Afrocarpus gracilior
Afrocarpus gracilior | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Gymnospermae |
Division: | Pinophyta |
Class: | Pinopsida |
Order: | Araucariales
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Family: | Podocarpaceae |
Genus: | Afrocarpus |
Species: | A. gracilior
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Binomial name | |
Afrocarpus gracilior |
Afrocarpus gracilior (syn. Podocarpus gracilior) is a species of
It is native to eastern Africa, in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, in Afromontane habitats.[1]
This is a common species found in many types of tropical mountain forest habitat. It is a dominant species in some areas. Nevertheless, it may be in slow decline due to deforestation and logging.[1]
Description
Afrocarpus gracilior is a medium-sized tree, growing 20–40 m tall, rarely to 50 m, with a trunk diameter of 50–80 cm. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 2–6 cm long and 3–5 mm broad on mature trees, larger, to 10 cm (4 in) long and 6 mm broad on vigorous young trees.
The seed cones are highly modified, with a single 2 cm (1 in) diameter seed with a thin fleshy coating borne on a short peduncle. The mature seed is purple, and is dispersed by birds and monkeys which eat the fleshy coating. The pollen cones are solitary or in clusters of two or three on a short stem.[4]
Taxonomy
Studies in 2000 and 2002 provided enough evidence to support splitting the genus Podocarpus into Podocarpus and Afrocarpus. Thus, P. falcatus and P. gracilior were renamed to A. falcatus and A. gracilior.[5] Later DNA, biogeographical, morphological, and anatomical evidence suggested the following relationships between the species of Afrocarpus:[6]
Nageia (outgroup) | |||||||||||||
Afrocarpus |
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Uses
It is an important
It is cultivated as an
Notes
- Dallimore, W., & Jackson, A. B. (1966). A Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae, 4th ed., revised. Edward Arnold.
References
- ^ a b c d e Farjon, A. 2013. Afrocarpus gracilior. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. Downloaded on 11 April 2015.
- .
- ^ "A study of the medicinal plants used by theMarakwet Community in Kenya".
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(help) - ^ Afrocarpus gracilior. The Gymnosperm Database.
- ^ Abdillahi; Stafford; Finnie; Van Staden. "Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Podocarpus sensu latissimo (s.l.)". South African Journal of Botany. 76.
- S2CID 86581015.