A large tree growing in native habitat [© Simon G. Haberle] (Haberle and Bennett 1999).

Foliage on an ornamental specimen [C.J. Earle, May-1999].

Foliage on a tree in habitat [Rick Fencl].

Pilgerodendron uviferum

(D. Don) Florin 1930

Common Names

Ciprès de la Guaitecas.

Taxonomic notes

The sole species in Pilgerodendron Florin 1930 (Moore 1983). Syn: Libocedrus uvifera (Silba 1986); Libocedrus tetragona (Hooker) Endl.; Thuja tetragona Hooker.

Description

Narrowly pyramidal tree 1.5-10 m; trunk up to ca. 35 cm diameter; bark dark brown, flaking in long strips; shoots tetragonal. Leaves scale-like, imbricate, in 4 rows, (1.8-)2-4 × 1.5-3 mm, ovate, obtuse, sometimes reflexed. Male and female cones on different branches. Cones with 4-6 scales; upper and middle scales with 1-2, 2-winged seeds in fruit. Female cones 8-10 × ca. 8 mm, borne on short shoots; scales oblanceolate, the outer pair with a rigid dorsal spine ca. 3 mm, sometimes arcuate. Seeds with wide, oblique wing about twice as long as other, narrower, wing (Moore 1983).

Range

Western Chile, N to ca. 40°S lat.; western Argentina ca. 47-41°S lat. (Chubut, Neuquén, Rio Negro, and Santa Cruz districts). Found in Drimys-Nothofagus betuloides coastal forest or locally dominant in open stands on sheltered lowland bogs further inland, at 0-150 m (Moore 1983, World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Trees). This is said to be the southernmost conifer in the western hemisphere; I believe it is the southernmost in the world, but perhaps New Zealand has something a bit more southerly. In northern parts of its range it is commonly associated with Fitzroya (Farjon 1998).

Big Tree

Oldest

See below.

Dendrochronology

Some work has been done, notably by the late Julian Szeicz, who has found trees more than 500 years old (Haberle and Bennett 1999).

Ethnobotany

Observations

Remarks

The species is listed as vulnerable by the WCMC: "Large-scale destruction of the forest during colonial times and the widespread opening up of the lowland areas have led to the extinction of the species from most of its original distribution. It is slow to mature and its regeneration is very poor, especially under a canopy" (World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Trees).

The species is fully protected under Appendix I of CITES (the Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild Fauna And Flora (1973, revised 16-Apr-1993)).

Citations

Haberle, Simon and Keith Bennett. 1999. Late Quaternary Environmental Dynamics of Southwestern Chile. URL = http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ges/who/haberle/chile/chile1.html (2-Feb-2000).