Callitris macleayana is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae, endemic to Australia.[2][3] The tree is commonly known as stringybark pine, as well as brush cypress pine and Port Macquarie pine, although it does not belong to the pine genus or family.[1] Stringybark pine is found in two regions of Australia's East coast, one in the centre and one in the North.
Callitris macleayana | |
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Conservation status | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
(unranked): | Gymnosperms |
Division: | Pinophyta |
Class: | Pinopsida |
Order: | Pinales |
Family: | Cupressaceae |
Genus: | Callitris |
Species: | C. macleayana |
Binomial name | |
Callitris macleayana (F.Muell.) F.Muell. | |
Callitris macleayana is a large, straight-trunked tree with spreading branches and up to 40 metres in height.[4] The bark is furrowed, and its juvenile leaves are around 1 centimetre in length, giving way to mature foliage of 2-3 millimetres; cones often occur in solitary on larger fruiting branches, and have 6 scales when borne on mature trees.[4]
Stringybark pine occurs over much of the central and Northeast coast of Australia with an estimated range of 20,000 km2, although its range is divided in two with a 1500 km gap between the two occurrences. In the North, it is found in open forests upon humid highlands, mainly among Eucalyptus, Syncarpia, and Corymbia species; in the South, it is found in wet sclerophyll forests and occasionally in pockets of subtropical rainforest, the latter including Ficus and Podocarpus species.[1] Within these habitats the stringybark pine prefers exposed locations such as slopes and ridge tops, whilst generally being found in poorer soils.[1] The tree's limitation to humid sites is in contrast to many other species in the genus, such as Callitris glaucophylla and Callitris endlicheri. The species has a cold hardiness of -1.1 °C to +4.4 °C, corresponding to hardiness Zone 10.[5]
Taxon identifiers | |
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Callitris macleayana |
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Octoclinis macleayana |