Mountain Plum Pine, Podocarpus lawrencei

Family Podocarpaceae

Botanical name. Podocarpus is derived from two Greek words pous= foot, and karpos= fruit, referring to the fleshy fruit stems. The species name lawrencei commemorates Robert William Lawrence (1807­1833), a botanical collector.

distribution mapHabitat. Rocky sites in subalpine to alpine vegetation at an altitude of 1000­1800 m above sea level.

Features. Mountain Plum Pines grow to 8 m, live up to 460 years and grow very slowly (0.25 to 4.40 mm in diameter each year). The male and female cones are found on separate plants and birds help disperse the seeds.

drawingAboriginal use. Unlike Podocarpus elatus, the fruits from the Mountain Plum Pine were not eaten due to the toxins they contain.

photo female fruit

photo male cones

photo plant in alps

Education Service - Australian National Botanic Gardens