Common Names
Taxonomic notes
The sole species in Austrotaxus Compton. Vidakovic (2) cites Compton as the specific author, as well.Description
For the genus: "A monoecious tree with distinct elongated, acuminate buds with few, long, triangular scales. Leaves spirally arranged, narrowly lanceolate, Podocarpus-like, acute, leathery, grooved above, with a prominent midrib below, margins revolute, with a narrow petiole. Male strobili on a scaly peduncle, in dense axillary spikes, with acuminate scales, peltate microsporophylls and 2-4 pollen sacs. Female cone oblong, solitary, borne on a scaly peduncle; ovule nearly enclosed except near the tip by a fleshy orange aril. Seeds one per cone, with a pointed apex, wingless" (1).For the species: "An evergreen trees, up to 24 m in height. Leaves spirally arranged, linear, 8-12 cm long. 4 mm wide. shortly pointed. with slightly revolute margins. Fruit about 3 cm long, almost completely enclosed by the aril. Seed drupe-like, cylindrical 12-15 mm long" (2).
Range
New Caledonia: 300-900 m in moist tropical forests (2).Big Tree
Oldest
Dendrochronology
Ethnobotany
Observations
Remarks
Citations
(1) Silba 1986.(2) Vidakovic 1991.
[Austrotaxus] [Taxaceae] [home]
This page is from the Gymnosperm Database
URL: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/2285/ta/au/index.htm
Edited by Christopher J. Earle
E-mail:earlecj@earthlink.com
Last modified on 11-Jan-1999