''Podocarpus elatus'', known as the plum pine, the brown pine or the Illawarra plum, is a species of ''
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 ...
''
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to the east coast of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, in eastern
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and eastern
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
.
It is a medium to large
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 ...
growing to 30–36 m tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. The
leaves
A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...
are lanceolate, 5–15 cm long (to 25 cm long on vigorous young trees) and 6–18 mm broad. The
seed cones
A conifer cone (in formal botanical usage: strobilus, plural strobili) is a seed-bearing organ on gymnosperm plants. It is usually woody, ovoid to globular, including scales and bracts arranged around a central axis, especially in conifers an ...
are dark blue-purple, berry-like, with a fleshy base 2-2.5 cm diameter bearing a single oval or globose
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 angiosper ...
1 cm in diameter.
Uses
The fleshy part of the seed cone is edible, used in condiments. The timber was prized for furniture, joinery, boat planking, lining and piles in salt water. Podocarpus elatus is an attractive ornamental tree. In older Australian suburbs, the plum pine is used as an ornamental street tree, such as at Baldry Street,
Chatswood.
[Willoughby City Council, Urban Tree Management Policy, Volume 3, Street Tree Master Plan. June 2014. page 66]
Gallery
Image:Podocarpus elatus - juvenile.jpg, juvenile foliage
Image:Podocarpus elatus foliage and bark.JPG, ''Podocarpus elatus'' trunk
Image:Podocarpus elatus foliage & cones.JPG, ''Podocarpus elatus'' foliage & naked seeds on fleshy receptacles
Image:Podocarpus elatus on sand.JPG, ''Podocarpus elatus'' growing in littoral rainforest on sand
Image:Podocarpus elatus bark & foliage.JPG, ''Podocarpus elatus'' bark & foliage
Image:Podocarpus elatus bark2.JPG, ''Podocarpus elatus'' bark
Image:Podocarpus elatus two seed cones.JPG, ''Podocarpus elatus'' unusually joined seed stems (receptacles)
Image:Podocarpus elatus seeds, by Omar Hoftun.jpg, ''Podocarpus elatus'' seeds
Image:Podocarpus elatus germinating.JPG, ''Podocarpus elatus'' germinating
Image:Podocarpus elatus Baldry street Chatswood.jpg, Baldry Street, Chatswood
References
*ANU Forestr
Illawarra plum - ''Podocarpus elatus''* Bruneteau, Jean-Paul, ''Tukka, Real Australian Food'', .
*Dallimore, W., & Jackson, A. B. (1966). ''Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae''. Arnold.
* Low, Tim, ''Wild Food Plants of Australia'', .
* Floyd, A.G., ''Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia'', Inkata Press 1989,
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2504953
elatus
There were several figures named Elatus or Élatos (Ancient Greek: Ἔλατος means "ductile") in Greek mythology.
* Elatus, a son of Arcas by either Leaneira (or Laodameia), Meganeira, Chrysopeleia or Erato and the brother of Apheidas and ...
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
Bushfood
Pinales of Australia
Trees of Australia
Least concern flora of Australia
Least concern biota of Queensland
Ornamental trees