Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) Sweet

ബുദ്ധിസ്‌റ് പൈൻ

Family : Podocarpaceae

Synonym :

Taxus macrophylla Thunb.

Common Names : Yew plum pine, Buddhist pine, fern pine and Japanese yew

Flowering Period : NA

Distribution : Native to southern Japan and southern and eastern China.

Habitat : Grown as ornamental plant.

Uses : Ornamental, timber yielding, house construction etc.

Key Characters :

It is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, reaching 20 m (66 ft) tall. The leaves are strap-shaped, 6–12 cm long, and about 1 cm broad, with a central midrib. The cones are borne on a short stem, and have two to four scales, usually only one (sometimes two) fertile, each fertile scale bearing a single apical seed 10–15 mm. When mature, the scales swell up and become reddish purple, fleshy, and berry-like, 10–20 mm long; they are then eaten by birds, which disperse the seeds in their droppings.