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Papuacedrus Temporal range: Eocene–Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Cupressales
Family:	Cupressaceae
Subfamily:	Callitroideae
Genus:	Papuacedrus H.L.Li
Species:	P. papuana
Binomial name
Papuacedrus papuana (F.Muell.) H.L.Li
Synonyms
Libocedrus papuana F.Muell. Thuja papuana (F.Muell.) Voss Libocedrus torricellensis Schlechter ex Lauterbach Papuacedrus torricellensis (Schlechter ex Lauterbach) Li Libocedrus arfakensis Gibbs Papuacedrus arfakensis (Gibbs) Li

Papuacedrus papuana is a species in the conifer family Cupressaceae, the sole species in the genus Papuacedrus. Some botanists do not consider this species as forming a distinct genus, but include it in the related genus Libocedrus. It is native to New Guinea and to the Indonesian Province of Maluku.

It is usually a medium-sized to large evergreen tree 16–50 m tall, at high elevations only a shrub reaching up to 3 m). The foliage is borne in flat sprays, with the leaves scale-like, in opposite pairs, with facial and lateral pairs alternating; the lateral leaves are larger, 2–3 mm long on mature trees and up to 20 mm long on young trees, the facial leaves smaller, 1 mm on mature trees and up to 8 mm on young trees. The cones are 1–2 cm long, with four scales, a small, sterile basal pair, and a larger fertile pair; the fertile scales each bearing two winged seeds.

The species has two varieties, most readily distinguishable as young plants with juvenile leaves (the adult foliage being nearly indistinguishable):

• Papuacedrus papuana var. papuana (syn. Libocedrus papuana F.Muell., Libocedrus torricellensis Schltr., Papuacedrus torricellensis (Schltr.) H.L.Li). New Guinea, east of 138°E longitude; 620–3,800 m elevation. Juvenile leaves with a spreading, hook-like apex.
• Papuacedrus papuana var. arfakensis (Gibbs) R.J.Johns (syn. Libocedrus arfakensis Gibbs, Papuacedrus arfakensis (Gibbs) H.L.Li). New Guinea, west of 138°E longitude, Moluccas; 700–2,400 m elevation. Juvenile leaves not spreading, the apex not free from the shoot.

A fossil species, Papuacedrus prechilensis, is known from the Eocene of Argentina.

References

1. Thomas, P. (2013). "Papuacedrus papuana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T42260A2967824. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42260A2967824.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. ^ "Papuacedrus papuana". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
3. Farjon A (2001). World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers. Vol. 2. Kew: The Royal Botanic Gardens. pp. 1–309.
4. Leslie AB, Beaulieu JM, Rai HS, Crane PR, Donoghue MJ, Mathews S (October 2012). "Hemisphere-scale differences in conifer evolutionary dynamics". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109 (40): 16217–21. Bibcode:2012PNAS..10916217L. doi:10.1073/pnas.1213621109. PMC 3479534. PMID 22988083.

Further reading

• Farjon A (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. ISBN 1-84246-068-4.
• Earle, Christopher J., ed. (2018). "Papuacedrus papuana". The Gymnosperm Database.

• IUCN Red List least concern species
• Cupressaceae
• Monotypic conifer genera
• Least concern plants
• Trees of New Guinea
• Trees of the Maluku Islands