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Foliage and cone on an ornamental specimen, species unknown [C.J. Earle, May-1999].
C. sulcata.
Common Names
Cypress-pine (1).Taxonomic notes
Sixteen to 19 species (1, 2). Syn: Frenela Mirbel; Fresnelia Steudel; Leichardtia Sheph.; Pachylepis Brong.; Octoclinis F. Mueller; Parolinia Endl. (3).Description
Evergreen trees or shrubs with spreading or erect branches. Branchlets appearing to consist of triangular or grooved-cylindrical joints owing to the decurrent leaf bases. Mature leaves in whorls of 3, decurrent below the triangular, scale-like leaf tip. Juvenile leaves in whorls of 4, decurrent below a spreading needle-like upper portion, in some species remaining on mature trees. Male cones ovoid, obovoid, oblong or cylindrical, solitary or several together at the ends of the branchlets. Female cones 10-30 mm diam., ± persisting several years; globose to ovoid, cone scales mostly 6, sometimes 8 if the cones borne on juvenile foliage, scales in a single whorl. Ovules numerous. Below each scale are 2-9 seeds, oblong, with 2-3 wings. n=11 (2, 3).Range
Australia (all States) and New Caledonia; naturalized in USA: FL (1, 2).Big Tree
C. macleayana grows up to 50 m in height and up to 1.5 m in diameter (3).Oldest
Dendrochronology
Ethnobotany
Observations
Remarks
Named for the "Greek callos, beautiful, and treis, three, referring to the beauty of the plants and the three-whorled leaves and cone scales" (1).Birds feed on the seeds, and cypress pine jewel beetle larvae feed on the branches and trunks (4).
Citations
(1) Wunderlin Richard P. at the Flora of North America web page.(2) Harden 1990.
(3) Vidakovic 1991.
(4) http://ocean.fit.qut.edu.au/tsm/html/treetext.html.
See also
Silba 1986.
Blake, S. T. 1959. New or noteworthy plants, chiefly from Queensland, l. Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 70(6): 33-46.
Garden, J. 1957. A revision of the genus Callitris. Vent. Contr. New South Wales Natl. Herb 2(5): 363-392.
Thompson, J. 1961. Cupressaceae. Contr. New South Wales Natl. Herb., Fl. Ser. 1/18: 46-55.
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This page is from the Gymnosperm Database
URL: http://www.geocities.com/~earlecj/cu/call/index.htm
Edited by Christopher J. Earle
E-mail:earlecj@earthlink.com
Last modified on 10-Jul-1999