''Podocarpus macrophyllus'' is a conifer in the genus ''

Podocarpus ''Podocarpus'' () is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. The name comes from Greek πούς (poús, “foot”) + καρπός (karpós, “fruit”). ''Podocarpus'' species ...

'', family

Podocarpaceae Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pr ...

. It is the northernmost species of the genus, native to southern Japan and southern and eastern China. Common names in English include yew plum pine, Buddhist pine, fern pine and Japanese yew. and are

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

names for this tree. In China, it is known as ''luóhàn sōng'' (), which literally means "

arhat In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...

pine".

Description

It is a small to medium-sized

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

, reaching tall. The leaves are strap-shaped, long, and about 1 cm broad, with a central midrib. The

cones A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...

are borne on a short stem, and have two to four scales, usually only one (sometimes two) fertile, each fertile scale bearing a single apical

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

10–15 mm. When mature, the scales swell up and become reddish purple, fleshy, and berry-like, 10–20 mm long; they are then eaten by

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s, which disperse the seeds in their droppings. ''P. macrophyllus'' occurs in forests, open thickets, and roadsides from near sea level to 1000 m above it.

Symbolism, cultivation, and uses

''Kusamaki'' is the state tree of

Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to t ...

, Japan. It is a popular large shrub or small tree in gardens, particularly in Japan and the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

. The ripe cone arils are edible, though the seed should not be eaten. Because of its resistance to

termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blatto ...

s and water, ''inumaki'' is used for quality wooden houses in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Buddhist pine is highly regarded as a '' feng shui'' tree in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

, giving it a very high market value. In recent years, the illegal digging of Buddhist pine has become a problem in the city. This species can be trained as a bonsai.

Gallery

Podocarpus macrophyllus SZ134.png, From ''Flora Japonica'' by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini. PodocarpusMacrophyllus.jpg, A closeup of the leaves. Podocarpus K3.jpg, Foliage with mature seed cones. Podocarpus macrophyllus,katori-city,japan.JPG, A trimmed ''P. macrophyllus''.

References

External links

Gymnosperm Database: ''Podocarpus macrophyllus''ITIS: ''Podocarpus macrophyllus''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q165063 macrophyllus Trees of Japan Trees of China Flora of Japan Ornamental trees Least concern plants