''Callitris oblonga'', also known as the South Esk pine, pygmy cypress pine, pigmy cypress pine, river pine, or Tasmanian cypress pine,Eckenwalder, J.E. 2009. ''Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference''. Timber Press 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 single ...

in 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 ...

. It 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 ...

to Australia, where it is native to

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

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

, with one subspecies introduced in Victoria. It is considered vulnerable and faces a number of threats including

land clearing Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

, habitat degradation, and damage from or competition with

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

Taxonomy

There are three subspecies currently recognised: * ''C. o. oblonga'' – northeast Tasmania, introduced in Victoria * ''C. o. corangensis'' (K.D. Hill) – New England Tablelands in northern New South Wales * ''C. o. parva'' (K.D. Hill) –

Corang River Corang River is a perennial river of the Shoalhaven catchment located in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. Location and features Corang River rises on the western slopes of the Budawang Range and flows generally nor ...

catchment in southern New South Wales

Description

''Callitris oblonga'' is 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 ...

shrub or small tree growing to 5 meters tall with leaves measuring 4-5 millimeters long. This species is

monoecious Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy. Monoecy is conne ...

. The female cones are egg shaped, measuring 12-15 millimeters in diameter,

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

or borne on short fruiting branchlets, and may occur singly or in clusters.

References

oblonga Pinales of Australia Flora of Tasmania Vulnerable flora of Australia Tasmanian forests Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{conifer-stub