View source for Phil Bendle Collection:Podocarpus acutifolius (Needle-leaved totara)

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'''Kingdom:''' Plantae<br />
'''Division:''' Pinophyta<br />
'''Class:''' Pinopsida<br />
'''Order:''' Pinales<br />
'''Family:''' Podocarpaceae<br />
'''Genus:''' Podocarpus<br />
'''Species:''' P. acutifolius<br />
'''Binomial name:''' Podocarpus acutifolius<br />
'''Common name:''' Needle-leaved totara, Westland totara.

[[File:Skull and crossbones1.jpg|frameless|upright 2.25]]Seed is poisonous if ingested Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested

Podocarpus acutifolius is a shrub or small tree growing up to 9 m tall and up to 50 cm in diameter.<br />
Its bark thin, peeling off in short strips or flakes.<br />
The leaves are straight, narrow, needle-pointed, 1.5-2.5 cm × 0.75-3.5 mm with an indistinct midvein. The leaves are green in shaded settings but a distinctive yellow-green in open areas.<br />
It develops pollen cones 1-2 cm long, auxiliary, solitary or up to 4 together on common peduncle 2-3 mm long; peduncle furnished above with 2 narrow-triangular keeled scales and below with 4 ovate scales; apiculus obtuse.<br />
The ovules are solitary or rarely paired on a peduncle 1 mm long; receptacle of 2 obtuse scales usually red, swollen and succulent. The seeds are narrowly ovoid.<br />
It is only found in the wild in the South Island from Marlborough Sounds to Nelson and then down the western side of the island to south Westland (43° 50' S), in lowland and montane forest and scrub.

Podocarpus acutifolius hybridises with P. totara var. totara. One hybrid is P. totara ‘Aurea’ (Golden Totara); another is P. totara var. waihoensis.

Several shrubs of  Podocarpus acutifolius photographed at Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserve. Wellington. <br />
[[File:Podocarpus acutifius. 176 .JPG|frameless|upright 2.25]]

[[File:Podocarpus acutifolius Needle leaved totara-001.JPG|frameless|upright 2.25]]

[[File:Podocarpus acutifolius Needle leaved totara-002.JPG|frameless|upright 2.25]] 
[[File:Podocarpus acutifius. 177 .JPG|frameless|upright 2.25]]

[[File:Podocarpus acutifolius Needle leaved totara-003.JPG|frameless|upright 2.25]]

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Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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[[Category:Trees (Native)]]
[[Category:Phil Bendle Collection]]