Phyllocladus aspleniifolius

Celerytop pine

The plant may bear male and female cones on the same tree or separate trees in summer
The male cones are cylindrical, 3–5 mm long, with 2-3 together at the end of side branches
Female cones occur in groups of 3-4 in short, stalked clusters at the axils or margins of the cladodes
Mature cones are a distinct fleshy pink to red, with a white aril holding a hard, black, exposed seed

Leaves:

True leaves appear at the seedling stage and are fine and needle-like
Mature leaves are reduced to minute, brown scales
The function of the leaf is taken over by cladodes that look like green diamond shaped leaves, similar to the leaves of a celery plant, hence the common name “celery-top pine”
The cladodes are thick and flattened, 3–8 cm long borne spirally on green stems

Stem & branches:

Roots:

Habit:

Habitat:

Commonly found in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest, from sea level to 1200m
It can also be found in smaller populations in the north and east, and as a stunted shrub in the higher altitude areas.
A common constituent of cool temperate rainforest vegetation types in Tasmania.
When found with other rainforest species such as Nothofagus cunninghamii, Atherosperma moschatum, and Eucryphia lucida, the vegetation type can be defined as rainforest
It dominates in rainforests with poorer soils, whereas Nothofagus cunninghamii dominates rainforests on good soil types
The largest trees are found in wet sclerophyll forests with a canopy of Eucalyptus spp, and can be up to 800 years old
They grow on acidic soils derived from dolerite, granite or quartzite, that is well drained and may be on boulder or scree slopes, in high rainfall areas with no marked periods of drought
They are less shade tolerant than their fellow rainforest species, relying on a higher fire frequency for regeneration in these areas and regenerate freely in burnt forests
It grows to form a medium size tree in the forests at middle altitudes

Distribution:

Endemic gymnosperm of Tasmania
It is widespread and common in Tasmania, with the most abundance in the western highlands
Typical wet sclerophyll forest in Mt Field National Park, Tasmania, where it is found

Additional notes:

Uses
- The wood of this species is highly prized by fine furniture makers and wooden boat builders
- The wood of good sized trees is straight grained and dense, golden brown, and not dissimilar to yew (Taxus)
- It is considered a high value and speciality species by the timber industry
- The wood is hard and strong with little shrinkage, bends and works well, and is very durable
- The wood is used for railway sleepers, flooring, ship masts, furniture, and cabinet work
- It makes an attractive container plant, but is slow growing, and prefers cool, moist, acidic soil indicating it needs constant moisture in containers
- Therefore, this species is rare in cultivation, and is limited to botanic gardens and arboreta and a few private gardens
- Because it grows on a wide range of sites and is sensitive to climate conditions, its pattern of ring width and wood density are used to research past climates
Threats and conservation
- The largest threat is logging for its high value timber and presence in the wet sclerophyll forests that are subject to clearfell harvesting practices
- A large portion of the species is located in protected forests in Tasmania or in forests open to logging with management that allows for the persistence of native trees

Sources of information:

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