''Athrotaxis cupressoides'', is also known as pencil pine, despite being a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of the family

Cupressaceae Cupressaceae is a conifer family, the cypress family, with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27–30 genera (17 monotypic), which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130–140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdio ...

, and not a member of the pine family. Found either as an erect shrub or as a tree, this species is

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 elsew ...

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

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Trees can live for upwards of 1000 years, sustaining a very slow growth rate of approximately 12 mm in diameter per year. As with all species in the ''Athrotaxis''

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

, ''A. cupressoides''’ leaves are single-veined and arranged in spirals. Unique to ''A. cupressoides'' the leaves are 2-3mm long/wide, overlapping and closely compressed stem. This results in a scale like appearance. Two forms of woody cones act as the

gametophyte A gametophyte () is one of the two alternation of generations, alternating multicellular organism, multicellular phases in the life cycles of plants and algae. It is a haploid multicellular organism that develops from a haploid spore that has on ...

structures, which mature approximately six months after

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds ...

and are typically retained on the tree for up to one year. The female cones are spherical with pointed bract scales 12-15 mm in diameter. The male cones are much smaller 3-5 mm in diameter. The common name pencil pine is based on it being an

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, which ...

conical-shaped tree which grows up to 20m, with trunks up to 1.5m in diameter. This shape is most prominent when found in

subalpine Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

or open alpine vegetation, however it can also occur as a

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

tree. Bark is light brown and fibrous, becoming more furrowed with age. The name ''Athrotaxis'' is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

words ''athros'' meaning crowded and ''taxis'' meaning arrangement. The species name ''cupressoides'' in Greek means ‘resembling

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...

’.

Distribution and Habitat

''Athrotaxis cupressoides ''is an

native to Tasmania, Australia. Is distribution is primarily in the central and western mountain areas between 700 and 1300m above sea level, often around

tarns A tarn (or corrie loch) is a proglacial mountain lake, pond or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. Etymology The word is derived from the Old Norse word ''tjörn'' ("a small mounta ...

or damp depressions on peaty or wet-rocky soils. Locations at which you may observe ''A. cupressoides'' include; the Central Plateau, the Great Western Tier, Mt. Field National Park, the westward mountains such as

Cradle Mountain Cradle Mountain is a locality and mountain in the Central Highlands region of the Australian state of Tasmania. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. At above sea level, it is the sixth-highest mountai ...

and scattered on the south of the island. Typically ''Athrotaxis cupressoides'' are found in subalpine or open alpine vegetation. When found in

montane rainforests Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

(also known as cool temperate rainforests) ''A. cupressoides'' dominates. These environments are typically composed of; a

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

containing ''Athrotaxis cupressoides, and

Athrotaxis selaginoides ''Athrotaxis selaginoides'' is a species of ''Athrotaxis'', endemic to Tasmania in Australia, where it grows at 400–1,120 m altitude. In its habitat in the mountains, snow in winter is very usual. It is often called King Billy Pine or King Wi ...

'' (king billy pine), an

understory 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 abov ...

containing ''

Nothofagus cunninghamii ''Nothofagus cunninghamii,'' commonly known as myrtle beech or Tasmanian myrtle, is the dominant species of cool temperate rainforests in Tasmania and Southern Victoria. It has low fire resistance and grows best in partial shade conditions. It ...

(myrtle beech) and

Phyllocladus aspleniifolius ''Phyllocladus aspleniifolius'', commonly known as the celerytop pine, is an endemic gymnosperm of Tasmania, Australia. It is widespread and common in Tasmania, with the most abundance in the western highlands. Its ‘leaves’ appear similar ...

(celery-top pine), a shrub layer containing

Olearia ''Olearia'', most commonly known as daisy-bush, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae, the largest of the flowering plant families in the world. Olearia are found in Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand. The genus i ...

pinifolius'' (prickly daisybush) and ''

Richea ''Richea'' is a genus of 11 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. Nine of the species are endemic to Tasmania and the other two are endemic to the south-east of the Australian mainland. Species include: *'' Richea acerosa'' (Lin ...

'' species, and a ground covering of '' Astelia alpine'' (pineapple grass), ''

Empodisma minus ''Empodisma minus'', commonly known as (lesser) wire rush or spreading rope-rush, is a perennial evergreen belonging to the southern-hemisphere family of monocotyledons called the Restionaceae. The Latin name ''Empodisma minus'' translates to “ ...

'' (spreading rope rush) and ''

Gleichenia alpina ''Gleichenia alpina'', commonly known as alpine coral-fern, is a small fern species that occurs in Tasmania and New Zealand. It grows in alpine and subalpine areas with moist soils and is a part of the Gleichrniaceae family. The species was fir ...

'' (alpine coral fern). In regions where both ''A. cupressoides'' and ''A. selaginoides'' grow a third

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

species can occasionally be found. These two species are so closely related they form the hybrid '' Athrotaxis x laxifolia''''.''

Threats

''Athrotaxis cupressoides'' is a highly fire sensitive species, hence the oldest and most vigorous populations are located in damp regions. Major fires at the

Walls of Jerusalem National Park The Walls of Jerusalem National Park is a national park located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The park is located approximately northwest of Hobart, east of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, and west o ...

and the

Central Plateau Conservation Area Central Plateau Conservation Area is an animal and plant conservation area in Tasmania, Australia. It is adjacent to the Walls of Jerusalem National Park. The Central Plateau of Tasmania is the largest area of high ground in Tasmania. It is bou ...

during the summer of 1960 – 1961, and again in 2016, severely affected and reduced the population. The species’ poor adaption to fire and the added stress of

regeneration Regeneration may refer to: Science and technology * Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs * Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis ...

being hampered by grazing animals makes recovery from these incidents difficult. Animals such as

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

s and native

marsupial Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a po ...

s, have been observed to eat the

seedling A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (embry ...

s, suckers and adult

foliage 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, ste ...

leaving significant impact on the plants. loss of ''A. cupressoides'' populations is largely irreversible given the relatively high fuel loads of postfire vegetation communities that are dominated by resprouting shrubs. ''A. cupressoides'' is expected to contract to only the most fire-proof landscapes, given the regeneration failures and increased flammability together with an expected drier and warmer climate. Signs of die back have also been associated with

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

caused by an introduced strain of ''

Phytophthora ''Phytophthora'' (from Greek language, Greek (''phytón''), "plant" and (), "destruction"; "the plant-destroyer") is a genus of plant-damaging oomycetes (water molds), whose member species are capable of causing enormous economic losses on cro ...

''''.''

Taxonomy

''Athrotaxis cupressoides'' was previously under the family ''

Taxodiaceae Taxodiaceae is a formerly recognized coniferous plant family comprising the following ten genera: *''Athrotaxis'' *''Cryptomeria'' *''Cunninghamia'' *†''Cunninghamites'' *''Glyptostrobus'' *''Metasequoia'' *''Sciadopitys'' *'' Sequoia'' *''Sequ ...

'', which has now been merged with ''

.''

Uses and cultivation

''Athrotaxis cupressoides'' currently has no recorded uses. The trunks are gnarled and unsuitable for uses as timber. The species is however occasionally grown and sold as an ornamental.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q245878 Cupressaceae Endemic flora of Tasmania Pinales of Australia Trees of Australia Trees of mild maritime climate Ornamental trees Vulnerable flora of Australia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by David Don Plants described in 1838