''Podocarpus lawrencei'' 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 throughout the Australian high country, from southern

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

through to the

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 ...

highlands. Common names are Errinundra plum-pine and mountain plum-pine (though it is neither a

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

nor a plum). It grows on exposed sites to 1,800 m, often forming living carpets over rocks through wind pruning. Mountain plum-pine can live up to 600 years, and the growth rings vary with the temperature of the growing season, with narrower rings indicating unusually snowy years. These factors make it useful for determining past climate conditions in the Australian Alps.

Description

The leaves are 1 cm long and 2–3 mm broad, green, often reddish-tinted, particularly so in cold winter weather. It has small bright red berry-like

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 ...

, with a 5–10 mm long red aril 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 6–8 mm long; they are eaten by birds and marsupials, but are toxic to most other mammals (including humans). Whilst it is normally low growing, rarely reaching more than 1 m in the

Australian Alps The Australian Alps is a mountain range in southeast Australia. It comprises an interim Australian bioregion,0042-5184 However, the moth has also been a biovector of arsenic, transporting it from lowland feeding sites over long distances int ...

, on the

Errinundra Plateau The Errinundra National Park is a national park located in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The national park is situated east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway and is centred on the Errinundra Plateau, a southwards extension of ...

in eastern

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

it reaches 15 m in height. The timber is too rare to be used for woodcrafts.

Cultivation

Mountain plum-pine is tolerant of quite dry conditions and can resprout after losing all its leaves from drought. It survives −16 °C to 45 °C and grows well in full sun or fairly heavy shade. It is slow growing, putting on about 3–5 cm of length each year. It can be grown from cuttings or seed. New foliage is usually a lime green, darkening to olive green as it hardens. Ideally the mountain plum-pine should be grown in full sunlight with plenty of water. It makes a good indoor plant in a bright window. It is an excellent bonsai or hedging plant, although it does require patience.

References

External links

*Farjon, A. 2001. World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers. 2nd edition. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. * {{Taxonbar, from=Q163371 lawrencei Flora of New South Wales Flora of Tasmania Flora of Victoria (Australia) Pinales of Australia Trees of Australia Trees of mild maritime climate Ornamental trees Least concern flora of Australia Taxa named by Joseph Dalton Hooker