''Podocarpus drouynianus'' is a species of

podocarp 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 ...

native to the relatively high rainfall southwestern corner of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, where it is known by the name emu berry, wild plum or native plum although it is not a true plum. The Noongar name for the plant is koolah.

Description

The plant is usually a shrub, not often forming a single trunk, instead growing multiple branches from around the base. It looks like a conifer, typically grows to a height of and forms clumps a few metres wide. It is dioecious and very slow-growing. The bark is thin and fibrous, green in colour turning red-brown on the outside. The leaves are needle-like, long, sharply pointed, green above and with glaucous stomatal bands beneath. 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 berry-like, with a fleshy, edible purple aril long and one (rarely two) 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 ...

s 1 cm long.

Distribution

It grows on lower slopes and low-lying areas and around creeks in the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia where it grows in loamy, sandy or gravelly soils. It is associated as part of the

understorey In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abo ...

species present in lowland jarrah and karri and it spreads mostly by root suckering. The extent of occurrence of the species is less than over multiple locations. The total area of occupancy by ''P. drouynianus'' has reduced as a result of clearing of forest for pasture and the replacement of native forest with exotics.

Cultivation

Ideally ''Podocarpus drouynianus'' should be grown in partial shade with plenty of water. Unusually for the genus, it tolerates quite dry conditions. It survives temperatures of up to 45 °C, and grows well in full sun or partial shade. The plant grows as a rounded form in cultivation, slowly attaining two metres in height and 1.5 metres in width. Propagation from cuttings in the usual method of planting. The presentation of its red and fleshy fruit is unreliable, but the plant is favoured for its appealing foliage. The long and leafy stems are harvested for use in the florist industry. The plum-like fruit is edible, although lacking any distinctive taste, and noted as an important food of the first peoples of Southwest Australia.

Classification

The species was initially described by the botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1864 in his work '' Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae''. There are two synonyms for this species: ''Nageia drouyniana'' and ''Podocarpus drouyniana''. The species name honors the statesman Edouard Drouyn de Lhuys who was a member of the Institut de France.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as data deficient {{Taxonbar, from=Q5410630 drouynianus Pinales of Australia Endemic flora of Southwest Australia Least concern flora of Australia Plants described in 1864 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller