Distribution (4).
Common Names
Bách xanh, Po mu xanh, Tůng huong (Vietnamese) (3).Taxonomic notes
Syn: Libocedrus macrolepis (Kurz.) Benth. (1).Description
Evergreen tree 15-25 (rarely 30) m tall with dbh to 60-80 cm. Bole straight, often twisted when over 10 m high. Bark dark brown with longitudinal fissures. Early branched, with big branches nearly horizontal; crown oviform. Leaves scaly, closely inserted on twigs into nodes, each node with two large leaves and two smaller opposite leaves. Female cone oval, very small, green when young, becoming violet-brown, lignified and opening into 3 fragments when mature with the middle fragment bearing 2 big winged seeds, which mature in October-December (3).Range
NE Myanmar, China: Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Taiwan, & Yunnan at 300-2000m elevation (4); Vietnam. In Vietnam, found in Khanh Hoa, around Da Lat city in Lam Dong, and at Ba Vi mountain in Ha Tay. It prefers a humid climate and yellow ferallitic soils with shallow or moderately thick, but humus-rich surface layers. It grows at elevations above 900 m in closed and open evergreen subtropical forests, in mountainous areas. Regeneration is good in places with ample light, such as along streams or at forest edges (3).Big Tree
Some trees in the Xishuangbanna area of Yunnan are 35-40 m tall (2).Oldest
Dendrochronology
Ethnobotany
Wood not strong, but straight-grained and with a moderately fine texture, easily worked. Resistant to termites and insects. Used as construction timber, for cabinet-work and for woodturning. The wood is aromatic, and can be used in joss-stick making. As the tree has a beautiful crown and form, it is also planted for decorative purpose (3).Observations
Probably most easily seen in Ba Vi National Park and in Bidoup Nature Reserve, Vietnam. It could likely be found in some of the nature preserves of Yunnan, as well.Remarks
Listed as threatened/endangered in Vietnam by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Due to small population size and extensive habitat loss, this species needs strict protection in Ba Vi National Park and in Bidoup Nature Reserve.Citations
(1) Silba 1986.(2) Vladimir Dinets, e-mail communication, 10-Jan-1998.
(3) Forest Inventory and Planning Institute 1996.
(4) Missouri Botanical Garden TROPICOS database (includes range map).
[Calocedrus] [Cupressaceae] [home]
This page is from the Gymnosperm Database
URL: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/2285/cu/calo/macrolepis.htm
Edited by Christopher J. Earle
E-mail:earlecj@earthlink.net
Last modified on 21-Dec-98