Athrotaxis cupressoides
Pencil Pine
Pencil Pine
Wikipedia links: Gymnosperms > Cupressales > Cupressaceae > Athrotaxis cupressoides
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Common name: Pencil Pine
The common name is based on it being an evergreen conical-shaped tree
This shape is most prominent when found in subalpine or open alpine vegetation
However, it can also occur as a rainforest tree
Conservation status: . . .
Etymology:
The name Athrotaxis is derived from the Greek words athros meaning crowded and taxis meaning arrangement
The species name cupressoides in Greek means ‘resembling cypress’
Cones and seed:
Two forms of woody cones act as the gametophyte structures, which mature approximately six months after pollination and are typically retained on the tree for up to one year
The female cones are spherical with pointed bract scales 12–15 mm in diameter
The male cones are much smaller 3–5 mm in diameter
Leaves:
As with all species in the Athrotaxis genus, A. cupressoides’ leaves are single-veined and arranged in spirals
The leaves are 2-3mm long/wide, overlapping and closely compressed stem
This results in a scale like appearance.
Stem & branches:
Trunk up to 1.5m in diameter
Bark is light brown and fibrous, becoming more furrowed with age
Roots:
Habit:
An erect shrub or tree which grows up to 20m
Trees can live for upwards of 1000 years, sustaining a very slow growth rate of approximately 12 mm in diameter per year
Habitat:
Typically Athrotaxis cupressoides are found in subalpine or open alpine vegetation
When found in montane rainforests (also known as cool temperate rainforests) A. cupressoides dominates
These environments are typically composed of:
a canopy containing Athrotaxis cupressoides, and Athrotaxis selaginoides (king billy pine)
an understory containing Nothofagus cunninghamii (myrtle beech) and Phyllocladus aspleniifolius (celery-top pine)
a shrub layer containing Olearia pinifolius (prickly daisybush) and Richea species,
a ground covering of Astelia alpine (pineapple grass), Empodisma minus (spreading rope rush) and Gleichenia alpina (alpine coral fern)
Distribution:
Endemic to Tasmania
Endemic native to Tasmania
Is distribution is primarily in the central and western mountain areas between 700 and 1300m above sea level, often around tarns or damp depressions on peaty or wet-rocky soils
Locations include; the Central Plateau, the Great Western Tier, Mt. Field National Park, the westward mountains such as Cradle Mountain and scattered on the south of the island
Additional notes:
Hybrids
In regions where both A. cupressoides and A. selaginoides grow a third hybrid species can occasionally be found.
These two species are so closely related they form the hybrid Athrotaxis x laxifolia
Threats
Dead trunks and branches of Athrotaxis cupressoides 30–40 years after a bush fire
Athrotaxis cupressoides is a highly fire sensitive species, hence the oldest and most vigorous populations are located in damp regions
Major fires at the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and the Central Plateau Conservation Area during the summer of 1960–1961, and again in 2016, severely affected and reduced the population
The species’ poor adaption to fire and the added stress of regeneration being hampered by grazing animals makes recovery from these incidents difficult
Animals such as sheep, rabbits and native marsupials, have been observed to eat the seedlings, suckers and adult foliage leaving significant impact on the plants
Loss of populations is largely irreversible given the relatively high fuel loads of postfire vegetation communities that are dominated by resprouting shrubs
A. cupressoides is expected to contract to only the most fire-proof landscapes, given the regeneration failures and increased flammability together with an expected drier and warmer climate
Signs of die back have also been associated with disease caused by an introduced strain of Phytophthora
Taxonomy
Its was previously under the family Taxodiaceae, which has now been merged with Cupressaceae
Uses
Athrotaxis cupressoides currently has no recorded uses
The trunks are gnarled and unsuitable for uses as timber
The species is, however, occasionally grown and sold as an ornamental
Sources of information: