Lagarostrobos

Taxobox
name = "Lagarostrobos franklinii"
status = LR/cd | status_system = IUCN2.3

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = Huon Pine in a Tasmanian botanical garden.
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Pinophyta
classis = Pinopsida
ordo = Pinales
familia = Podocarpaceae
genus = "Lagarostrobos"
species = "L. franklinii"
binomial = "Lagarostrobos franklinii"
binomial_authority = (Hook.f.) Quinn

The species "Lagarostrobos franklinii" is a species of conifer native to the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia; it is the sole species in "Lagarostrobos"; one other species "L. colensoi" formerly included has been transferred to a new genus "Manoao". The genus was also formerly included in a broader circumscription of the genus "Dacrydium".

"Lagarostrobos franklinii" is often known as the Huon Pine or Macquarie Pine, confusing names as it is a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a pine (Pinaceae).

It is a slow growing, but long-lived tree; some living specimens of this tree are in excess of 2000 years in age. It grows to 10 to 20 m tall, exceptionally reaching 30 m, with arching branches and pendulous branchlets. The leaves are spirally arranged, very small and scale-like, 1 to 3 mm 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 long and 1 to 2 mm broad. The mature seed cones are highly modified, berry-like, with 5 to 10 lax, open scales which mature in 6-8 months, with one seed 2 to 2.5 mm 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 (Molloy 1995).

A stand of trees reputed to be in excess of 10,500 years in age was recently found in North Western Tasmania on Mount Read. 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.

The wood was highly prized for its golden yellow colour, fine grain and natural oils that resisted rotting. The chemical that gives the timber its unique smell and preservative qualities is methyl eugenol. Heavy logging of the trees for its fine timber coupled with the trees' slow growth has led to remaining stands being less than 105 square kilometres (26,000 acres). The remaining stands of this species of tree now has protected status within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.

It has been planted in Deeside, Scotland and has done well [cite web | url=http://www.rhs.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/831C8FEF-445C-4FA3-8951-AA257A07F238/0/halfhardytrees.pdf | title=Lagarostrobus franklinii in Scotland] .

References and external links

*
* Quinn, C. J. 1982. Taxonomy of "Dacrydium" Sol. ex Lamb. "Australian Journal of Botany" 30: 311-320.
* Molloy, B. P. J. 1995. Manoao (Podocarpaceae), a new monotypic conifer genus endemic to New Zealand. "New Zealand Journal of Botany" 33: 183-201. Available [http://www.rsnz.org/publish/nzjb/1995/65.pdf online] (pdf file).
* [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wha/whahome.html Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area]
* [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au Tasmanian parks guide]
* cite book
last=Mulligan
first=David
authorlink=
coauthors=Australian Minerals & Energy Environment Foundation
editor=
others=
title=Environmental Management in the Australian Minerals and Energy Industries
origdate=
origyear=
origmonth=1996
url=
format=
accessdate=2008-06-05
accessyear=
accessmonth=
edition=
series=
volume=
date=
year=
month=
publisher=UNSW Press
location=Sydney, Australia
language=
isbn=0868403830
oclc=38405430
doi=
id=
pages=125-126
chapter=
chapterurl=
quote=
ref=