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Scientific name: Phyllocladus alpinus J. Hooker 1853
Synonyms: Phyllocladus aspleniifolius var. alpinus (Hook.f.) H.Keng, Phyllocladus trichomanoides var. alpinus (Hook.f.) Parl.
Common names: Mountain toatoa, Mountain celery pine
Description
Shrub or tree to 8(-9) m tall, with a short trunk to 0.4 m in diameter. Bark dark brown and smooth at first, weathering gray and becoming roughened by scaly patches. Crown irregularly conical, with numerous, upwardly angled, slender to stout branches. Phylloclades attached singly or in rings of three to five on the long shoots, simple, (0.4-)1-3(-6) cm long, often waxy bluish green when young, weathering yellowish green to dark green. Individual phylloclades highly varied in shape, from egg- through diamond-shaped to almost sword-shaped, with slightly toothed to deeply lobed edges. Scale leaves of adult long shoots and buds to 1 mm long. Plants monoecious. Pollen cones in clusters of (one or) two to five (to seven) at the tip of a short branchlet (which may subsequently grow out beyond the cones). Each cone 3-6 mm long (to 12 mm after releasing pollen), 1.5-2 mm thick, bright red before pollen release, on a very short stalk 1-2 mm long. seed cones single or in clusters of two to four or perhaps more attached to the sides of phylloclades near their base or even wholly replacing the expanded portion. Each seed cone roughly spherical, about 6-7 mm in diameter, with 6-12 bracts, of which one to six are fertile and mature one to three (to five) seeds. Bracts swollen, juicy, red to brown at maturity. Seeds hard, shiny black, 2.5-4 mm long, enclosed for up to two-thirds of their length by a white aril.
Mountains of both main islands of New Zealand and adjacent lowlands of southwestern South Island. Exclusive or prominent in the canopy of subalpine scrublands (hence the scientific name) and low forest or scattered in the understory of lowland mixed forests on impoverished soils; 0-300(450-)-1,380 m.
Conservation Status
Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern
This widespread variety is still common in many areas, and actually increases in some localities that were formerly logged. It is also present in areas where no logging took place. It is listed as Least Concern.
This species is found in temperate forest from ca. 500 m a.s.l. upwards, but in the far south and west of South Island it is found at sea level as well.
Logging and forest clearing would have had a negative impact in the past, but this has now ceased. The population is increasing.
This taxon is present in several protected areas. Government policy now also protects native forests generally, from which this variety benefits especially at its lower altitude sites.
Varieties:
Phyllocladus alpinus ‘Blue Haze’ Phyllocladus alpinus ‘Cockayne’s Blue’ Phyllocladus alpinus ‘Silver Blades’
References
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