''Athrotaxis selaginoides'' is a species of ''

Athrotaxis ''Athrotaxis'' is a genus of two to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The genus is endemic to western Tasmania, where they grow in high-elevation temperate rainforests.Farjon, A. ...

'',

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, where it grows in mountainous areas at 400–1,120 m elevation. Snow frequently falls here in the colder months, though possible all year round. It is often called King Billy pine or King William pine (believed to be in reference to

William Lanne William Lanne (1836 – 3 March 1869), also spelt William Lanné and also known as King Billy or William Laney, was an Aboriginal Tasmanian man, known for being the last " full-blooded" Aboriginal man in the colony of Tasmania. Early lif ...

, an Aboriginal Tasmanian man), although it is not a true

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. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

.Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys''. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Description

It is an evergreen

coniferous Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

tree growing to 20–30 m tall, with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. The leaves are claw-like, 7–18 mm long and 3–4 mm broad, arranged spirally on the shoots. The seed cones are globose, 15–30 mm diameter, with 20–30 spirally-arranged scales; they are mature about six months after pollination. The pollen cones are 4–5 mm long.

Decline

The main cause of past decline has been fire, with about one third of its habitat burnt in the twentieth century. Like the other two ''Athrotaxis'' species, ''A. selaginoides'' is sensitive to fire. Another cause of past decline has been logging. The overall decline is estimated to be about 40% over the last 200 years. This is within the three generation time limit where one generation is estimated to be at least 100 years. Although 84% of forests are now in protected areas, fires still are a potential hazard. Tasmanian government policy precludes logging of this species in and outside these protected areas.

Growth pattern

''Athrotaxis selaginoides'' is sensitive to temperature. The tree-ring chronologies developed from this species have shown distinct responses to temperature variations. In the southern sites, the ring width (RW) and earlywood (EW) are strongly related to cool season temperature (July–October). In contrast, in the northern sites, RW and EW are more strongly related to summer temperatures (December–February). This indicates that the growth of ''A. selaginoides'' and its wood formation processes are influenced by temperature conditions.

Cultivation

Examples of the species can be viewed at

The Tasmanian Arboretum The Tasmanian Arboretum is a botanical tree park (an arboretum) near Devonport, Tasmania, Australia. History The arboretum was incorporated on 16 May 1984. The site originally consisted of 47ha of farmland and remnant forest which was purc ...

. Away from its native range, it is occasionally cultivated as an

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

in northwestern Europe.Mitchell, A. F. (1974). ''A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe''. Collins

Bedgebury National Pinetum Bedgebury National Pinetum at Bedgebury, Kent, in the United Kingdom, is a recreational and conservational arboretum managed by Forestry England that was established as the National Conifer Collection in 1925 and is now recognised as the most ...

has about fifty trees in its collection, the most of them planted in the Conifer Conservation Project Area. It succeeds in Scotland where it receives the necessary rainfall for its good growth and produces fertile seeds there.Huxley. A. ''The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening.'' 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 .

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q944853 Cupressaceae Endemic flora of Tasmania Pinales of Australia Trees of Australia Trees of mild maritime climate Ornamental trees Vulnerable flora of Australia Plants described in 1838 Taxa named by David Don Taxonomy articles created by Polbot