A large tree (83 cm dbh, 15 to 20 m tall) growing at a small shrine in the town of Higashi Fukuma, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The tree is thought to contain a kami, or god [Tom Velardi, 2004].

Tom Velardi with the tree shown above; note the red-brown, platy bark [Tom Velardi, 2004].

Foliage on a tree at the Univ. of Florida, Gainesville (Dan Skean 1985) (Albion University website).

Foliage (Liu 1970).

Nageia nagi

(Thunb.) Kuntze 1891

Common Names

Broad-leaved podocarpus (Albion University website); Chinese: (Liu 1970); Vietnamese: Kim giao tràng dinh (FIPI 1996).

Taxonomic notes

Synonymy (Farjon 1998):

Myrica nagi Thunb. 1784;
Podocarpus nagi (Thunb.) Pilg. 1903;
Decussocarpus nagi de Laub. 1969;
Podocarpus nageia R. Br. ex Endl. 1847;
Podocarpus cuspidatus Endl. 1847;
Nageia cuspidata (Endl.) Gordon 1858;
Podocarpus grandifolius Endl. 1847;
Nageia grandifolia (Endl.) Gordon 1858;
Nageia ovata Gordon 1862;
Podocarpus ovatus (Gordon) Henkel et Hochst. 1865;
Podocarpus nagi (Thunb.) Pilg. var. ovatus (Gordon) Makino 1903;
Podocarpus japonicus J. Nelson 1866 non Sieb. ex Endl. 1847;
Dammara veitchii Henkel et Hochst. 1865;
Agathis veitchii (Henkel et Hochst.) Seward et Ford 1906;
Podocarpus caesius Maxim. 1871;
Nageia caesia (Maxim.) Kuntze 1891;
Podocarpus nagi (Thunb.) Pilg. var. caesius (Maxim.) Makino 1903.

Description

Evergreen tree 20-30 m tall and 80 cm dbh, with straight bole. Bark brown-violet, irregularly flaky and 1eaving spline-shaped or somewhat rectangular flake-scars on trunks, flakes about 1.5 mm. thick, more or less woody; lenticels grayish brown, about 0.8 mm across, longitudinally sparsely arranged; outer bark about 0.3 mm. thick, membranous, cross-section of outer bark brown; phelloderm very conspicuous; inner bark about 7 mm. thick, pale yellowish white, fibrous, with flimsy white streaks of parenchymatous tissues; cambium and newly formed phloem colorless, more or less transparent. Freshly cut sapwood pale apricot yellow; wood rays thready, not very much distinct. Branches grey-brown and cylindrical. Young branchlets green, angular. Leaves simple, opposite, coriaceous or thick chartaceous, lanceolate oblong-elliptic to lanceolate-ovate, 4-6 cm long and 1-4 cm wide, acute at tip, gradually tapering at base into a short petiole, with numerous, parallel nerves; dark green and glossy above, paler beneath. Male cones in clusters of 3-5, catkin-like, pedicel about 2 cm long, bracts triangular, few at the base. Stamens numerous, anther 2-celled. Female cone at axil of previous-year-branch, pedicel not swollen. Seeds globose, 10-15 mm wide, seed-coat bluish green, fleshy, covered with white powder, dark violet when mature, without fleshy receptacles; stalk 7-l5 mm long (Liu 1970, FIPI 1996).

Range

Japan, China and Vietnam; introduced in Taiwan. In Vietnam, it is rare in Lang Son (Trang Dinh), and in some places of the North, growing in tropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, on hills or mountains, below 1000 m elevation. Neutral and shade-demanding tree when young. When mature, may become a canopy dominant. Suitable on feralitic, deep and fertile, loamy-sandy soils (Liu 1970, FIPI 1996).

Big Tree

Oldest

Dendrochronology

Ethnobotany

Timber yellowish with straight veins and fine structure. Easy to work, not fissured and deformed after seasoning, used in construction, making of musical instruments and carving articles. The oil content in seeds is 30%, and in nut is 50%. This oil is used in lighting and in industry (FIPI 1996).

Observations

Remarks

This species is classified as an endangered species in Vietnam (FIPI 1996).