Cladus: Eukaryota Name Afrocarpus falcatus (Thunb.) C.N.Page References * Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Edinburgh and Glasgow 45:383. 1989 ("1988") "falcata" Data compiled from various sources by Mark W. Skinner. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Vernacular names
Afrocarpus falcatus, commonly known as the Sickle-leaved Yellowwood and False Yellowwood (formerly also Outeniqua Yellowwood; syn. Podocarpus falcatus), is a species of Afrocarpus, native to montane forests of South Africa, from Swellendam District of Western Cape Province to Limpopo Province, and into southern Mozambique. When grown domestically, it is a medium-sized to large tree, reaching heights of 10-25 m, but can sometimes attain heights of up to 60 m - and live for hundreds of years - in its natural habitat. Mature trees have a rougher, scaly bark than that of younger trees. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate or falcate (sickle-shaped) with a very sharp point, 2-4 cm long and 2-4 mm broad. Pollen cones and seed cones are found on trees of different gender. The seed cones are highly modified, with a single large seed with a thin fleshy coating borne on a short peduncle. The fruit takes a year to mature, turning yellow, and is dispersed by birds and monkeys which eat the fleshy coating, a necessary step for growth since the flesh contains a germination inhibitor. The pollen cones are produced in clusters on short stems, * Conifer Specialist Group (2000). Afrocarpus falcatus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 26 November 2006. Source: Wikipedia, Wikispecies: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License |
|
