Distribution of Callitris preissii subsp. preissii (Bowman and Harris 1995). Basemap from Expedia Maps.
Common Names
Rottnest Island pine (Silba 1986), Murray pine (ANBG 2002), slender cypress pine.Taxonomic notes
Syn: C. robusta (Silba 1986). Two subspecies: preissii and murrayensis (see Remarks). C. verrucosa is also classified as a subspecies by Harden (1990), who says "[s]ubspecies verrucosa and murrayensis intergrade and are often difficult to determine satisfactorily. These intergrades tend to hybridize with C. glaucophylla" (Harden 1990).Description
"Tree or shrub with erect or spreading branches, or a stunted, irregularly branched tree, sometimes several-stemmed, occasionally glaucous. Leaves 2-4 mm long. Female cones solitary or several together on stout, often clustered fruiting branchlets, remaining on branches long after maturity, ovoid to depressed-globose, 20-35 mm diam.; columella usually short and thick" (Harden 1990).Range
Australia: NSW, Vic., SA, & WA (Harden 1990).Big Tree
Oldest
Dendrochronology
Ethnobotany
Aborigines on the Murray River made a combined canoe pole and fish spear nearly 4 m long from the wood of the tree, called by them Maroong. The resin was also a cement for fastening barbs to spears (ANBG 2002).Observations
Remarks
Callitris preissii ssp. preissii (syn: C. propinqua (Silba 1986); C. robusta R. Br. ex Bailey; C. gracilis Baker) has "[c]ones usually 25 mm or more in diam., smooth or sparsely warted (in N.S.W.), broad-ovoid when immature, shorter than wide after maturity. Tree with erect or spreading branches on sandstone hillsides. Mature cones depressed-globose, 25-30 mm diam., warts absent or scattered, large, often to 3 mm diam." It is found in Australia: NSW, Vic., SA & WA. "Grows on sandstone hillsides, [in NSW] chiefly in the Rylstone to Goulburn R. district" (Harden 1990).Callitris preissii ssp. murrayensis J. Garden (syn: C. propinqua R. Br. ex R. Baker & H. G. Smith), the mallee pine, has "[c]ones usually 25 mm or more in diam., smooth or sparsely warted (in N.S.W.), ovoid when immature, tending to be longer than wide after maturity. Tree to 20 m with spreading branches, foliage olive green to bluish green. Cones mostly 2.5-3 cm long, almost globose, warts absent or few; cone glaucous at the base when immature" It is found in Australia: NSW, Vic. & SA. "Mainly grows along the Murray R. valley, especially on sandy ridges" (Harden 1990).
Citations
ANBG 2002. Australia National Botanical Garden, Aboriginal Trail page.
Farjon (2005) provides a detailed account, with illustrations.
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This page is from the Gymnosperm Database
URL: http://www.conifers.org/cu/call/preissii.htm
Edited by Christopher J. Earle
Last modified on 2007.05.29