Papuacedrus papuana is a species in the conifer family Cupressaceae, the sole species in the genus Papuacedrus. Some botanists do not consider this species as forming a distinct genus, but include it in the related genus Libocedrus. It is native to New Guinea and to the Indonesian Province of Maluku.[2]
| Papuacedrus Temporal range:
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Cupressales |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Subfamily: | Callitroideae |
| Genus: | Papuacedrus H.L.Li |
| Species: | P. papuana
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| Binomial name | |
| Papuacedrus papuana | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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It is usually a medium-sized to large evergreen tree 16–50 m tall, at high elevations only a shrub reaching up to 3 m). The foliage is borne in flat sprays, with the leaves scale-like, in opposite pairs, with facial and lateral pairs alternating; the lateral leaves are larger, 2–3 mm long on mature trees and up to 20 mm long on young trees, the facial leaves smaller, 1 mm on mature trees and up to 8 mm on young trees. The cones are 1–2 cm long, with four scales, a small, sterile basal pair, and a larger fertile pair; the fertile scales each bearing two winged seeds.[3]
The species has two varieties, most readily distinguishable as young plants with juvenile leaves (the adult foliage being nearly indistinguishable):
- Papuacedrus papuana var. papuana (syn. Libocedrus papuana F.Muell., Libocedrus torricellensis Schltr., Papuacedrus torricellensis (Schltr.) H.L.Li). New Guinea, east of 138°E longitude; 620–3,800 m elevation. Juvenile leaves with a spreading, hook-like apex.
- Papuacedrus papuana var. arfakensis (Gibbs) R.J.Johns (syn. Libocedrus arfakensis Gibbs, Papuacedrus arfakensis (Gibbs) H.L.Li). New Guinea, west of 138°E longitude, Moluccas; 700–2,400 m elevation. Juvenile leaves not spreading, the apex not free from the shoot.
A fossil species, Papuacedrus prechilensis, is known from the Eocene of Argentina.[4]
References
edit- ^ Thomas, P. (2013). "Papuacedrus papuana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T42260A2967824. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42260A2967824.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Papuacedrus papuana". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ Farjon A (2001). World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers. Vol. 2. Kew: The Royal Botanic Gardens. pp. 1–309.
- ^ Leslie AB, Beaulieu JM, Rai HS, Crane PR, Donoghue MJ, Mathews S (October 2012). "Hemisphere-scale differences in conifer evolutionary dynamics". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109 (40): 16217–21. Bibcode:2012PNAS..10916217L. doi:10.1073/pnas.1213621109. PMC 3479534. PMID 22988083.
Further reading
edit- Farjon A (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. ISBN 1-84246-068-4.
- Earle, Christopher J., ed. (2018). "Papuacedrus papuana". The Gymnosperm Database.
