''Libocedrus'' is a genus of five species of
coniferous tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
s in the cypress family
Cupressaceae, native to
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and
New Caledonia.
[ The genus is closely related to the ]South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
n genera ''Pilgerodendron
''Pilgerodendron'' is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family Cupressaceae. It has only one species, ''Pilgerodendron uviferum'', which is endemic to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and Magellanic subpolar forests of southern ...
'' and ''Austrocedrus
''Austrocedrus'' is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family ( Cupressaceae). It has only one species, ''Austrocedrus chilensis'', native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and the adjacent drier steppe-forests of central-southern ...
'', and the New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
n genus ''Papuacedrus
''Papuacedrus papuana'' is a species in the conifer family Cupressaceae, the sole species in the genus ''Papuacedrus''. Some botanists do not consider this species as forming a distinct genus, but include it in the related genus '' Libocedrus''. ...
'', both of which are included within ''Libocedrus'' by some botanists. These genera are rather similar to the Northern Hemisphere genera ''Calocedrus
''Calocedrus'', the incense cedar (alternatively spelled incense-cedar), is a genus of coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae first described as a genus in 1873. It is native to eastern Asia and western North America.
The generic n ...
'' and ''Thuja
''Thuja'' ( ) is a genus of coniferous tree or shrub in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are five species in the genus, two native to North America and three native to eastern Asia. The genus is monophyletic and sister to ''Thujopsis''. M ...
'': in earlier days, what is now ''Calocedrus'' was sometimes included in ''Libocedrus''. They are much less closely related, as recently confirmed (Gadek et al. 2000). The generic name means "teardrop cedar", apparently referring to drops of resin.
The leaves are scale-like, 3–7 mm long, in apparent whorls of four (actually opposite decussate pairs, but not evenly spaced apart, instead with the successive pairs closely then distantly spaced). The cones
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...
are 8–20 mm long, and have just 2 pairs of moderately thin, erect scales, each scale with a distinct spine 3–7 mm long on the outer face, and bearing two winged seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
s on the inner face.
Species
The species recognized in the genus are:[
The two New Zealand species, known individually by their ]Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
names kawaka (''Libocedrus plumosa
''Libocedrus plumosa'', with the common name kawaka, is a species of '' Libocedrus'' that is endemic to New Zealand.
Distribution
The tree is native to the North Island from south of 35°S and from Cape Farewell to Whanganui Inlet area and local ...
'') and pāhautea (''Libocedrus bidwillii
''Libocedrus'' is a genus of five species of coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to New Zealand and New Caledonia. The genus is closely related to the South American genera ''Pilgerodendron'' and ''Austrocedrus'', and the ...
''), are sometimes called New Zealand cedars. No common names have been recorded for the three New Caledonian species.
Uses
The wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
of ''Libocedrus'' is soft, moderately decay-resistant, and with a spicy-resinous fragrance. The two New Zealand species are also grown as ornamental plant
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 that ...
s.
References
*Gadek, P. A., Alpers, D. L., Heslewood, M. M., & Quinn, C. J. 2000. Relationships within Cupressaceae sensu lato: a combined morphological and molecular approach. ''American Journal of Botany'' 87: 1044–1057
Abstract
.
External links
*''New Zealand Plant Conservation Network'', UR
''Libocedrus bidwillii''
Accessed 2010-10-04.
*''New Zealand Plant Conservation Network'', UR
''Libocedrus plumosa''
Accessed 2010-10-04.
*''Arboretum de Villardebelle''. UR
Accessed 14 May 2007.
*''Gymnosperm Database'', UR
Accessed 14 May 2007.
''Libocedrus'', New Zealand Cedar
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2340419
Conifer genera