kids encyclopedia robot

Podocarpus elatus facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Podocarpus elatus
Podocarpus elatus00.jpg
drawing by Margaret Flockton
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Genus:
Podocarpus
Species:
elatus

Podocarpus elatus, known as the plum pine, the brown pine or the Illawarra plum, is a species of Podocarpus endemic to the east coast of Australia, in eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland.

It is a medium to large evergreen tree growing to 30–36 m tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. The leaves are lanceolate, 5–15 cm long (to 25 cm long on vigorous young trees) and 6–18 mm broad. The seed cones are dark blue-purple, berry-like, with a fleshy base 2-2.5 cm diameter bearing a single oval or globose seed 1 cm in diameter.

Uses

The fleshy part of the seed cone is edible, used in condiments. The timber was prized for furniture, joinery, boat planking, lining and piles in salt water. Podocarpus elatus is an attractive ornamental tree. In older Australian suburbs, the plum pine is used as an ornamental street tree, such as at Baldry Street, Chatswood.

Gallery

  • ANU Forestry Illawarra plum - Podocarpus elatus
  • Bruneteau, Jean-Paul, Tukka, Real Australian Food, ISBN: 0-207-18966-8.
  • Dallimore, W., & Jackson, A. B. (1966). Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae. Arnold.
  • Low, Tim, Wild Food Plants of Australia, ISBN: 0-207-16930-6.
  • Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 1989, ISBN: 0-909605-57-2

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Podocarpus elatus para niños

kids search engine
Podocarpus elatus Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.