''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 ''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 ...

''. It is native to

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 ...

and to the Indonesian Province of Maluku. It is usually a medium-sized to large

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, whic ...

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 ...

16–50 m tall, at high elevations only a shrub reaching up to 3 m). The foliage is borne in flat sprays, with the leaves scale-like, in opposite pairs, with facial and lateral pairs alternating; the lateral leaves are larger, 2–3 mm long on mature trees and up to 20 mm long on young trees, the facial leaves smaller, 1 mm on mature trees and up to 8 mm on young trees. 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 1–2 cm long, with four scales, a small, sterile basal pair, and a larger fertile pair; the fertile scales each 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. The species has two

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

, most readily distinguishable as young plants with juvenile leaves (the adult foliage being nearly indistinguishable): * ''Papuacedrus papuana'' var. ''papuana'' (syn. ''Libocedrus papuana'' F.Muell., ''Libocedrus torricellensis'' Schltr., ''Papuacedrus torricellensis'' (Schltr.) H.L.Li). New Guinea, east of 138°E longitude; 620–3,800 m elevation. Juvenile leaves with a spreading, hook-like apex. * ''Papuacedrus papuana'' var. ''arfakensis'' ( Gibbs) R.J.Johns (syn. ''Libocedrus arfakensis'' Gibbs, ''Papuacedrus arfakensis'' (Gibbs) H.L.Li). New Guinea, west of 138°E longitude, Moluccas; 700–2,400 m elevation. Juvenile leaves not spreading, the apex not free from the shoot. A fossil species, ''Papuacedrus prechilensis,'' is known from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

of Argentina.

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Further reading