''Podocarpus capuronii'' is a species of

conifer 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 ...

in the 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 Pres ...

. It is

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 ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

Habitat and range

''Podocarpus capuronii'' is native to the highlands of Madagascar, where it ranges from 1,320 to 2,800 meters elevation. Herbarium specimens have been collected as high as 2000 meters, but it has been observed in subalpine ericoid thickets as high as 2800 meters. It is found on infertile sandy soils over quartzite or gneiss, on rocky slopes and ridges, and along streams in ravines. This plant slow-growing and stunted in form when growing on open, sandy sites, but in forested areas it can grow to 20 meters tall.

Taxonomy

The Latin

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

of ''capuronii'' is in honor of the French botanist René Capuron.

References

capuronii Endemic flora of Madagascar Flora of the Madagascar subhumid forests Endangered flora of Africa Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by David John de Laubenfels {{conifer-stub