Common Names

Scrub kauri (Silba 1986), kaori de montagne [French] (Schmid 1981).

Taxonomic notes

Syn: A. hypoleuca (Moore) Warb. (Silba 1986). One of 5 species of Agathis endemic to New Caledonia (Schmid 1981).

Description

"A shrub or small tree 1-8 m tall, often branching from the base, or to 25 m tall with a clear bole for 12 m high. Crown somewhat flattened. Bark with prominent fissures, whitish or tan, interior-bark red-brown. Branches alternate, opposite, or in whorls of 3-4, yellowish-brown. Buds round, with 4 densely imbricate scales. Leaves ovate to ovate-elliptic, dark green, pale or glaucous below, 4-8 cm long by 1-5 cm wide, apex broadly obtuse, petiole flattened, margins slightly recurved. Male strobili cylindrical, glaucous, 3-5 cm long by 1-1.5 cm wide, on a short robust peduncle 4-6 mm long; microsporophylls imbricate, triangular. Female cone globular, to 12 cm long by 10 cm wide, scales brown with a short-pointed umbo. Seeds 9-11 mm long by 8 mm wide, with a broad nut and an oblique wing on one side" (Silba 1986).

Range

"S New Caledonia: Mt Humboldt to Mt. des Sources, 150-1000 m" (Silba 1986). Grows in small stands, generally very open, or sometimes in forest (Schmid 1981). Stand structure is described in more detail in the abstract for Enright and Goldblum 1998, reproduced here.

Big Tree

Oldest

"Preliminary evidence from tree-ring studies indicates that rings may be annual. Estimated diameter growth rate is about 2 mm/yr for trees >10 cm dbh, and ring counts suggest tree ages of up to 400 years in maquis and 500 years in forest" (Enright and Goldblum 1998).

Dendrochronology

Ethnobotany

Observations

Remarks

This species is listed as "LR/cd" (lower risk, conservation dependent) by the WCMC which adds: "The species is scattered in maquis shrubland in a few localities on ultramafic soils in the south. Pressures are exerted by mining activities, fires and also by logging. The species is slow growing but regenerates well where there is no burning. Populations in Rivière Bleue Provincial Park are effectively protected."

See Also

de Laubenfels 1972.