis
• Subgenus Foliolatus
  • section Foliolatus. Nepal to Sumatra, Philippines, and New Guinea to Tonga.
    • P. archboldii
    • P. borneensis
    • P. deflexus
    • P. insularis
    • P. levis
    • P. neriifolius
    • P. novae-caledoniae
    • P. pallidus
    • P. rubens
    • P. spathoides
  • section Acuminatus. Australia (northern Queensland), New Guinea, New Britain, Borneo.
    • P. dispermus
    • P. ledermannii
    • P. micropedunculatis
  • section Globulus. Taiwan to Vietnam, Sumatra and Borneo, and New Caledonia.
    • P. annamiensis
    • P. globulus
    • P. lucienii
    • P. nakai
    • P. sylvestris
    • P. teysmannii
  • section Longifoliolatus. Sumatra and Borneo east to Fiji.
    • P. atjehensis
    • P. bracteatus
    • P. confertus
    • P. decumbens
    • P. degeneri
    • P. gibbsii
    • P. longifoliolatus
    • P. polyspermus
    • P. pseudobracteatus
    • P. salomoniensis
  • section Gracilis. Southern China across Malesia to Fiji.
    • P. affinis
    • P. glaucus
    • P. lophatus
    • P. pilgeri
    • P. rotundus
  • section Macrostachyus. Southeast Asia to New Guinea.
    • P. brassii
    • P. brevifolius
    • P. costalis
    • P. crassigemmis
    • P. tixieri
  • section Rumphius. China (Hainan) south through Malesia to northern Queensland, Australia.
    • P. grayii
    • P. laubenfelsii
    • P. rumphii
  • section Polystachyus. Southern China and Japan through Malaya to New Guinea and northeast Australia.
    • P. chinensis
    • P. chingianus
    • P. elatus
    • P. fasciculus
    • P. macrocarpus
    • P. macrophyllus
    • P. polystachyus
    • P. ridleyi
    • P. subtropicalis
  • section Spinulosus. Australia: southeast and southwest coasts.
    • P. drouynianus
    • P. spinulosus

Binomial name Podocarpus latifolius The Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius) is a large evergreen tree up to 35 m high and 3 m trunk diameter, in the conifer family Podocarpaceae. ... Binomial name Podocarpus totara G. Benn. ... Binomial nomenclature Podocarpus macrophyllus Kusamaki (Podocarpus macrophyllus) is a conifer in the genus Podocarpus, family Podocarpaceae. ...

Uses

Several species of Podocarpus are grown as garden trees, or trained into hedges, espaliers, or screens. Common garden species used for their attractive deep green foliage and neat habits include P. macrophyllus, known by its Japanese name Kusamaki, or occasionly as "buddhist pine" or "fern pine", P. salignus from Chile, and for a small shrub with attractive red "berries", P. nivalis. Some members of the genera Nageia, Prumnopitys and Afrocarpus are also still sold mis-labelled as Podocarpus. species Nageia is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... Species - Lleuque - Miro - Matai Prumnopitys is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ... species Afrocarpus is a genus of conifers belonging to the Podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. ...

References

• Farjon, Aljos. 1998. World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers. Kew, Richmond, U.K.
• de Laubenfels, David J. 1985. A taxonomic revision of the genus Podocarpus. Blumea 30: 51-278.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew are extensive gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond upon Thames and Kew in southwest London. ...

External links

• Gymnosperm Database - Podocarpus (http://www.botanik.uni-bonn.de/conifers/po/po/index.htm)