Papuacedrus Explained

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.

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.^[1]

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.^[2]

Further reading

• Book: Farjon A . 2005 . Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys . Royal Botanic Gardens . Kew . 1-84246-068-4 .

Notes and References

1. Book: Farjon A . 2001 . World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers. 2 . 1–309 . The Royal Botanic Gardens . Kew .
2. Leslie AB, Beaulieu JM, Rai HS, Crane PR, Donoghue MJ, Mathews S . Hemisphere-scale differences in conifer evolutionary dynamics . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 109 . 40 . 16217–21 . October 2012 . 22988083 . 3479534 . 10.1073/pnas.1213621109 . 2012PNAS..10916217L . free .