''Callitris preissii'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae, endemic to

Rottnest Island Rottnest Island ( nys, Wadjemup), often colloquially referred to as "Rotto", is a island off the coast of Western Australia, located west of Fremantle. A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of aeolianite limestone, Rottnest is an A-class ...

, Australia. Common names include Rottnest Island pine, Murray pine, maroong, southern cypress pine, or slender cypress pine. The

Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...

peoples know the tree as ''marro''.

Description

The pine can have a tree or shrub-like habit typically growing to a height of and a width of up to . It is relatively slow growing. The crown is commonly made up fine, dense foliage. The leaf is rounded on the dorsal side and the cones often have a width of over with scales that do not separate from the base. It starts producing brown-yellow-orange cones between October and January. The root system is generally moderate to deep or shallow and spreading. It is reasonably long lived, usually to over 15 years of age.

Distribution

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 else ...

to the Swan Coastal Plain,

and Garden Island but has become naturalised elsewhere and now has a scattered distribution throughout the

Mid West The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

, Wheatbelt, Peel, Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions where it is found on plains, slopes, the margins of salt lakes and among

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...

outcrops growing in sandy, loamy or clay soils.

Uses

The plant makes a good windbreak or as a shelterbelt or shade for stock. The trunks make ideal fence posts and it has good ornamental attributes. The plant's pollen has value for

apiculture Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in man-made beehives. Honey bees in the genus '' Apis'' are the most-commonly-kept species but other honey-producing bees such as ''Melipona'' stingless bees are also kept. ...

. In urban areas it makes a good ornamental plant, or as a free street tree and is suitable as a screen or hedge.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2715203 preissii Trees of Australia Pinales of Australia Least concern flora of Australia Flora of Western Australia Flora of South Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (Australia) Rottnest Island Trees of Mediterranean climate Drought-tolerant trees Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Plants described in 1845